Tropical Distillers, a liqueur manufacturer, has opened Miami’s first distillery. A fully automated distillery with an on-site cannery, a 30-seat bar, and tasting room, and a gift shop with items only available at the distillery are all included in the area.
The facility creates JF Haden’s Craft Liqueurs line, which includes flavors including mango, lemon, and coffee. Also being developed are several additional goods.
Buzzy Sklar, the CEO and founding brand partner of Tropical Distillers, together with Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, two former NFL players, and real estate agent Kim Rodstein are partners in the distillery.
According to Sklar, “doesn’t fit any mold; we are one-of-a-kind in Miami, offering locals and visitors alike a unique beverage destination that is not only entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, but also informative.”
Visitors will be able to sample cocktails including the Cafecito Martini, Floridian Martini, and a variety of frozen drinks on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 pm until midnight.
A 1,500-square-foot outside deck at Tropical Distillers offers more seats and access to nearby food trucks. The neighborhood of Allapattah’s 8,000-square-foot location was scheduled to debut in December 2021 but was held back.
From Thursday through Sunday, at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm, there are guided tours available for $25. The event includes pick-ups from places in Miami and tastings of five different concoctions.
Financing Obtained for 3 Tower Development Near Miami River
Truist Bank, based in North Carolina, has given the Related Group, a $164 million construction loan for the first of three skyscrapers planned for a premium 3.9-acre development site along Brickell Avenue, south of the Miami River.
The 47-story building, also known as One Brickell Tower II, is expected to rise at 77 Southeast 5th Street to a height of about 478 feet and contain 506 units. The entire mixed-use development, which includes the anticipated 75-story Baccarat Residences Miami and an 82-story hotel and residential tower, is designed by Arquitectonica. The tower’s general contractor is John Moriarty & Associates, and work is anticipated to start next month.
The most recent rendering for One Brickell Tower II shows the structure from a ground-view angle as seen from Brickell Avenue with Icon Brickell visible in the background. The sign that reads “The One” atop a planted wall signals that this is the first time we have seen branding for this stage of the project.
A double-height lobby with a covered entry and exposed concrete support columns can be found at the tower’s base. These columns rise into what could be described as an undulating wall of balconies.
The balconies are enclosed by continuous horizontal bars of glass, and the exterior walls are covered in smooth stucco that has a grayish appearance. The site, which will feature a drop-off facility along Brickell Avenue, is surrounded by extensive landscaping. The three towers will be connected by a multistory pedestal. That connecting podium will accommodate an outdoor amenity level on its roof and include parking spots.
Plumbing, excavation, and site work permits were given last year. Due to unpaid permit fees, vertical construction permits are still pending. In 2020, FAA building permits were issued.
Coco Miami Plan to Open its First Florida Location
On January 11, Coco Miami will open its first location in South Florida in the city’s Design District. The 156 seats in Coco’s 2,800 square-foot dining room, which is located at 8 N.E. 41st St., will be staffed by 60 people.
General Manager Richard Contell and Executive Chef Jose Diaz, who received training from Michelin-starred chefs and has a passion for both European and American cuisine, will be in charge.
Because “quality dining and vibe dining” have been increasingly popular over the past few years, the restaurant, which combines fine dining with nightly entertainment, chose Miami for its first South Florida location.
Every night, there will be entertainment at Coco Miami, including dancers, DJs, singers, and live bands. Individual controls located in specified seating locations will allow customers to enjoy the restaurant’s sound system at their preferred volume level while they are eating.
With the help of fresh, regionally produced products, its menu will highlight European traditions. Crudos, pastas, meats, and shareables including seasonal oysters and accessories with chipotle mignonette, ginger-lime relish, and cocktail sauce; Pomme de Terre Millefeuille, thin layers of sliced potatoes with dill crème fraîche and caviar; and a selection of Oscietra caviar are also on the main menu.
Mademoiselle Coco, a cocktail made by hand with Yuzuri Yuzu Liqueur, Shiso-infused Gin, Dragon Fruit, Pineapple Syrup, Lemon, and Sparkling Wine; Alter Ego Margarita, a concoction of Don Julio Reposado, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, Thai Chili, Tangerine Syrup, and Lime; and Coco Martini, a concoction of Ketel One, sweet vermouth, and cream of coconut.
