Bars & Breweries

With nearly 200 licensed breweries, Florida is considered one of America’s fastest-growing states for craft breweries. The Florida Brewers Guild identifies a little more than 20 new breweries from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach County, but that number isn’t accurate if you count production and small-scale microbreweries with taprooms open to the public. Still, all the facts and figures become insignificant when you consider the big picture: Something special is happening here.

When Craig McBay, who owns Florida Keys Brewing Co. with his wife Cheryl, saw the email from Dogfish Head Brewery’s Sam Calagione regarding his Hogfish Amber, he was ecstatic. “I thought that Sam had tasted it. I was obviously excited. This is a beer that I’m proud of.”

Top Miami-Dade and Broward spots offering specialty cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day.

Later this year, Fort Lauderdale will welcome a new brewery to an industrial complex just south of Sailboat Bend and the Tarpon River. Riverside Market’s founders and Native Brewing’s Adam Fine have partnered with the Restaurant People to form New River Brewing. The project has been a long time coming for Riverside Market husband-and-wife team Julian and Lisa Siegel…

Wood Tavern’s Cesar Morales is a busy man. New Times caught up with him on the way to the hospital to visit his new daughter, Lola, who was born late last week. The owner of Wynwood’s most beloved watering hole is also making some changes and expansions to Wood Tavern.

Repour’s Isaac Grillo and Kreepy Tiki Bar & Lounge’s Ayme Harrison are headed north to Palm Beach County. On April 1, the founder of Miami Beach’s popular cocktail bar will join forces with Harrison to open Death or Glory in the former Max’s Social House space (116 NE Sixth Ave.) in downtown Delray Beach.

Miami’s food scene continues to grow and thrive, with new restaurants and bars opening weekly. So how do you navigate the culinary waters of the Magic City? For starters, check out New Times’ list of February’s restaurant openings. Then head to these five restaurants to get your food and drink on. They offer everything from fresh seafood to duck-fat fries to mermaids (they’re not edible, by the way).

It’s a fact: People will wait in the pouring rain, the blazing-hot sun, or even the bitter cold for a chance to score a rare bottle or can of their favorite beer on its release day. Recently, more than 1,200 people showed up to J. Wakefield Brewing for its annual February Dragon Fruit Passion Fruit Berliner Weisse bottle release. Fans of the purple-pink beer arrived as early as 4 a.m. to stand in a line that snaked around the block. In mid-March, Cigar City Brewing will throw a grand fete in Tampa to release its Hunahpu’s imperial stout.

Artopia, New Times’ annual celebration of Miami’s artistic scene, will take over the Coral Gables Museum this week with a gathering of art, music, and food. Thursday, March 2, from 7 to 10 p.m., experience live performances by Angels Entertainment and Native American Powwow Dancers; an interactive digital graffiti wall; multimedia makeup artist Desiree Vazquez; music by DJ Surge; interactive tiles courtesy of 8bit Lexicon; and artist Wen Ju.

Constantine de Lucia, the chef behind Tino’s and Ichimi Ramen, has opened Providores & Publicans, a bar and lounge featuring creative drinks and an eclectic menu catering to the late-night Brickell crowd. Located in the former space of La Gozadera and Rubi Lounge (141 SW Seventh St., Miami), Providores & Publicans has a simple mission. “People are often limited to fast food really late at night, and we wanted to offer those customers better options without breaking the bank,” De Lucia says. With a closing time of 5 a.m., the eatery offers a reprieve for those looking for quality food in the wee hours.

Lions and tigers and brews, oh my! On May 6, Miami will get wild when the eighth-annual New Times’ Brew at the Zoo takes over Zoo Miami for an evening filled with beer, music, fun, and wild things.

The Holy Mackerel Garage Project, a nanobrewery and tasting room, opens today in Pompano Beach. To celebrate, Holy Mackerel founder and brewer Bobby Gordash is serving up $5 beers through Saturday, February 18, for anyone who stops by the tasting room located at 3260 NW 23rd Ave., Pompano Beach, just a…

Happy Friday!  This weekend is all heart. Valentine’s Day is next week and, this being Miami, the party starts this weekend. Shop for chocolate and fixings for a romantic dinner at the Wynwood Farmer’s Market, enjoy a Love Boat-themed brunch, or sample fine wines. Take your sweetie out for a pre-V-Day dinner show or find your soul mate at a Zodiac-inspired cocktail soiree.

From rooftops to lobbies, a wave of high-style, well-thought-out drink menus and impeccable service is giving the classic concept of the hotel bar new meaning. In Miami Beach, no others are doing it quite like the Cape, a bar that opened in late November on the rooftop of the Townhouse Hotel…

February means two things to Miami’s J. Wakefield Brewing Co. fans: the annual release of the brewery’s top-rated Dragon Fruit Passion Fruit Berliner Weisse and its festival-style anniversary party,otherwise referred to as Wakefest.

It looks like Donald Trump is building that wall. Just a few days into his presidency, Trump has already signed an executive order to build the wall — possibly having Americans pay for it by issuing a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports — including beer, avocados, tequila, and mezcal.Already, relations with Mexico seem strained, with Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña cancelling a meeting with Trump, set for next week.  The two leaders did have an hour-long phone call today to discuss America’s trade deficit with Mexico. A statement released by the Mexican government said that the two leaders had “clear and very public differences” on “sensitive” issues. Whether or not a tax is imposed on some of our favorite food and drink items remains to be seen. For the moment, though, it’s a good idea to eat all the guacamole and tacos and drink all the mezcal and margaritas we can.  Here are the hottest places to grab your tacos and tequila while you can!

Union Beer Store, located at 1547 SW Eighth St., will celebrate its soft opening this Saturday in Little Havana. The craft beer bar and lounge will feature 21 taps of mostly local brews, although it will offer some out-of-town suds. Unlike many bars cofounder David Rodriguez has seen, the taps face the customer so the bartender can engage with guests without having his back turned while pouring.

As much as we enjoy not being snowed in by winter’s wrath in South Florida, it can sometimes be difficult to get into the spirit of the season. Sure, our toes are a little cooler than usual in our sandals, but it’s not quite the taste of winter we long for.

You know how sometimes a movie sequel can be better that the original? That’s how it is with SFL Hops, a South Florida beer-enthusiast group created by Stuart Skopit, which is celebrating its second anniversary February 4 with a beer festival featuring local breweries.

Washington Charles is no stranger to Mexican flavors. The cofounder of Taquiza, Masa, and the Grdn has opened his latest concept, El Grito, which Charles hopes to capture the attention of industry folks.