April 2021

As many things closed due to the effects of the pandemic, many things opened as well.

New restaurants and hot spots are popping up across South Florida that are worth knowing. Whether you’re just stopping by for a quick cocktail or looking for a sit-down, one of these south Florida restaurants will have you covered. These new kids on the block will be opening by spring 2021.

Here are six new South Florida restaurants you’ll want to visit.

Botánico Gin & Cookhouse

The first gin-centric eatery is coming to Miami. It’s a place for contemporary cuisine and neighborhood gin. The partners and co-owners Ricardo Ordoñez and Chef Gerardo B. De Negri picked a location in the heart of Coconut Grove. Chef Gerry has taken his French training and inspirations from his culinary sojourns to create an upscale menu with an approachable dining experience. Some standout items will be octopus carpaccio, arepas topped with duck confit, short rib, and pulled pork also a French burger served on a croissant bun.

Botánico Gin & Cookhouse

La Tralia BBQ

Summer is all about BBQs and this one in a Texas-style craft barbeque in Miami. Set to open in May 2021, the place holds 28 seats indoors and 32 outside. Unlike their original pop-up-style “first come, first served.” The holy-grail BBQ has a cool and fast-casual feel with hopes that the outdoor space will give it a true homestyle atmosphere. Barbeque lovers can enjoy a Brisket Sundae with mac and cheese base, then layered with baked beans and cream corn, topped with smoked brisket, cheese, and house sauces. Or Brisket y Queso Empanadas and Smoked Pork Rib Croquettes. Beer and wine selections will also be available.

La Tralia BBQ

No Man’s Land

The brains behind Garrett Hospitality Group, Memphis Garrett, also the star of CBS’s Big Brother All Stars, is opening a vibey cocktail parlor and lounge. The menu will feature craft cocktails with an array of small plates. Garrett Hospitality is known for serving up in a sultry place with plush seating, dark woods, and ambient lighting. The small plates will complement the boozy libations, including deviled eggs with caviar, an array of unique dips and spread, and more.

No Man’s Land

Shelter Wynwood

Brooklyn’s acclaimed wood-fired restaurant and bar, Shelter, has made its way to South Florida. Shelter Wynwood opened its doors in March 2021, and it has the same hunting lodge chic design similar to the one in Williamsburg. It’ll be a sweet addition to the Wynwood artsy, bohemian vibe. The rustic fare includes a wood-burning oven for bold flavors and simplicity. Steamed mussels, crispy artichokes, and mac & cheese all go great with the local beer that’s on the menu. They also have a thoughtful wine and craft cocktail list for those who fancy.

Shelter Wynwood

Sushi by Bou Beach Club

Just a few feet from the ocean, Sushi by Bou Beach Club will offer an electric beach club menu for a relaxed beachside experience. The restaurant will feature the brand’s signature intimate, “chef’s choice” omakase bar, with indoor and outdoor seating. During the allotted hour, guests will have a variety of nigiri sushi, like Bluefin tuna. They will also offer sleek, signature cocktails that are handmade with imported sake and Japanese whiskies. Frozen cocktails and large drink packages can be enjoyed by the waterfront.

Sushi by Bou Beach Club

Tobacco Road by Kush

When Tobacco Road, the Magic City’s oldest bar with a liquor license that dated back to pre-Prohibition, closed its doors in 2014. The city was blessed with the power of reinvention; the Road was a holdover from the bygone era. An era of bootleggers and gangsters, barflies, and brawlers. A new chapter has begun, and Matt Kuscher of Kush Hospitality Group has opened Tobacco Road by Kush. As a tribute it will be 50% pop up, 50% homage, and 100% dive bar chic. They offer an impressive complication of American bar food with the perfect amount of elevation.

Tobacco Road by Kush

The post Six Must-Visit Restaurants Coming to South Florida appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Tequila Don Julio is celebrating Cinco de Mayo a little differently this year; the brand is starting a charity initiative set to donate $1 million in aid over the next four years.

Don Julio Fund

The newly launched Tequila Don Julio Fund honors the devoted and charitable legacy of founder Don Julio González; a man known for his devotion to the craft of tequila and for taking care of those around him. This year, the brand will be launching its charitable initiative with a combined donation of $125,000 to be distributed to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation and No Us Without You LA. Both organizations directly help those working in the hospitality industry.

