14 July 6-12, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Weekly classes beginning June 12th, Monday – Friday, 9am – 2pm A hands-on cooking camp taught by Biltmore chef instructors with special workshops by our acclaimed hotel chefs. The weeklong sessions are open to children ages 9-16. Students are grouped by age and work in our fully equipped, professional kitchen. Class size is limited to 14 participants. For More Information, Please Call 305.913.3131 or Visit: www.biltmorehotel.com/dining/biltmore-culinary-academy/ C M Y CM MY CY CMY K BH_CulinaryAdF.pdf 1 5/8/23 4:55 PM 3201 RICKENBACKER CAUSEWAY KEY BISCAYNE, FL | 305.361.3818 WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! FIND US ON miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | He founded Holy Mackerel Small Batch Beers in 2006, self-marketing and distributing along- side South Florida’s early brewers. In 2016, he opened the Holy Mackerel Garage Project in Pompano Beach. It closed in 2019, and he sold the brand that same year. “I didn’t plan on getting back in the business again. I’d been cutting back on drinking and had an itch to start something new,” Gordash tells New Times. “And the one thing I really wanted was a good, juicy, New England-style IPA.” To that end, Oomph! is a hazy, full-bodied New England IPA with all the hop flavor and aroma you’d expect from the real deal — minus the alcohol. Each batch is unique, adds Gordash, brewed with a single rotating hop. The best part? Oomph! is also low in both cal- ories and carbs — just 22 calories and 2.8 grams of carbs per 12-ounce can — without skimping on flavor, a challenge Gordash admits was important to overcome. “If I’m not going to have a full-strength beer, I don’t want to be consuming large amounts of calories or carbs, either,” he says. The nonalcoholic beverage sector has seen explosive growth in the past several years as con- sumers continue to practice more conscious drinking habits, from choosing low-proof drinks to subbing out regular-strength drinks for alco- hol-free alternatives. According to the IWSR Drinks Market Analy- sis, sales of no- and low-alcohol beverages grew by more than seven percent in volume across ten key global markets in 2022, and the pace of growth is expected to accelerate over the next several years. As Gordash sees it, South Florida, known for its “play all day” attitude toward drinking, is the perfect location to launch a nonalcoholic alterna- tive that looks and tastes like the real thing. “Everyone knows someone that might be trying to cut back or not drink, but you still want to enjoy a beer by the pool or on the beach,” he says. Gordash, who contracts his beer brewing out of Hollywood Brewing Co., says he’s not remov- ing alcohol. “I’m basically brewing a baby beer — a super session IPA that’s a very low-gravity beer,” he ex- plains, noting that the product remains below one-half percent alcohol throughout production. “The advantage of that is that I’m using less in- gredients, which allows me to buy top-quality grains, yeast, and hops.” Earlier this month, Oomph! became available for sale at Total Wine and Fresh Market stores across South Florida. A six-pack retails for $14 and is also available for purchase online. On draft, Oomph! is available at LauderAle in Fort Lauderdale. “The ball is just rolling now,” Gordash adds. “Moving forward, I plan on making different styles. Maybe a sour or a malty lager, anything that has a lot of flavor. This is new and exciting, but there’s a lot to prove to people that just be- cause it’s alcohol-free doesn’t mean it has to taste bad or be bad for you.” NICOLE DANNA ▼ DORAL VIVO! DOLPHIN MALL OPENS WITH FOOD, MUSIC, AND BULL RIDING Miami has a new party spot with restaurants, con- certs, and mechanical bull riding. After announcing its first Florida complex ear- lier this year, Live! Hospitality & Entertainment — a division of the Cordish Companies that builds dining, entertainment, and nightlife destinations nationwide — officially opened Vivo! Dolphin Mall on June 23. “We are ready to rock,” Judy Moore, senior vice president at Live! tells New Times. “We have our stage that’s fully covered; we have our restau- rants and food trucks that are ready to go.” On the culinary front and in the weeks lead- ing up to opening day, the menus at the com- plex were finalized. Core restaurants within the Vivo! space includes the PBR Miami cowboy bar with a mechanical bull, Sergio’s Cuban Ameri- can Kitchen, the Crush Bar serving Maryland- bred crush-style beverages, and a Blue Moon Garden Bar. Sports & Social is a culinary and entertainment highlight. It’s a 17,000-square-foot sports bar venue with three bars, arcade games, a 50-foot LED screen, and sound and lighting effects that help mimic an in-stadium experience. “For a lot of our menu items here in Miami, we’ve put a real creative spin on some of our sta- ples, and we’ve created some totally new things,” says chef John Suley, vice president of culinary for Live! and a James Beard Award nominee. “We’re not only going for delicious food here but want it to be Instagram-worthy and upscale.” Among the dishes with the most flair at Sports & Social are a ceviche topped with corn nuts and leche de tigre ($13), pork carnitas nachos with charred green tomatillo salsa and pickled onions ($21), and a Latin kale Caesar salad with cilantro- pepita caesar dressing ($12). On the flashier side, its signature tower feeds four to six diners and includes loaded nachos, loaded totchos (tater tot nachos), traditional and boneless wings, cacio e pepe arancini, and fries for $50. The spot’s signature sundae, topped with a sparkler and “whimsical” toppings like Pop Rocks and gummy bears, runs $20 and feeds two to four sugar fiends. “This is all about food, fun, family, friends, and hospitality. We touch on all of these things so well,” Moore says. “When you walk into our spaces, and especially here in South Florida, we want you to feel that plethora of energy.” Vivo! Dolphin Mall. 11401 NW 12th St. #R101- 104, Miami; 305-260-6412; vivodolphinmall.com. JESSE SCOTT Live! Hospitality & Entertainment photo The spread at Sports & Social Taste Test from p13
