10. Jaren Rivas
Over at the patio bar at Bloom in Wynwood, Jaren Rivas is holding court. Juggling two shakers, he suggests a bourbon cocktail to a visitor from New York, kibbitzes with two young women at a nearby table, and pours wine at the service bar. But don't think it's all fun, games, and a show at Rivas' bar. Southern Living magazine just called his Tequila Beets cocktail Miami's best nightcap. There's substance behind that flash.
9. Ben Potts
A Miami native, Ben Potts has an MBA from the University of Miami and could probably be a CFO at some Fortune 500 company if he wanted. But what he wants to do is make beautiful cocktails. Blackbird Ordinary in Brickell could be mistaken for any dive bar. But look closer and you'll find a space that grows its own herbs, fruit, and mints to be used in inventive cocktails named after flying creatures. It is there that Potts can finally let his creativity soar.
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