Automated Tequila Machine

Additionally, Tequila Don Julio has created an online and real-world sweepstake using an additional $125,000 to create “Don Julio Cincos,” vouchers awarding $5 increment gift cards. The vouchers were designed by Mexican Artist Claudio Límon and are intended to inspire winners to support their favorite local restaurants.

“Tequila Don Julio is a brand rooted in devotion and committed to those we call our familia,” shared Christina Choi, Senior Vice President of Tequila, Diageo North America. “Every day we aim to emulate the values of our founder by serving, supporting and celebrating the people who made Tequila Don Julio the brand it is today. This Cinco de Mayo, beyond our donation to two amazing nonprofits supporting hospitality workers, we hope to also inspire people to support their favorite bars and restaurants themselves.”

If you’re in LA, keep your eyes out for the brand’s “Automated Tequila Machine,” which will be dispensing up to 1,000 Don Julio Cincos from May 1-5. For those not in LA, the brand will have 3,000 vouchers available each day on their Instagram stories. Each voucher can be redeemed via Venmo.

While you’re waiting, mix up a Don Julio Campo Verde Margarita and raise a glass to Cinco!

Campo Verde Margarita

Campo Verde Margarita

Created by Bartender Julio Xoxocotla

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Tequila Don Julio Blanco
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz. Agave Nectar
• 2 Slices Cucumber
• 3-4 Basil Leaves
• Spicy or Regular Salt

Preparation: Rim half of a coupe glass with salt and chill. Muddle cucumber slices in a mixing tin and combine remaining ingredients with ice and shake well. Fine strain into chilled glass, garnish with a cucumber ribbon and basil leaf.  

The post 6 Days To Cinco With Tequila Don Julio appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Known for its iconic carnival festival and its talented soccer players, Brazil has an essential drink that you should know.

Caipirinha (kai-purr-REEN-yah) is the national drink of Brazil. The popular South American drink is quite simple to make. It’s a favorite worldwide and should be on every bartender’s cocktail list. Caipirinha is refreshing and light, perfect for the upcoming warm weather. It’s also a great drink for anyone new to cachaça.

Requiring a few ingredients: cachaça, lime, and sugar, a caipirinha is similar to a mojito. Cachaça is a distilled spirit made from sugar cane juice. It’s often referred to as a Brazilian rum, and it’s the countries national spirit. And while it was listed as rum when first imported to the U.S. out of convivence, Cachaça was most likely created before rum. It’s credited by many historians as Latin America’s first distilled spirit.

The main difference between the two is rum is often distilled from sugar by-products like molasses, while Cachaça is distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice. Rum can spend time in used bourbon barrels, and Cachaça rests in native wood, giving it a more vegetal and rawer flavor.

All in all, this summertime cocktail is something that you’ll see people sipping if you find your way to Brazil or South America in general. The nice thing about this drink is it can be constructed right in the glass. The drink calls for finely granulated sugars muddled with lime wedges. Muddling allows the release of not only the fruit juice but the aromatic oils from the peel itself.

Even though a Caipirinha is perfect on its own, many bartenders have created their version of this beloved drink. If you want to keep it classic, here is our favorite way to make it.

Caipirinha

Caipirinha

Ingredients:

• 1 Lime (cut into wedge)
• 2 tsp. Finely Granulated Sugar
• 2 oz. Cachaça

Preparation: In a rocks glass, muddle the sugar and lime wedges together. Fill the glass with ice, add the Cachaça, and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

The post Global Sip: Caipirinha appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Still working on your Cinco de Mayo Menu? This cocktail from Dos Primos should be on your list.

Founded by two cousins—Jeff Worn and country singer Thomas Rhett—Dos Primos is a premium tequila made with a hefty dose of Southern hospitality. While it’s perfect for sipping, Dos Primos also makes a killer mixed drink.

Distilled from 100% blue agave, Dos Primos tequila has a strong botanical finish and a smooth body. You’ll notice aromas of fresh herbs, florals, and summer citrus as well as a palate of cooked agave with herbal, earthy hints and zested citrus.

Correa de Cuero (Black Strap)

Correa de Cuero (Black Strap) 

Created by Mixologist, Richard Allison @RootBitters

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Dos Primos Tequila
• 1/2 oz Lejay Casis
• 1/2 Clarified Grapefruit Lime Juice

Garnish: Grapefruit peel, Kiwi Berry

Preparation: Shake ingredients over ice. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with Grapefruit peel and Kiwi Berry.

The post 7 Days To Cinco De Mayo With Dos Primos appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The story of how a high-school poem launched a career.

