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The Best Summer Cocktails to Cool You Off in Miami

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Even if you’ve been inside for the past few months and haven’t noticed, spoiler alert: summer in Florida is absurdly hot. That means you’ve earned a drink from one of Miami’s best bars or restaurants — one sip of these refreshing summer cocktails, and you’ll be on your way to relaxing in no time.

The good news is that many of these restaurants even have to-go options, so you can enjoy custom-made craft cocktails from the comfort of your couch. Here are the libations you’ll need to get through this very, shall we say, unconventional summer.

Be sure to check these bars and restaurants before you go, as they continue to adapt to changing regulations as they reopen. A number of Miami restaurants have resumed dine-in service; however, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit miamigov.com. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Vista Restaurant

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At this breezy outdoor eatery in Buena Vista, diners can experience the best of Miami’s ocean air. Vista’s rooftop bar offers one of the city’s best vistas, making the bar both as aptly named as it is spacious. The menu boasts a cuisine that brings rustic Italian flavors, like handmade fresh pasta together with a twist of the tropics. As delectable as the traditional Italian fair on the menu is, the main event is Vista’s selective list of cocktails. Try Spring Bubbles, a house favorite that includes GREY GOOSE Vodka, ST~GERMAIN, macerated strawberries, lemon and prosecco: a bright and airy treat fit for a view, or to take home with a to-go order.

Courtesy of Vista

DC Pie Co

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For New York-style pizza with Miami flair — the owner was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn — swing over to DC Pie Co. in fashionable Brickell. Locals love the traditional brick-oven pizza, topped with imported Italian mozzarella di bufala, fresh domestic mozzarella, and aged parmigiano reggiano cheese. Complement your perfect slice of pizza with a cocktail called Back to the Beach, made from GREY GOOSE Vodka, ST~GERMAIN, guava, and a dash of allspice. This cocktail tastes like the best of Miami.

Esotico Miami

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This tiki bar has everything you’d expect from a Polynesian-decked Miami eatery: a blast of color, a kitschy-fun vibe, gobs of palm fronds and neon and, of course, sweet and decadent cocktails. The Tikicillan (pictured) can’t be missed — it’s a potent mix of TEELING Whiskey aged in rum barrels, SANTA TERESA 1796 Rum infused with pineapple skin, lemon juice, and mezcal.

Courtesy of Esotico

Finka Table & Tap

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At this West Miami gastropub, diners can sample a unique fusion of Korean, Cuban and Peruvian cuisines. Yes, they have any dish you can dream up. Mini empanadas, check. Fried alligator, check. Korean japchae, check. Oxtail pizza — you guessed it — check. While you’re on Finka’s culinary tour of the globe, sample some of the equally adventurous craft cocktails from the bar, like the Acai You Baby, a concoction of HAVANA CLUB Rum, lime juice, pinapple juice, acai jam, banana bitters and fresh egg whites. You can also order HAVANA CLUB Rum by the bottle.

Broken Shaker at Freehand Miami

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Inside the hip Freehand hotel, you’ll find the Broken Shaker, a bar that draws both interesting visitors and locals alike. With a Paris-meets-New Orleans back-alley ambiance, the Broken Shaker is where all the cool kids go to have a drink. Although their cocktail list changes every ten days, you can still order up your favorite classics. Ask for a classic daiquiri, a simple mix of sugar, lime and HAVANA CLUB Añejo Blanco. Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics.

The go-to place for Miami’s power-lunching elite, this Michelin-starred Coral Gables restaurant produces rich bowls of pasta and other Italian classics that will stick to your ribs. For a hearty meal, try their balsamic-grilled pork chop or the Gragnano spaghetti, which features three types of clams. Pair your decadent meal with a light cocktail, such as the Bellagio cocktail: GREY GOOSE Vodka, grapefruit and lemon juices, and vanilla.

Courtesy of Fiola

LPM Restaurant & Bar

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Originally hailing from the south of France, Brickell’s location of La Petite Maison, dubbed LPM, caters to a refined crowd with a popular menu of Niçoise dishes. For your meal at this regal eatery, sup on a selection of France’s best cuisine, including duck à l’orange, fish en croute and aged ribeye grilled to perfection. To offset the richness of your meal, pick a crisp drink like the Greenwich (shown here), a combination of HAVANA CLUB Rum and herbal liquor, mint and matcha that their menu calls “mystical.”

