Rum Hunting - Day One - Miami

Let me get this out right now: I freakin' loooove Miami! This place has it all going on. Beautiful scenary, glitzy glam, gorgeous looking people, a melting pot of Caribbean culture, outdoor cafes and bars galore, and a splendid selection of great grub. I had never been to Miami before today, but with a six hour layover looming over my early morning pre-Barbados departure, I decided to come out a day early and spend the day wandering through South Beach. Boy, was that the right move.

Our old pal Nicolas Palazzi emailed me two days ago and told me that I needed to contact a friend of his if I planned to spend a day in Miami. Jennifer Massolo is a Miami based cocktail enthusiast who is currently engaged in a number of education-based projects geared towards bringing the craft spirits culture to her beachfront community. Her blog Spirited Sirens focuses on booze from a feminine perspective and she admits to being a big fan of our K&L Spirits Journal. We connected last night when she told me to drop my bags off at the hotel, catch a cab over to Lincoln Lane, and do some people watching until she could join me. I did as she instructed. I got myself a little cafecito, a Cubano ham sandwich, and walked down to the shore to take in the view. The water in Miami is gorgeous. It's truly on another level from what the Pacific Ocean offers us Western beach goers.

Jen knew I was on the hunt for rum and general Caribbean culture, so our first stop was a Haitian restaurant and bar called Tap Tap. We sat at the counter and looked at the rum selection - Barbancourt all the way across. This was my kind of place. One thing only – loyalty to the culture! I love it. 

I'm in Miami. It's warm and balmy outside. I'm getting the Mojito. And can you please mash up all the ingredients in that gigantic, tribal-looking mortar and pestle? Thanks!

Tap Tap is my kind of place. Simple, spicy, flavorful foods with honest prices and quality ingredients. We started with a Chiktay Salad - lettuce, tomato, avocado, and smoked herring with super spicy chilies chopped up into the cilantro dressing. Then on to the Mayi Moulen - rice and beans mixed with cornmeal, Zepina Nan Sos Kokoye - spinach in coconut sauce, a bowl of fresh shrimp in creole sauce, and a plate of fried plantains. 

And, yes, I would like more passion fruit cocktail with Barbancourt rum, thank you.

Jen and I talked cocktail culture and booze basics for hours as we sipped, sampled, and skipped around South Beach. I had a blast just people watching and getting a sense of the scene. Miami is like New York, Los Angeles, and Italy wrapped all into one. You've got the trendy, urban nightlife of LA, the tall, thin, everyone-is-a-model beauty of NYC, and the cafe culture with the it's-still-cool-to-smoke attitude of Italy. But everyone is speaking Spanish.

What a great place. I will be back soon. Barbados mañana!

-David Driscoll