As we walk in the doors of El Grito, we get a sense of belonging. It’s like being at a members only club, except your only ticket into this club is to order a bit of an agave based spirit and join the bartender in a journey around Mexico.
This isn’t your ordinary bar. Here education and tasting is key. The bar is set up with only products of Mexican origin (tequila, mezcal, sotol). Here a guest can see all the different regions come alive under one roof.
The brainchild of Washington Charles (Taquiza) and Antar Sosa (Red Bar), the whole idea of El Grito, was to bring back an old industry joint in a fun and creative way. El Grito, which translates to “the cry”, is based on Mexican history. On 1810, a priest from the small town of Dolores, provided the battle cry against colonial rule and to empower Mexicans to fight for their freedom. Here in Miami, that bit of history is honored through spirits.
One of the El Grito’s priorities is their industry counterparts. “We wanted to offer our industry friends, 15% off, all day everyday.” And this according to Ezra Pattek, one of the masterminds behind the menu and spirits selection, is what makes a mezcaleria special. Ezra mentions his many times spent in Mexico as inspiration. “Walking through the streets of Oaxaca, you enter these small villages, where families and friends gather, each bar would actually be a mezcal producer. Here they would share their creation from their “palenques” to the world.” Ezra also mentions the look and feel of the bars, “these bars are an inspiration, they have an old world, rustic vibe that helps you imbibe in the culture of mezcal.”
This type of approach is what the team at El Grito wants to bring to life. By informing and educating themselves first, they are then able to pass along that information to guests.
A highlight on the menu, and what we see as a Miami first, is Tepache, a fermented beverage made from the peel and rind of the pineapple. This is fermented, in-house, for 10-12 days. Another one of our favorites, is the House Michelada served with Tecate and a mixture of spices and citrus.
There is also a frozen drink machine which will be cranking out a delicious frozen cocktail made with Tequila Ocho.
Eventually, El Grito will expand to their outdoor patio area with a walk-up window where you can order from. All in all, we have a true, Mexican-inspired mezcaleria. Coming soon is also a food menu which we know will be a perfect pairing with the cocktails. Join us in welcoming our new favorite local mezcaleria.
El Grito
1766 Bay Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139