The 1990s were a seachange for popular music. Almost overnight, acts that held the 1980s in a vise-like grip, from Iron Maiden to New Kids on the Block, vaporized in the face of Nirvana and Alanis Morrissette. Glam Rock and New Wave sank, Techno and New Age rose, and amid this game of musical chairs came “Finally.” Seamlessly blending R&B with House (possibly the only genres that survived the 80s-90s transition intact) this infectiously danceable tune chronicles how an old soul gets nuked by Cupid’s arrow — and it’s about damn time. That’s how the world got to know CeCe Peniston.

“And ‘Finally’ was a poem I wrote in high school,” she confides.

But who cares? “Finally” stuck to the charts for a whopping 33 weeks, had pride of place on the The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert soundtrack, and solidified Peniston as a club queen. Indeed, even in 2021, just try going to a dance hall or bar and not hear this song. High school poems rock.

Chillin’ With: CeCe Peniston

“I remember walking down the street and some guy was like ‘Yo! CeCe! How you doin’!’ and I thought, is he talking to me? It was such an encouraging experience. They are happy that I am here; they came to a show just to see me, and I’m thankful as they are. This little poem that became a song has now become a career.”

What a career: in 2016, Billboard lists her among the 100 Top Dance Club Artists of All Time (she’s 52nd). It’s not every singer that can get Aretha Franklin grooving to her music, or can hold her own against operatic powerhouse Andrea Bocelli during a private audience with the Pope. Admittedly prone to a case of the nerves before going on stage, Peniston credits her days on the beauty pageant circuit for steeling her resolve. While she is decorously mum on any of the more savage chess moves she may, or may not, have seen during that part of her evolution, she credits the experience for teaching her how to keep her cool in the spotlight.

But Peniston is not just a pretty voice. As an ambassador to the National PTA and through her charitable organization LOTS (Lifting Voices To Succeed), Peniston is a do-gooder at heart, establishing the significance of placing constructive values on youth in the early stages of their lives. And, having been witness to the rise of the Internet and social media, she has embraced both; her cartoon, “The Petty Family,” is now on YouTube.

COVID, of course, has slowed creatives of all sorts, and Peniston is no different. Spare time is an unfamiliar concept for a person who has been singing from age 11 and has been on the go several months out of the year ever since.

“I’ve seen myself have more spiritual growth at this time,” she observes, “and actually had some peace and rest, because I’ve been traveling for years. I’m enjoying family and friends more, but still social distancing! And of course I’m recording music.”

And as the hub of her group of friends, she describes to Chilled how her kitchen, and wine bar, play a big part in keeping people together in a time when staying apart is the rule.

Chillin’ With: CeCe Peniston

What do you do in your downtime?

I like to cook! I don’t know what it is about cooking, but something about it calms my spirit. I do a lot of healthy options; we’re going through hard times, and you gotta make sure you don’t come out with a few extra rolls on you.

What is your favorite restaurant?

My kitchen! For real, though? I love Fleming’s or the Ocean Club here in Phoenix, and I also love Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles.

What are your favorite cuisines?

I do a lot of healthy cooking, and I’ve been trying a lot of plant-based foods as of late. I’m trying to keep it simple only because when you are meal-prepping, it’s more healthy stuff. Four to six ounces of meat, your vegetables. I do great soul food, I do great pasta dishes. Breakfast, too! I just cook a lot.

Chillin’ With: CeCe Peniston

What are your favorite bars?

Because of COVID, I don’t really go out. I’m a homebody. I just used to go out to different places in the different cities I am in. But I do like Ocean Club.

What is your favorite drink?

I love a lemon drop.

Do you prepare drinks at home?

Occasionally. Not regularly.

Chillin’ With: CeCe Peniston

What’s in your home bar?

I’ve been accused of being the “nurturer” of my friends and family, so I have white wine, some cabernet, champagne, vodka, and Crown Royal. Some ginger beer, too…

Have you ever been a bartender?

I am not a very good bartender, I’m going to tell you that right now!

The post Chillin’ With: CeCe Peniston appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

More consumers than ever are turning to vegan living, and being able to swap out classic ingredients behind the bar can help you increase profits and reach new customers. 

While it was once just a staple of hippies, veganism is a growing diet trend, and more people than ever are changing their eating (and drinking) waits for a whole host of reasons. For some, veganism helps with dietary issues; it can also be more environmentally friendly and offer a safe alternative for those with food allergies. Being able to adapt and swap out ingredients to make your cocktails vegan can help you attract new customers and increase your profits! Here are a few easy ways to add vegan options to your menu.

