From neighbourhood restaurants to beachfront clubs, Miami is a heady mix of Champagne lounges, hipster hangouts, local speakeasies and cocktail bars. Lucy Britner gets the lowdown
Miami is largely a party town. The city attracts millions of tourists who support the hospitality scene and keep the drinks flowing from lunch till dawn.
Looking back to pre-pandemic times — and according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) — employment in the travel and hospitality sector reached a record 147,000 jobs in 2019, making it one of the leading employment sectors in the community.
Miami’s on-premise is “driven by independents, some of which are growing their footprints by opening multiple units and concepts as we emerge from the pandemic”, according to Sean O’Connor, executive vice-president at drinks distribution company Breakthru Beverage Florida. He says that while Miami does have some chain accounts, it’s noticeably smaller than other markets in the state.
The stats also show that Greater Miami attracted a massive 16.3m overnight visitors and an additional 7.9m daytrippers, to reach a record 24.2m visitors in 2019. The GMCVB says this was worth $17.9bn to the local economy, with the vast majority ($16.3bn) coming from overnight guests.
“The growth of the independents combined with Covid-related shutdowns for area banquet and catering businesses has resulted in a slowdown in the hotel bars and restaurants we service,” O’Connor adds. Naren Young is creative beverage director at Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company on Miami Beach. The cocktail bar was set up by beverage industry legend the late John Lermayer along with Dan Binkiewicz and restaurateur David Martinez and has appeared on The World’s 50 Best Bars list as well as numerous local lists. Young agrees that small companies characterise Miami’s on-premise scene, describing the market as having “quite a few independents with two or three venues”. Indeed, Sweet Liberty co-founder Binkiewicz also has a hand in several other top Miami venues, including Mama Tried and Blackbird Ordinary. However, Young points out that there are lots of hotels — many with bars, beach clubs and restaurants — and a huge number of tourists, which of course has an impact on drinks trends.
Key trends
Breakthru’s O’Connor says several concepts are thriving right now. “Restaurants with a vibe and nightlife component are hot and trending,” he says. “Consumers are looking for music, ambiance and even a separate lounge to keep the nightlife going after dinner.”
But O’Connor adds that he’s also seeing a growing preference for the smaller local bars as opposed to the traditional larger club-style format venues. In terms of neighbourhoods, he mentions Wynwood, saying “the local neighbourhood bar business is booming”.
Armando Nino, director-general of boutique sales and marketing agency Passion Spirits, describes Wynwood as the “artistic side” of Miami. But he says many smaller operators have been priced out of the neighbourhood as it has become more popular over the years. “Investors came in and you have a lot of good restaurants there — they try to keep it trendy, nothing too fancy,” he says. “It’s a cool neighbourhood.”
Local listings put venues such as Gramps — a cocktail and craft beer joint with live music and events that opened back in 2012 — among the top Wynwood bars. Owner Adam Gersten is quoted in interviews as saying it wasn’t until 2014-15 that the area really started to peak.
Nino also pinpoints South Beach as another hotspot. He says it is largely populated with big corporations and hotel chains which mainly attract tourists with money to spend. The Mondrian South Beach and its Baia Beach Club is “one of the hottest places right now”, he says. Other popular spots include Bâoli Miami Restaurant and Lounge, Villa Azur and Mynt. Bodega, with its low-key taqueria and al fresco speakeasy, is a local favourite on the beach.
Time Out’s latest bar roundup also mentions the Little Havana neighbourhood with popular hangouts including Cafe La Trova and Ball & Chain. Incidentally, Cafe La Trova was co-founded by well-known Miami chef Michelle Bernstein — wife and business partner to David Martinez, co-founder of Sweet Liberty. Elsewhere, Sweet Liberty’s Young mentions a couple of “up and coming” neighbourhoods, including Overtown and Little River.
Local players
Breakthru Beverage Florida claims to be one of the state’s largest distributors of wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. Southern Glazer’s has a base in Miami and importer and distributor Park Street is also based there.
In terms of popular local brands, Sweet Liberty’s Young says there are a few distilleries and lots of breweries popping up. At the bar, Wynwood Brewing’s La Rubia Blonde Ale is on draught. Passion’s Nino highlights Toast Vodka, which is made in Miami. The founder of Toast is entrepreneur and restaurateur Dieuveny ‘DJ’ Louis and Toast Distillers also owns Miami Distilling Company. As well as producing its own Toast Vodka, Amazing Brands, Voka Vodka and TMDC Gin, Toast Distillers is also a contract manufacturer for Miami Club Rum, Pitbull’s Voli Vodka and E11even Vodka.
International players
Nino says the party venues attract the unusual suspects of Grey Goose, Bacardi, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniel’s and, when it comes to bubbles, Moët & Chandon.
Nino, Sweet Liberty’s Young and Breakthru’s O’Connor all mention tequila’s popularity, with tequila titans Diageo’s Don Julio and Bacardi’s Patrón leading the charge. “Miami drinks a lot of tequila,” says Young. “It’s probably our biggest-selling spirit.”
Mezcal is also rising up the ranks and tends to be most popular in bars where cocktails are the main offer, says Nino. Young adds that drinkers are gravitating towards gin a little more, with the likes of Hendrick’s and Tanqueray earning a mention.
Breakthru’s O’Connor also adds Irish whiskey to the mix, saying that overall, the spirits category “continues to accelerate towards premiumisation, with many consumers gravitating towards Irish whiskey, gin and tequila”.
Challenges & opportunities
O’Connor believes premiumisation will continue to be an opportunity for the Miami on-premise. He outlines the launch of Breakthru’s Aspect Fine Wine strategy. “With a best-in-class approach to fine wine, including a heightened focus on education, account segmentation, and data and insights, we are well-positioned to support our customers,” he adds.
Elsewhere, the pandemic has taken a toll. O’Connor says that, from an operational standpoint, increasing efficiency and productivity will be the greatest area of focus for owners throughout the next year. “On-premise accounts will be working with fewer staff while trying to maintain their level of quality and service and will likely need to adjust the beverage experience and interaction in order to accommodate,” he says.
Like many cities across the world, Miami took advantage of the demand for cocktails-to-go during the pandemic. Marina Velez, senior product manager for The Beverage Information & Insights Group, says the states that allowed cocktails-to-go provided a much-needed revenue boost for hospitality.
“The concept was also very well received by consumers who will likely continue to order cocktails with their takeout orders,” she adds. “Thirteen states, inclusive of Florida, have filed bills to extend or make permanent cocktails-to-go programmes initiated during the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Sweet Liberty’s Young outlines his own ambition when it comes to challenges and opportunities in Miami, as he believes there are “not a lot of great bars” on the beach. “There’s a lot of opportunities down there to create something really world-class,” he says. He reveals that he’s expecting to make Miami his base and he is currently looking to open his own bar in the next year or so. Watch this space. ●