Every Wednesday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., Coco Miami will be open.
Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat has Purchased a $10.5 Million Mansion in Pinecrest
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro just purchased a $10.5 million mansion in Pinecrest of Miami breaking a record for the highest home sold in the community.
The sale broke the Pinecrest record of $10.3 million set earlier this month by the sale of 6155 Southwest 106th Street.
Herro purchased the eight bedroom, eight and a half bathroom mansion located at Southwest 124th Street using a trust managed by Ronald Brown II, which was disclosed to belong to Herro.
Herro’s trust financed $7.4 million of the property from HSBC Bank.
The 9,500-square-foot home was built last year on a nearly 1-acre lot and was originally bought at $5.3 million for the property. According to the listing, the home has a gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, summer kitchen, cabana, pool, and media room. The original list price was at $11.9 million.
Herro recently agreed to terms with the Heat on a four-year, $120 million contract. After one year of college basketball at the University of Kentucky, the shooting guard was drafted by the franchise in 2019. Last season, he was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, an award given to the league’s best player who came off the bench as a substitute.
Pinecrest and the surrounding neighborhoods have been home to a number of Miami Heat players. A year after signing a four-year, $184 million contract extension with the Heat, all-star small forward Jimmy Butler paid $7.4 million for a home near South Miami in January. Butler sold his Pinecrest home for $7.1 million last year.
Former Miami Real Housewife Cristy Rice, the ex-wife of former Miami Heat player Glen Rice, paid $5.1 million for the home she shared with her ex-husband near Coral Gables and South Miami.
Further east on the ocean, Miami Heat President Pat Riley, dubbed “the Godfather” in the NBA, and his wife, Chris, sold their condo at the Four Seasons Residences at the Surf Club in Surfside for $22.8 million, or a South Florida record $5,775 per square foot.
Top 10 New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Miami 2022
Miami is known for a lot of things and that includes a good time. Whether you’re coming from somewhere cold to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Miami, or you’re a local looking for a memorable night, this top 10 New Year’s Eve events is for you!
The Masquerade at DAER
This is one New Year’s Eve party you should dress up for. For “The Masquerade,” visit DAER at The Guitar Hotel – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. For $100, you’ll get access to all three venues (DAER Dayclub, DAER Nightclub, and Rooftop Live), as well as an open bar from 9 p.m. to midnight. Tickets begin at $100, and tables begin at $2,000.
Bayfront Park
Celebrate New Year’s Eve for free at Bayfront Park! Every New Year’s Eve, thousands of people of all ages flock to the park for live performances and fireworks on the bay. Of course, you could ring in 2023 the Miami way: with VIP tables. Reservations required.
Fontainebleau Miami
Marshmallow and Khalid will ring in the new year at the Fontainebleau. Admission is $250 per person and includes a premium open bar. There is also a family experience area, so you won’t have to leave the kids at home. Of course, there are tables on tables and cabanas on cabanas, so start that group text and round up the crew. Ticket and package prices begin at $250.
Dreamland NYE
Dreamland is Miami’s premier LGBTQ+ New Year’s Eve celebration. From December 29 to January 1, you can dance the day and night away to the sounds of Purple Disco Machinen and Sofi Tukker from South Beach to Wynwood. LP Giobbli, Danny Verde, and Matt Denton will perform euphoric, house, and electro-pop sets at the M2 New Year’s Eve party. Dates, locations, and prices vary.
Magic City
Celebrate the New Year with Magic City Hippies at the North Beach Bandshell! Doors open at 7pm, after which Miami’s hometown psyche-funk band, Cannibal Kids, and another band to be announced, will take the stage. Tickets begin at $36.
W Miami
Dance the night away under the stars at New Year’s Eve Electric, which includes a four-hour premium open bar, local DJs, and a variety of VIP packages to ring in the new year in style. From $175.
