This weekend is all about the pop-up, the made-up, and the tatas. And all come in pairs!
First the pop-up: There are two different pop-ups this weekend: a speakeasy and a beer garden.
Then the made-up: As in made-up holidays. Again, there are two. National Taco Day and National Vodka Day happen to both be this Saturday and we have ways to celebrate.
Finally, the tatas! They generally come in pairs (unless you're Jasmine Tridevell, who always wanted triplets) and they're meant to be celebrated. We'll tell you how!
Weekend starts now!
See also: Wynwood Brewing to Host Oktoberfest Beer Garden at Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove
A Pop-Up Speakeasy Inside a Liquor Store
Big Game Liquors (930 S. Le Jeune Rd., Miami) is the place for people in the know to buy some pretty rare craft spirits. Only problem is that usually you have to wait until you get home and then make yourself a cocktail. On Saturday, October 4, however, let the pros do it for you when mixologist Nick Nistico takes over the store -- literally.
Nistico, with the help of William Grant & Sons and the Craft Spirits Festival, is turning the shop into a pop-up speakeasy from 8 to 11 p.m. You'll enjoy cocktails like the Ancho Chai-Rita and the World's Coldest Reyka Sonic (served over hand cut glacier ice) in a speakeasy setting.
Any self-respecting speakeasy-goer knows you need a secret password or knock to get into the joint. Your entry is a little more...um...modern. RSVP at csfpatiopopup.eventbrite.com to get in.
Drink Pink and Save the Tatas
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there are many ways to support the brave ladies and gents who fight this disease (which is, by the way, a staggering one in eight women). You can participate in a walk, volunteer at a hospital, donate funds, or simply raise a glass. A number of Miami bars and lounges are participating in a "Drink Pink" campaign where you can enjoy a tasty beverage, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting breast cancer support and research. Shore Club, 660 at the Angler's, Social Club, and Lilt Lounge are some of the participants.
See also: Drink Pink in October and Support Breast Cancer Awareness
A Ritzy Pop-Up Beer Garden
What do you get when you cross a local brew with a swanky hotel? One majorly classy pop-up beer garden! Miami's very own Wynwood Brewing Company is hosting an Oktoberfest beer garden in one of the most plush locations in Miami and you're invited. This Saturday and Sunday, enjoy fresh, local beer and German-inspired bites at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove. The beer garden is open from 3 to 9 p.m. both days, and there's even free valet parking -- because that's how swanky people roll, son.
Celebrate National Taco Day
Saturday is National Taco Day and, although we're not sure why there's a National Taco Day in the U.S., we'll go along with it (if only for the tacos).
If you're looking for some high-end versions of the Mexican street food, head over to Cantina La Veinte for lunch, where executive chef Santiago Gomez has prepared seven different unique and upscale offerings.
Choose from taco de lengua (slow cooked beef tongue chopped with onion and tomato steamed in banana leaves); taco de chamorro (pork shank confit, cilantro, serrano chile, chopped onion, and fried pork skin); taco de pulpo(octopus with a guajillo citric emulsion, avocado puree, and black bean purée); taco de huachinango a la talla (red snapper with a dried chili-mayo sauce topped with onion and cilantro); taco al pastor (pork marinated in adobo sauce, topped with chopped cilantro, onion and roasted pineapple purée); taco de hongos (huitlacoche tortilla, bone marrow, parmesan cheese, and truffle oil); or taco de ostiones crujientes (breaded oysters with a chipotle mayo dressing topped with chives). At $4.50 each, try a few and celebrate.
Tacos and a Shot... Feeling Lucky?
Sometimes you just want a taco and a shot and Naked Taco's Ralph Pagano knows exactly how you feel. On Saturday, he's buying the booze if you buy the tacos. For every taco you buy chef Pagano's buying you a shot of tequila. And it's the good stuff, too: Herradura. As Pagano says, "The tequila with the lucky horseshoe on the bottle, so come get lucky with me."
Celebrate National Vodka Day With This Sake-Tini Recipe
Saturday also happens to be National Vodka Day. Sure, it's another made up holiday (that has the nerve to infringe upon National Taco Day), but we'll drink to it, anyway.
If you're looking for something a little more refreshing than the usual Goose and Bull, might we suggest mixing up a few sake-tinis? Benihana has been making the cocktail since 1964, with a few refinements along the way (like the addition of cucumber slices and plum wine). Here's the recipe, or visit Benihana, if only to tell your bartender, "sake-to me!"
Benihana 1964 Sake-Tini
- 2 ½ oz. Grey Goose vodka
- 1 oz. Benihana sake
- 4 fresh cucumber slices
- Splash of Benihana plum wine
Add vodka, sake, cucumber slices and plum wine to a mixing glass. Add ice and shake for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cucumber slice.
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