Honey Substitute

Honey Substitute  

Honey is a bit of a tricky subject – while there are very few alternatives that will be as environmentally friendly as local honey (anything made with other sweeteners will have a larger carbon footprint), it’s something many vegans avoid. Making a substitute is straightforward – create a thick brown sugar simple syrup with the addition of chamomile tea, a touch of lemon, and apples to mimic the notes of floral honey as well color and texture.

Aquafaba Cocktail

Aquafaba

While it’s a bit old hat, aquafaba is a handy ingredient as many consumers who ordinarily would eat eggs are afraid of egg whites. Aquafaba is made from chickpeas and creates a perfect, thick foam. Note that it can’t be frozen and must be used within 2-3 days. Use the water from canned chickpeas (also a great way to reduce kitchen waste!) And approximately 1/8 to 1/4 a tsp of cream of tarter. Using a mixer (or a buff arm), whip the liquid until it reaches stiff white peaks. This can take six minutes or longer, so a mixer is recommended.

Oat Milk

Oat Milk/Cream 

Even if you live in an area with ample access to ethical dairy, oat milk is still an eco-friendly alternative. Oats grow just about anywhere (for more eco-points source locally) and with less carbon footprint than any animal-based milk. Oat milk is safe for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant, it’s also easy to make gluten-free. If you don’t mind a little extra work whipping up a batch of oat milk for your bar might even save you some money long term. For a batch of just over 4 cups, combine one cup of oats with four cups of water and a pinch of salt. Optional ingredients include one tablespoon of sweetener and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Let your oats soak in water for about 15 minutes, strain, and transfer to a blender with two cups of water and salt. Blend until smooth, add remaining water and blend again until combined. Strain the mixture with fine mesh or cheesecloth into a sanitized container. Oat milk is best chilled and will keep up to five days but may separate; be sure to stir or shake before use.

The post How To: Vegan Swaps For Back-Bar Basics appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

An adult version of the 19th-century lemon drop candy, the Lemon Drop Martini consists of vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup that’s shaken, strained, and poured into a sugar-rimmed Martini glass.

According to Gary Reagan’s 2003 book, The Joy of Mixology, it’s part of the New Orleans Sour family which are variations of a base spirit, citrus juice, and an orange-flavored liqueur. When made properly, the drink’s crunchy dose of sweetness on the rim in contrast to the tangy liquid in the glass is the perfect sweet-to-sour ratio.

So, who was responsible for the zesty concoction?

According to legend, the Lemon Drop was invented in the 1970s at San Francisco’s Henry Africa, the country’s first ‘fern bar’ (a classy singles joint decorated with plants, thus the nickname). This was during the sexual revolution when, for the first time, single women were going to bars by themselves. The motivation behind the invention was to attract more female customers with dessert drinks. As a result, frilly libations such as the Harvey Wallbanger, the Mudslide, and the Grasshopper were a smash hit. Ladies flocked to the bar, and the men followed.

Dale DeGroff, the legendary bartender aka “King Cocktail” who pioneered modern mixology since the 80s, confirmed that the Lemon Drop was born at Henry Africa’s but had no idea who created it. However, he offered an astute observation. “Cheryl Cook, the lady who invented the Cosmopolitan’s original recipe of Rose’s lime juice and triple sec, claimed it was an Absolut Citron variation on the Lemon Drop. So, in a sense, the Lemon Drop could be the spark that started the whole cocktail revival!”

Since mentions of classic cocktails abound in novels, from the Bronx cocktail in The Great Gatsby to the Brandy Alexander in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to the Gimlet in Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel The Long Goodbye, could there be clues elsewhere to the Lemon Drop’s creator? Books where the cocktail is mentioned, always in the context of a female character ordering one or sipping on one, include: This Fire Down in My Soul, Death, Taxes and Peach Sangria, Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later, and Her One-Night Prince. Sadly, it seems the Lemon Drop did not have the same literary sex appeal as other drinks.

However, the citrus sipper was the recipient of the ultimate product endorsement, known as the “O” factor, in 2006. Oprah Winfrey, with guest chef Rachael Ray, made the drink on her show and proclaimed it her favorite cocktail. And if it’s good enough for Oprah, it’s worthy of some respect!

Although the history is murky (as with many cocktails) and it’s been pooh-poohed by pop culture as a ‘girly drink,’ the lemon drop candy in boozy form has stood the test of time and remains one of the world’s most beloved vodka cocktails. In honor of the anonymous bartender that made the first one, why not toast him or her with one?

