Liquor.com has come up with an extensive list of the best bars in America and they are looking south. Nine bars in Florida have been named on the prestigious list with six being in Miami, one in Ft. Lauderdale, one in Orlando and one in St. Augustine.
To Liquor.com, these are the bars that are setting the standard for cocktail culture in the USA and beyond.
173 bars bars were chosen with 12 categories that include:
The Team Players (bar-staff recognition)
The Experimenters (the innovators; the people thinking way outside the box)
The New Kids (newly opened, no more than two years old as of March 2015)
The Survivors (longstanding spots)
The Neighborhood Bar (those bars that beat along with a neighborhood’s heart)
Genre Bar: Cocktail
Genre Bar: Gin
Genre Bar: Irish
Genre Bar: Rum
Genre Bar: Tequila/Agave
Genre Bar: Tiki
Genre Bar: Whisk(e)y
Liquor.com selected a panel of cocktail influencers and tastemakers whos chose the best bars within the categories above.
The list is in alphabetical order and in no ways shows a ranking of any kind.
In the New Kids category, 27 restaurant was pegged as one of the best in USA. We wholeheartedly agree. The cocktail program stands on its own with Randy Perez creating fantastic cocktails with a Broken Shaker flair. This paired with their fantastic dinner menu and you have yourself a perfect evening in Miami Beach.
Another to be awarded in the New Kids category is the Matador Room at the EDITION Hotel in Miami Beach. You’ll find us sipping on the Bendito: Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, Lime Juice. A fantastic bar with some real talent behind bar including Angelo Vieira, one of the best barmen we have come across.
Rounding out the New Kids category as well as the rum genre is the beautiful Rum Line. With a brand new mural done by local artist Nicole Salgar, the Rum Line is set to get you back on a tropical journey. This beautiful outdoor space is waiting for Miami to cool down and be enjoyed. Cocktails by award-winning bartender, Rob Ferrara. This is a must-do if you come to Miami Beach.
Not left out in the cocktail bar genre is the wonderful Broken Shaker. The Miami Beach location was recently selected as one of the 50 Best Bars coming in at 14th as well as Best American Hotel Bar in Tales of Cocktail Spirited Awards this past July. Menu changes often with new cocktails and fresh herbs from their own garden!
Also in the Cocktail Bar category is The Woods in Orlando. A fantastic cocktail bar that is considered one of the best in Florida and now in the USA! Considered one of Orlando’s only craft bars, they are producing not only great cocktails but great bartenders as well. Here you can enjoy over 70 craft beers and spirits from local distilleries.
In the neighborhood bar genre, you have Mac’s Club Deuce, considered by many to be the holy grail of bars in Miami and one of Miami’s oldest bars. We might not have many dive bars but the one’s we do have are done right. Come here for a simple drink and meet some of Miami’s most interesting characters. Bar opens at 8am and does 2-4-1s till 7pm.
In the Team Players category, you have the famed Regent Cocktail Club. The home of one of the world’s most famous cantineros, Maestro Julio Cabrera. Known for classic cocktails, look for an ever changing menus as Julio digs through classic cocktail books and recreates history. Don’t miss his famous Havana Nights as Julio and the band take you through a trip down memory lane done through the eyes of a Cuban.
Ft. Lauderdale also had a say this year in where people should enjoy some of the best cocktails in the USA and that came in the form of a tiki bar. For the tiki bar genre, the famous Mai Kai was pegged as one of the best. Famous for their rum collection as well as their tiki cocktails, the Mai Kai is a must-do for anyone wanting to check out some of the coolest, historical bars in South Florida. The Mai Kai also puts on live shows nightly with every room reflecting a different part of Polynesia. The Molokai bar has over 50 cocktails on the menu.
And going a bit more north, our friends at the Ice Plant in St. Augustine were also selected in the New Kids category. We were there for the opening and from the start we knew this was going to be something special. With a fantastic team led by Zach Lynch, it’s no wonder this bar is on this list. This is a must-do when stopping in St. Augustine. Don’t forget to try their own line of spirits under the name, St. Augustine Distillery. Something special is happening here, so keep an eye on it. The building is original and dates back to the 20’s where you guessed it, they would make ice for local vendors.
So there you have it a wonderful list from all over the USA with some of our favorites. It’s great to see Florida get the recognition it deserves!