Miami Art Week 2016: The Five Most Artistic Cocktails for Art Basel

With Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach just beginning, Miamians have a week of parties, gallery openings, shows, and happenings to attend. Between celebrity spotting and art chatting, you'll need to unwind and refresh. There's no better way than stopping for a cocktail.

But this being Art Basel, you simply cannot just get a vodka and Coke in a plastic cup. You need to enjoy a beverage that's artistic and aesthetically pleasing. Luckily, Miami's bartenders (and some guests from out of town) have created a cadre of libations that are both beautiful to behold and delicious to drink. Here are five creations that allow you to imbibe art this week.
1. Warhol Mule at Bagatelle
Bagatelle's Warhol Mule ($17) takes the artist's most recognizable work as its muse: the Campbell's soup can. Bar manager Daniel Majarro mixes a traditional mule by adding Ketel One orange vodka and fresh strawberries and then finishing with ginger beer and lime. It's the best way to drink in art this week.
2. The Garden Punch at Bar Alter
Alter's Brad Kilgore is known for his artistic culinary interpretations, so it makes sense that the cocktails at Bar Alter are just as gorgeous. Barman David Perez's garden punch ($13) is a standout: A mixture of fresh juices and spirits are just the revival you need after scoping out Wynwood's art scene. The fact that it's served in a garden pot and garnished with an orchid makes it the most adorable drink in town.
3.  The East of Eden at Faena's Night Market Pop-Up
Faena's night market pop-up serves a host of gorgeous, visually intriguing Bombay Sapphire cocktails. All feature colorful ice cubes and floral embellishments, but the East of Eden stands out for its bonus feature: a little cone of spiced nuts attached to the glass by a tiny pink clothespin. The drink itself is a concoction of Bombay Sapphire, kaffir lime, and Thai basil topped with soda. This is truly an "artful basil" cocktail.
4. The Amelía at the Employees Only Pop-Up at the Washington Park Hotel
Employees Only is one of the most creative bars in New York City, and Miami Beach is about to get a taste of what the fuss is about at the Employees Only pop-up at the Washington Park Hotel (1050 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) this Thursday and Friday. Any drink on the curated cocktail list should thrill, but the Amelía ($16) — made with Aylesbury Duck vodka and St-Germain elderflower liqueur and then shaken with puréed blackberries and fresh lemon juice — is a lush, velvety showstopper.
5.  The Inside Outside In at Beaker & Gray
Beaker & Gray's Ben Potts refers to his Inside Outside In ($16) as a "strange" cocktail. What makes it so strange is the accompanying glass of rum-infused pineapple spears. The drink — a mix of Santa Teresa Gran Reserva rum, Luxardo maraschino, and madeira — has pineapple notes, while the pineapple spears have rum notes. So which comes first, the drink or the pineapple? It's a cocktail as mysterious as the Sphinx.