Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

Breckenridge Distillery is high. Now, now. Before you get your panties in a bunch, it’s not what you think. Yes, they’re based in Colorado. And yes, the association with their (legal) pot situation is all but dangling in your face. But we’re talking altitude—the distillery sits 9,600 feet up. Which makes it, quite literally, the world’s highest distillery.

Long relegated to a nightlife mecca that had perfected the art of a vodka and tonic, Miami has quietly undergone a magnificent craft beer renaissance over the past decade. And with local breweries consistently winning national beer awards, one thing’s for certain: the learning curve in the Magic City has been significantly cut short when it comes to making memorable brews.

On a relatively unassuming Tuesday night in South Beach, the newly unveiled Washington Park Hotel hums with life. Its sprawling outdoor courtyard—which connects five Art Deco buildings built in 1943—fills the air with gurgling fountains, clinking glasses, and the occasional snippet of conversation. One building stands apart from the rest: the historic Coral House, where Employees Only Miami now permanently hangs its hat.

Riddle us this: what do Fleetwood Mac and Bourbon have in common? Well, if you’re Chicago-based distiller KOVAL, it’s a kinship with “Go Your Own Way.” Because that’s exactly what Sonat and Robert Birnecker did when they opened Koval Distillery in 2008. These guys ventured to open the first distillery in Chicago since the mid-1800s, leaving their academic careers behind to take on the wild and uncharted territory of making liquor in the Midwest.

If Cognac is the uncrowned King of Spirits, D’Aincourt rules them all benevolently from its perch on the Iron Throne. And just who is this D’Aincourt? Well. They’re the combined powers of an Hors d’Age Cognac enthusiast, a famous designer and a family producer-distiller united by the same passion for exceptional Cognacs.

Some people like weird. It’s in your face. It challenges perceptions. It uses things like clandestine meeting spots and safe words (okay, maybe that’s just us). So when it comes to Whiskey, describing one as “weird” leaves a lot of room for, well… interpretation.

Once in a while, someone comes along and proclaims that the grand tradition of brunch is over. Silly someone. We trust their opinion might be handily swayed with this: The State of Miami Brunch Cocktails. It’s a slideshow of nine deliciously inventive drinks hell-bent on improving your local brunches. You’ll find flamingo garnishes. Bowls filled with rum. Yes, even Cholula. Let’s begin ...

The first thing you’ll note about Matthew Kenney is the glow. It’s unmistakable—even from across a busy room. It’s the kind of glow that begs the statement, “I’ll have whatever he’s having.” And if one thing becomes abundantly clear, it’s this: You definitely want whatever Matthew Kenney is having. At 51 years old, the celebrity vegan chef has quite a bit on his proverbial plate.

“Let’s start with the crickets in brie and then move onto the carp ribs. I think that makes sense,” opined a woman at a table adjacent to the bar. “The crickets are kind of like the cracker in this case, right?” And so went the conversation on a balmy Friday night at Prey, the 1 Hotel’s new sustainable sushi rooftop pop-up. Conceived by James-Beard-nominated chef Bun Lai, Prey’s concept is simple: eco-eating.

Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth make a striking pair. The obvious comparison to Mattel’s infamous blonde-hair, blue-eyed power couple notwithstanding, it’s their culinary chops that’ve put the world on notice. Their latest foray into the restaurant scene: The Sarsaparilla Club, a rustic poolside enclave holding court in the newly renovated Shelborne Wyndham South Beach that’s putting out hearty interpretations of Chinese dim sum starring… American comfort food.