21 March 28 - april 3, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | rotating selection of whales — that’s beerspeak for hard-to-find and limited- release bottles and cans. And it’s a growler bar, where they’ll happily fill your to-go jug with your choice from the tap so you can partake of your Union Beer Store bounty wherever your craft-beer-loving self desires. Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending 4178 SW 74TH CT., MIAMI 786-332-2903 UNSEENCREATURES.COM Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending hus- band-and-wife cofounders Marco and Vicky Leyte-Vidal offer Miami-Dade a different type of brewery in the heart of Miami’s Bird Road Art District. This is one of the few South Florida breweries with an onsite blending fa- cility specializing in oak barrel-aged, mixed- fermentation wild and sour beers that use local ingredients and microflora. Unseen Creatures’ beers are influenced by the farm- house traditions of Belgium and France but aren’t limited to the same set of guidelines or style requirements. How? It’s all thanks to those unseen “creatures” — locally foraged yeast and bacteria that lend these beers their unique flavor profile. Beers here are inher- ently refreshing and sessionable. Look for core offerings, including Marco’s solera blend, Artifact, a tart and funky beer dry- hopped with Cascade hops. Veza Sur Brewing Co. 55 NW 25TH ST., MIAMI 786-362-6300 VEZASUR.COM Veza Sur Brewing Co. may be owned by An- heuser-Busch InBev, but its roots are firmly planted in Miami. The brewery, one of the most beautiful in Miami, has dug deep into the community. Its beers range from chopp, a refreshing, traditional Brazilian brew served nearly to the point of freezing — to beers made with tropical fruits like mango and lulo (AKA naranjilla). Along with live entertain- ment and other events, the brewery hosts charity nights to raise funds for local organi- zations — all in a lush, junglelike setting. Vinya Wine & Market 328 CRANDON BLVD. #122-123, KEY BISCAYNE 305-361-7007 VINYAWINE.COM Wine can be intimidating. Who hasn’t pe- rused rack after rack of wines only to pick up a bottle that has a cat on it out of sheer des- peration? Varietals, terroir, and vintages all become a blur when you simply want a nice bottle to pair with the pasta dinner you’re making for your new boo. Allegra Angelo, the sommelier at Vinya, hears your soul crying out for some good wine, hold the intimida- tion. Wines at Vinya are categorized by sweetness, price point, and even signs of the zodiac. If, say, you’re a Leo who wants a sweet dessert wine under $50, they’ve got you cov- ered. Vinya is also a wine bar, so sit back and order anything from bacon-wrapped dates to a “Caviar Experience,” select any wine in the shop (a $15 corkage fee applies), and enjoy. Water Lion Wine + Alchemy 1671 COLLINS AVE., MIAMI BEACH WATERLIONBAR.COM Tucked just off the lobby of the Sagamore Hotel, Water Lion Wine + Alchemy feels like a secret you don’t want to share. This cozy lit- tle ten-seat bar and 12-seat dining area is the respite you need in the frenetic epicenter of South Beach. Water Lion specializes in unique offerings that cover wine, beer, cider, sake, and an in-house fermentology-based mixology program of artisanal low- and no- ABV cocktails. The wine menu is an ever- evolving selection that includes a wide range of flavor profiles — from a variety of micro- vintners that offer everything from light and effervescent sparklers to juicy reds and full- bodied whites. For food, find fresh-shucked oysters alongside a bevy of light dishes like charcuterie, a chopped shrimp dip, and dev- iled eggs. Don’t be surprised if all the wine and oysters work a little magic. Word is that this little spot has been the site of more than a few marriage proposals. Guess there’s some- thing in the water...lion. The Wilder 701 E. BROWARD BLVD., FORT LAUDERDALE 954-918-7212 INTOTHEWILDER.COM The Wilder is Fort Lauderdale’s answer to the lack of destination drinking for a higher-class clientele. Think of it as a social club for a truly sophisticated imbibing experience. South Florida hospitality veteran David Cardaci and his wife, Vanessa, used their travels as inspira- tion for the unique watering hole. Three dis- tinct spaces offer unique experiences, each with a distinct personality: a hotel lobby-like front bar with masterfully executed libations; a European-style outdoor courtyard for sun- soaked revelry; and a dimly illuminated great room with a second bar that hosts near- nightly events from a burlesque show and live music acts to a weekly jazz night. There are plenty of nooks and crannies for cozying up or grabbing a seat at the long back bar. The liba- tions roster mixes OG cocktails like the rum- forward tiki-style “West Indian Handshake” with a rotating selection of seasonal picks filed under “Adventurous.” Drinks are smartly paired with upscale bar bites such as goat- cheese croquettes and day-boat fish ceviche. Wood Tavern 311 NW 23RD ST., MIAMI 305-748-2828 INSTAGRAM.COM/WOODTAVERN If you were of legal drinking age in the mid- 2010s, then you likely had a free taco or ten at Wood’s famed Taco Tuesdays. Miami’s entire bars-for-bars’-sake crowd mourned Wood’s pandemic-era closure in 2021, but now the Wynwood mainstay is back — albeit as a pop-up in the former Shots space. Wood Tavern owner Cesar Morales says he’s work- ing on a permanent new home for the boho bar in Allapattah, with a target of December 2024. In the meantime, head to Wynwood for happy-hour deals, live music, food op- tions galore, and even a promised return of free tacos on Tuesdays. ZeyZey 353 NE 61ST ST., MIAMI 305-456-2671 ZEYZEYMIAMI.COM Located in the blossoming Little River neigh- borhood, ZeyZey (pronounced like hey-hey, only with a z) is a spot for those who want to hang outside, listen to music, and enjoy wine and cocktails paired with delicious bites. The 15,000-square-foot pop-up music venue and culinary hub comes courtesy of Grassfed Hospitality (the team behind Michelin- starred Mexican spot Los Félix and natural- wine market/restaurant Krüs Kitchen in Coconut Grove) and local tastemaker Tigre Sounds. At ZeyZey, a redesigned shipping container houses a full cocktail bar. Food ven- dors rotate in and out, including local favor- ites like the Maiz Project, Mana Table, and Dale Street Food. Musical acts span the globe, from Afro-Cuban funk to Brazilian disco to salsa, boogaloo, cumbia, and Afrobeat. [email protected] Photo by Vanessa Diaz ZeyZey