1-800-Lucky

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At this 10,000-square-foot food hall and outdoor complex in hip Wynwood, you’ll feel like you’re in a theme park devoted to the coolest new food and drink trends. Part Asian market place, part karaoke bar, this venue boasts seven restaurants, a little theater and a convenience store. Take your pick of poke, Japanese ice cream in fish-shaped cones, sushi, Peking duck, Thai curry and bites from the grill, dim sum and more. At the food hall’s bar, you can also order your choice of drinks. Pair your savory meal with the Lucky Money cocktail, made with GREY GOOSE Vodka, Shōchū, Peychauds Aperitivo, watermelon puree, Thai chili syrup, lemon, and ginger beer.

Courtesy of 1-800-Lucky

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

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Like a taco truck that has made its way — at least partially — indoors, Bodega brings the best of Mexican street food with a dose of much-needed air conditioning. Guests at Bodega still order at their AirStream taco truck, but then you can choose to sit inside or outside. You can also take your food to go. Order up some Mexican mainstays, like tacos, street corn and guac. Such a delicious handheld dinner deserves an easy-drinking cocktail, like the Bodega Mule with GREY GOOSE Vodka and ginger beer. Or, you can order up a tequila cocktail that’s a step up from a margarita — there’s the Hibisco cocktail with PATRÓN Reposado, combier, hibiscus cordial, and fresh lime; or the Refresco with CAZADORES Blanco, vermouth, fresh lime, cucumber, and mint-infused agave.

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

Taurus Beer and Whisk(e)y House

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At Taurus Beer & Whisk(e)y House, the food is as manly as the drink menu. You won’t find any salads here. (Okay, there is one lettuce wrap.) Think more alone the lines of grilled oysters swimming in bone marrow butter and bacon cheeseburgers so big you’ll have to unhinge your jaw to take a bite. While you could order a beer or another drink for beginners, that might embarrass your burger. Toughen up with something more like a DEWAR’S Whisky on the rocks or a Mexican martini made with PATRÓN Reposado.

Copper 29 Bar

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You might miss this unassuming gastrolounge if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Wedged between shops on Coral Gables’s Miracle Mile, Copper 29 serves up creative, gourmet cocktails concocted by its own mixologists. Check out this moody bar and order up some tapas. Pair them with a uniquely Miami creation, such as Copper’s own Palmetto Express, named after the Miami freeway with traffic so bad you’ll want to drink. This tropical cocktail includes SANTA TERESA 1796 Rum, BACARDÍ Añejo Cuatro, banana liqueur, coconut, Thai chili and orange.

Pink Taco Miami

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This Los Angeles-based Mexican chain just opened its first Florida location on Miami’s iconic Ocean Drive this January, and locals are already loving its fresh take on Mexican cuisine. Their most popular dish is the eponymous pink taco, made with achiote chicken, cotija cheese, black beans and chili de arbol salsa. They have pink margaritas, too. Get yours with PATRÓN Silver tequila, PATRÓN Citrónge Orange, and prickly pear purée.

This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

Vista Restaurant

At this breezy outdoor eatery in Buena Vista, diners can experience the best of Miami’s ocean air. Vista’s rooftop bar offers one of the city’s best vistas, making the bar both as aptly named as it is spacious. The menu boasts a cuisine that brings rustic Italian flavors, like handmade fresh pasta together with a twist of the tropics. As delectable as the traditional Italian fair on the menu is, the main event is Vista’s selective list of cocktails. Try Spring Bubbles, a house favorite that includes GREY GOOSE Vodka, ST~GERMAIN, macerated strawberries, lemon and prosecco: a bright and airy treat fit for a view, or to take home with a to-go order.

Courtesy of Vista

DC Pie Co

For New York-style pizza with Miami flair — the owner was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn — swing over to DC Pie Co. in fashionable Brickell. Locals love the traditional brick-oven pizza, topped with imported Italian mozzarella di bufala, fresh domestic mozzarella, and aged parmigiano reggiano cheese. Complement your perfect slice of pizza with a cocktail called Back to the Beach, made from GREY GOOSE Vodka, ST~GERMAIN, guava, and a dash of allspice. This cocktail tastes like the best of Miami.

Esotico Miami

This tiki bar has everything you’d expect from a Polynesian-decked Miami eatery: a blast of color, a kitschy-fun vibe, gobs of palm fronds and neon and, of course, sweet and decadent cocktails. The Tikicillan (pictured) can’t be missed — it’s a potent mix of TEELING Whiskey aged in rum barrels, SANTA TERESA 1796 Rum infused with pineapple skin, lemon juice, and mezcal.

Courtesy of Esotico

Finka Table & Tap

At this West Miami gastropub, diners can sample a unique fusion of Korean, Cuban and Peruvian cuisines. Yes, they have any dish you can dream up. Mini empanadas, check. Fried alligator, check. Korean japchae, check. Oxtail pizza — you guessed it — check. While you’re on Finka’s culinary tour of the globe, sample some of the equally adventurous craft cocktails from the bar, like the Acai You Baby, a concoction of HAVANA CLUB Rum, lime juice, pinapple juice, acai jam, banana bitters and fresh egg whites. You can also order HAVANA CLUB Rum by the bottle.