Lemon Drop Martini

Lemon Drop

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2-3/4 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice

Preparation: Shake ingredients with ice in a shaker, strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel or lemon zest.

The post Drink in History: The Lemon Drop appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

It might be finicky, but learning how to set your drink prices is a critical skill behind the bar.

Not only do you need to make a profit, but you need to make sure your drinks sell—finding the perfect balance between the two can take some time. There are a few specific equations to consider before making your drink prices: liquor costs, garnish costs, and non-liquor ingredient cost.

Business Tips: How To Price Your Drinks

Pricing Liquor

Making sense of your cost per-pour is the most straightforward part of deciding prices, simply divide the price of your bottle by the number of ounces of liquid are inside. If you have a 20oz bottle that was $20 the price per one ounce pour would be $1. Once you have the price per ounce you can figure out a pour cost by dividing the cost per drink by the price you sell it for. On average you’ll want a 20%-25% pour cost to ensure you’re making enough money off your drinks.

With different spirits you’ll want to adjust your pour costs. With well spirits you can have a higher pour cost and use a 30% equation – meaning your profits will be highest off of your well based drinks. Call brands tend to run at 25% while premium is 20% and super premiums are 15%. This difference in pricing means you make the highest profit margin off your well spirits as there’s only so high you can hike your prices before your customers balk.

Pricing Garnishes and More

Pricing you garnishes and non-liquor ingredients can be tricky. With some things it may be straightforward—you can use the same equation of 20-22%/ serving size. With homemade components you might be making, like flavored syrups or shrubs, you may also want to factor in the time as well as the ingredients used into the price. While this may not always be possible, it is something to consider.

To get the optimal drink price for your drinks, take your pour cost, your garnish cost, add in an additional 20% to cover shrinkage for lost product and then round your costs up. While there may be other factors to take into account, this equation will at least get you started.

Considerations

Once you have your ideal prices figured out know that there are chances that you may want to increase or decrease the price as time goes by. Keep an eye on similar restaurants and bars in your area—if their prices are higher or lower than yours you may want to adjust accordingly. If others have lower prices, you may also try adjusting your menu or using social media to give context to higher prices. This is an area where having good cocktail photos and a well written menu description can have a huge impact as they significantly help spur consumer interest.

The post Business Tips: How To Price Your Drinks appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The King of Gin and Juice is challenging bartenders to a remix on gin using his INDOGGO strawberry flavored gin.

Snoop Dogg

All entering bartenders get a shot at having the DOGG himself taste their original cocktails made with INDOGGO Gin. Snoop joins the judging team, awarding bartenders with cash prizes including $5K for the winner and more prizes for two runners up, and a little something extra from Snoop. Deadline for all entries is World Gin Day (June 13, 2021). So, get Crackalackin’

Indoggo Gin

For more information and to register, or pre-register, head to our competition page.

The post Snoop Dogg Challenges Bartenders to a Remix on GIN appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena announce the launch of Caliwater, a cactus-based functional water set to change your summer drinking plans.

California native and accomplished actress, musician, influencer and entrepreneur, Vanessa Hudgens has teamed up with actor and entrepreneur Oliver Trevena to launch a new entry to the beverage category. Caliwater is a hydrating and refreshing canned drink made from prickly pear and a few other natural fruits and nectars, including agave and monk fruit.

Organic Wild Prickly Pear with Ginger and Lime

The line is launching two flavors – Organic Wild Prickly Pear and Organic Wild Prickly Pear with Ginger and Lime. Prickly pear, a California native itself, is the star of the show. The fruit has been shown to have a host of benefits, including being full of antioxidants, potentially reducing bad cholesterol, and having natural anti-viral properties.

Organic Wild Prickly Pear

“We wanted to build something that would be a positive influence in people’s lives and offer innovation, but also reflect a characteristic of fun and excitement, hence the fresh, clean and bright branding elements, as a big part of both of our lifestyles is finding that balance. The passion and the amount of love that has gone into Caliwater comes from the purest parts of our hearts,” shared Trevena and Hudgens.

Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena photo by Randall Slavin

Caliwater is made from hand-picked prickly pear that is harvested seasonally; the drink itself has no ABV but is the perfect pair for tequila. Thanks to its electrolyte content as well as its ability to regulate blood sugar, it’s the ideal post-night out pick-me-up.

The post Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena Launch Caliwater appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News