SLS Brickell
SLS Brickell’s vintage aviation-themed party, but Laidback Luke will be performing all night on the 9th floor pool deck, surrounded by stilt walkers, aerialists, and fire dancers. General admission is $75, but for an additional $75, you will have access to an open bar until 11:30 p.m.
Starlight at Hyde Beach
After enjoying the tasting menus at Bazaar or Katsuya, head to the pool deck for MK’s euphoric DJ set with live performers and more under the stars. General admission tickets start at $175 and include an open bar from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Bagatelle
Bagatelle may not have a ball drop, but you can dance until you drop at their New Year’s Eve Disco Club. To ring in the New Year, imagine mirrored balls, neon lights, fringe, and plenty of champagne, all preceded by a French Mediterranean feast.
Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park
Here’s another budget-friendly New Year’s Eve party. The doors to this Aventura hotspot celebration open at 6 p.m., and there will be cocktails, bites from Los Altos Taqueria, La Traila Barbecue, and Spris Artisan Pizza, as well as music from day to night. Admission is free until 10 p.m., then $35.
Japanese Restaurant, Makoto in Miami Beach Named Top 100 Restaurants in the Country
Makoto, a modern, upscale Japanese restaurant in Bal Harbour Shops, was the only restaurant from Miami-Dade County to make OpenTable’s annual Top 100 Restaurants list. Makoto Okuwa, the restaurant’s chef and partner, leads the restaurant, which opened in 2011, and serves sushi and robata dishes that is cuisine cooked on a fire grill.
Makoto relocated to the third floor of the luxury outdoor mall earlier this year and was updated by international designer India Mahdavi. The space now has indoor and outdoor seating for 244 people, as well as a new terrace and sushi counter. The restaurant’s ownership group’s Stephen Starr responded to the news by praising the Makoto staff.
According to Starr, “The team at Makoto has demonstrated excellence in hospitality from the beginning, and it’s great to have those efforts recognized by our patrons. To be named as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country is an exciting honor and a reflection of our incredible, dedicated staff members.”
With ten restaurants each, Florida and Nevada tied. Fort Lauderdale had two favorites on the list, Louie Bossi Ristorante and Takato, while Tampa had three. To compile the list, OpenTable analyzed more than 13 million verified reviews from 47 cities in 21 states. Only those who book through OpenTable and dine there can leave reviews.
MAKOTO is located at Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.
Fortune International Group Announces Casa Tau Branded Residential Tower-ORA
Fortune International Group, led by visionary founder Edgardo Defortuna, has announced a collaboration with hospitality brand Casa Tua to curate and program its newest high-rise, mixed-use development located at 1210 Brickell Avenue in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
ORA is the first branded residence for Casa Tua, the renowned, heartfelt brand and exclusive members’ only club that has gathered friends in their properties in Miami, Aspen, and Paris for over two decades and is set to launch in The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel in Manhattan in 2023. Casa Tua has planned a full suite of amenities for the property, as well as short-term rental residences.
According to Defortuna, “ORA will serve as a unique residential development in a premier location, at the best corner in the Brickell neighborhood. We look forward to working alongside the Casa Tua brand to curate a sophisticated experience that will create a community for its residents and Brickell. ORA will become the city’s most exciting amenity.”
ORA by Casa Tua will feature, among other things, two new restaurant concepts by Casa Tua, a gourmet market by Casa Tua, a rooftop lounge – with resort-style offerings such as a pool, sky lounge, and bar; a show kitchen, private event space, and – curated by Casa Tua; an abundance of nature and lush landscaping infused into the building’s design, including full floors of floating gardens overlooking city views; an entertainment lounge, and fitness and wellness amenities.
Reservations for the short-term rental homes, which range in size from 500 square feet for studios to 2,400 square feet for four-bedroom homes, will open in January 2023. The price will begin at $800,000.
Terra Group Releases Renderings for $1 Billion Development-Upland Park
Upland Park, a $1 billion transit-oriented development planned close to Dolphin Mall, has unveiled renderings. According to the developer, Upland Park is being specifically constructed for connection with the projected east-west transit link.
Upland Park’s urban planner is Plusurbia Design, while the project’s design architect is Arquitectonica with the developer listed as the Terra Group.
