The 10 cocktail experiences you should have in Miami

Right on the edge of Coconut Grove, yards away from Biscayne Bay, Monty’s is at its peak when the sun is setting. Everyone from sunburnt Parrotheads to thirsty University of Miami kids flock to Monty’s happy hour, where the drink of choice is always the Painkiller. You tell them how bad you’re feeling on a scale of one to three (the PK III will knock you right out) and your waiter takes care of the rest. Dark rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice, this cocktail does exactly what it advertises—melts away the pain of a long work week.

This New York import has already made itself at home in a sprawling indoor-outdoor space in Wynwood meant to evoke a trendy hotel’s lobby and pool area. There’s plenty of fun programming every night of the week with live DJs and trivia night but it’s the massive “large format” cocktails that take drinks with friends to a whimsical level.

World-famous bartender Julio Cabrera leads the bar here and shines with the simplest of libations: the classic daiquiri on the rocks. A true daiquiri contains just three ingredients: rum, simple syrup and lime, and here it’s mixed with Bacardi Superior for an exceedingly smooth cocktail.

This lavender-colored elixir is hyped as Pharell Williams’s favorite drink and is quickly becoming a bestseller on Swan's menu where he is a partner in the restaurant with David Grutman. The photogenic cocktail has Avion Silver tequila, shōchū, butterfly pea, lavender, yuzu and Domaine de Canton. It packs an herbaceous punch in addition to its pastel good looks.

Filled with barrels that double as tables and stacked wine crates in every open nook, Happy Wine is basically our dream sipping room. It boasts an incredible selection without any accompanying pretentiousness. Personally, we always go for the Spanish Rioja.

The internationally-known Japanese fusion rooftop restaurant is a feast of the senses with bamboo daybeds to watch the sunset, creatively mismatched dining tables surrounded by adorned bookshelves and a sleek omakase sushi bar. Gold rhino heads, oversized Dr. Seuss-like palms and a variety of illuminated light fixtures to create an intimate setting best to this rum cocktail made with Brugal 1888, guava, mixed berries, coconut and dry vermouth.

Wynwood Brewing is one of the neighborhood’s OG breweries. You’ll have to walk a couple blocks west of Wynwood’s main drag, but once you find this intimate neighborhood joint, head to the bar and ask for a Rubia. It’s the brewery’s signature beer: a light, refreshing blond that’s easy to drink and arguably one of the best brews to ever come out of the 305.

Leave it to the cocktail gurus at this South Beach watering hole to rethink the most tropical of cocktails. They add sweet sherry and coffee beans for a flavor profile that goes surprisingly well with the classic flavors of coconut cream and spiced rum. It’s all blended frozen, of course, and topped with a cherry. You need to try this.

Locals know Gramps is the place to go in Wynwood—especially during happy hour, when a host of delicious cocktails are half off. One of those drinks is Gramps’ signature Moscow Mule. We dare you to have just one of these bad boys. We know mules are trendy now, but this one goes above and beyond. It’s spicy with an authentic snap of ginger flavor (courtesy of the house-made syrup), and pairs wonderfully with a slice from Gramps’ pizza window, Pizza Tropical.

Retox while you detox! Mango’s signature cocktail arrives in a natural coconut filled with fresh coconut water, two types of rum (Mount Gay Black and Malibu Coconut) and fresh pineapple and lime juice. It’s essentially a super-fresh piña colada in a very fancy outfit. You’ll find other tropical drinks along Ocean Drive but none will transport you to the islands like Mango’s Coco “Nuts” For You. But do feel free to bar hop—so long as you’re not stumbling out.