Wood Tavern Owner Opens Miami Mojito Company Pop-Up for Art Basel and Beyond

Wynwood is getting a piece of beach paradise with the opening of Miami Mojito Company.
This secret beach tiki bar popped up Thursday, December 1, for Art Basel, but Cesar Morales — the owner of Wood Tavern and Bar Next Door and the brains behind Miami Mojito Company — has plans to extend it as a permanent stand.

Miami Mojito Company can be accessed only through the Plant the Future corridor on the side of Wood Tavern on NW Second Avenue. Morales says the inspiration for the pop-up came from a recent visit to Brazil.

“It’s a simple concept, but I love simple, and if you’re calling yourself the Miami Mojito Company, it has to be a good mojito,” Morales jokes. “On the beach in Brazil, there are tons of mojito and caipirinha stands, and one person operates them with a cart, and they have fruit, vodka, rum, or cachaça, and I thought it was a simple operation. That space at Wood was an unused space, but because it is small, I thought, Wow, we could do this in Miami.”
The tiki bar, which stands 15 feet tall, will have tables and chairs for 20 people and sell three 16-ounce cocktail recipes for $10 each. In addition, guarapo will be offered for $5.
“The primary focus is the mojito, caipirinha, and caipiroska; the idea is to use fresh sugar-cane juice. A typical mojito has brown sugar, but we’re not using that. People can get the classic flavors, or they can add fresh raspberries, tamarind, or passionfruit, and that will be an additional $2. The guarapo only lasts 20 minutes until it gets tart, so we’re going to be making it fresh constantly. It’s all natural and no artificial flavors. I think the name says it all.”

Morales says he isn’t worried about the hidden entrance because the idea is to re-create a calm oasis. The beach shack is dressed in pastel yellow, pink, and blue hues. He encourages people to stop by, cool down, and take a rest from walking.
“It’s small; it’s cute, beachy, and unexpected. We did well with the space that was there. It’s less than 400 square feet, and it’s interesting to see a little bar spring up in such a small space. I really want the mojito to stand out. The name is generic, but the mojito is the star. It’s a small escape from Wynwood.”

Miami Mojito Company was the original business concept for Morales' Allapattah Market, with this pop-up designed as a satellite so people would know mojitos are available there, but the project took on a life of its own. At the market, there will be more flavors.

Miami Mojito Company is now open Friday through Sunday from 2 p.m. until late.

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