According to the developer, the community would have quick access to key employment hubs like the Health District, Downtown, Brickell, and Miami International Airport.
The actual project location is the Dolphin rapid transit station.
Once within the community, people will experience a master-planned neighborhood that is walkable and has resiliency elements as well as built-in traffic solutions.
In order to appeal to “all ages and audiences,” including elders and students, the community will also offer a range of home sizes and price points.
Project Description:
1,700+ residences
140,000 sq. ft. of retail space
427,000 sq. ft. of commercial space
126 room hotel
charter school
After the developer acquired a lease for the property on December 1 and secured a $35 million site work loan, site construction is anticipated to start in early 2023.
Aston Martin Residences Miami Reaches 97% Sold
According to the developers for Aston Martin Residences Miami, the tower is now 97% sold. With this news comes another unveiling with the Aston Martin exclusive 3-story penthouse.
The new penthouse is going for $59 million and a new name ‘Unique.’
Unique features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a wraparound terrace on each story, a private pool, a gym, a jacuzzi, and a custom-built garage are all included in the 20,000 square foot home.
The final Aston Martin Vulcan race car, one of just 24 versions of the company’s 7.0-liter V12 820bhp, all-carbon fiber supercar, will also be given to the buyer. It is worth $3.2 million. It has its own climate-controlled garage and is only designed for track driving.
An 80-page art book with original works of art by the six internationally renowned artists-in-residence at the property has been published to promote the penthouse plan reveal.
Units range from studio to 4 bedroom floor plans with square footage beginning at 698. River and Panoramic units start at $750,000 and rise to $8+ million depending on the floor plan and unit location. As for the Sky and Penthouse residences, units begin at $14 million reaching well over $50 million.
Development Information
Developer: G&G Business Developments
General Construction: Coastal Construction
Architect and Design Team: Luis Revuelta of Miami and Bodas-Miani-Anger of Argentina
Residence Features
Private service entrance at basement level for all move-ins and personnel
Bulthaup custom cabinetry in kitchens
White marble floors throughout the entire unit and porcelain in all balconies
Quartz countertops in the kitchen. Piatra Grey (Ceasarstone) or similar
Gagganeau appliances in all residences: (sizes depends on units)
Duravit wall-mounted toilets in all units throughout the building and bidets in select units
All bathrooms feature marble floorings and walls (Thassos or similar
Hansgrohe faucets in secondary bathrooms and exclusive Axor model in master and powder bathrooms
Italian Bertolotto doors with AGB hardware in all units
Wood-paneled front doors to residence with programmable smartphone technologies such as NFC and Bluetooth
Floor soundproofing system installed throughout all units including all bathrooms
Walls dividing units with corridors will be 10″ wide with layers of Quiet Rock improving soundproofing
German Schuco hardware on sliding glass doors
ThyssenKrupp “Destination Dispatch” elevator system from main lobbies getting passengers to their destination in the shortest travel time and enabling access only to their own floor for enhanced security
High-speed elevators going up to 1200 feet per minute
High-speed internet and Wi-Fi hotspots in all common areas
Cast iron pipes and risers avoiding Waterflow noises
Amenities
Full-service building with concierge and hospitality-inspired services
Super Yacht Marina facilities
“The Aston Martin Club” membership
Rooftop infinity pool located on 55th floor
Fitness Spa and Fitness Center with Meditation Room and Treatments Suites
Private Steam, Sauna, and Locker Facilities
Pet-friendly building
Building designed with a helipad on the rooftop
24-hour valet and covered garage self-parking
Valet charging stations for electric cars
Valet Butler
Additional bicycle and private storage spaces
10 destination controlled super hi-speed elevators and separate dedicated service elevators
Digital connection to concierge and all building amenities from every residence
State-of-the-art Business Center and Conference Rooms
Art Gallery and Art Lobby on 53rd floor
Private Residence Movie Theatre, Event Space, Kids Playroom, Teen Center, and Game Rooms
Virtual Golf
Beauty Salon with blow-dry station, pedicure chair, manicure table, and wash stations
If you or someone you know have any interest in purchasing at Aston Martin Residences, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at 786-247-6332.