Broken Shaker at Freehand Miami

Inside the hip Freehand hotel, you’ll find the Broken Shaker, a bar that draws both interesting visitors and locals alike. With a Paris-meets-New Orleans back-alley ambiance, the Broken Shaker is where all the cool kids go to have a drink. Although their cocktail list changes every ten days, you can still order up your favorite classics. Ask for a classic daiquiri, a simple mix of sugar, lime and HAVANA CLUB Añejo Blanco. Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics.

Fiola

The go-to place for Miami’s power-lunching elite, this Michelin-starred Coral Gables restaurant produces rich bowls of pasta and other Italian classics that will stick to your ribs. For a hearty meal, try their balsamic-grilled pork chop or the Gragnano spaghetti, which features three types of clams. Pair your decadent meal with a light cocktail, such as the Bellagio cocktail: GREY GOOSE Vodka, grapefruit and lemon juices, and vanilla.

Courtesy of Fiola

LPM Restaurant & Bar

Originally hailing from the south of France, Brickell’s location of La Petite Maison, dubbed LPM, caters to a refined crowd with a popular menu of Niçoise dishes. For your meal at this regal eatery, sup on a selection of France’s best cuisine, including duck à l’orange, fish en croute and aged ribeye grilled to perfection. To offset the richness of your meal, pick a crisp drink like the Greenwich (shown here), a combination of HAVANA CLUB Rum and herbal liquor, mint and matcha that their menu calls “mystical.”

1-800-Lucky

At this 10,000-square-foot food hall and outdoor complex in hip Wynwood, you’ll feel like you’re in a theme park devoted to the coolest new food and drink trends. Part Asian market place, part karaoke bar, this venue boasts seven restaurants, a little theater and a convenience store. Take your pick of poke, Japanese ice cream in fish-shaped cones, sushi, Peking duck, Thai curry and bites from the grill, dim sum and more. At the food hall’s bar, you can also order your choice of drinks. Pair your savory meal with the Lucky Money cocktail, made with GREY GOOSE Vodka, Shōchū, Peychauds Aperitivo, watermelon puree, Thai chili syrup, lemon, and ginger beer.

Courtesy of 1-800-Lucky

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

Like a taco truck that has made its way — at least partially — indoors, Bodega brings the best of Mexican street food with a dose of much-needed air conditioning. Guests at Bodega still order at their AirStream taco truck, but then you can choose to sit inside or outside. You can also take your food to go. Order up some Mexican mainstays, like tacos, street corn and guac. Such a delicious handheld dinner deserves an easy-drinking cocktail, like the Bodega Mule with GREY GOOSE Vodka and ginger beer. Or, you can order up a tequila cocktail that’s a step up from a margarita — there’s the Hibisco cocktail with PATRÓN Reposado, combier, hibiscus cordial, and fresh lime; or the Refresco with CAZADORES Blanco, vermouth, fresh lime, cucumber, and mint-infused agave.

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

Taurus Beer and Whisk(e)y House

At Taurus Beer & Whisk(e)y House, the food is as manly as the drink menu. You won’t find any salads here. (Okay, there is one lettuce wrap.) Think more alone the lines of grilled oysters swimming in bone marrow butter and bacon cheeseburgers so big you’ll have to unhinge your jaw to take a bite. While you could order a beer or another drink for beginners, that might embarrass your burger. Toughen up with something more like a DEWAR’S Whisky on the rocks or a Mexican martini made with PATRÓN Reposado.

Copper 29 Bar

You might miss this unassuming gastrolounge if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Wedged between shops on Coral Gables’s Miracle Mile, Copper 29 serves up creative, gourmet cocktails concocted by its own mixologists. Check out this moody bar and order up some tapas. Pair them with a uniquely Miami creation, such as Copper’s own Palmetto Express, named after the Miami freeway with traffic so bad you’ll want to drink. This tropical cocktail includes SANTA TERESA 1796 Rum, BACARDÍ Añejo Cuatro, banana liqueur, coconut, Thai chili and orange.

Pink Taco Miami

This Los Angeles-based Mexican chain just opened its first Florida location on Miami’s iconic Ocean Drive this January, and locals are already loving its fresh take on Mexican cuisine. Their most popular dish is the eponymous pink taco, made with achiote chicken, cotija cheese, black beans and chili de arbol salsa. They have pink margaritas, too. Get yours with PATRÓN Silver tequila, PATRÓN Citrónge Orange, and prickly pear purée.

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