Five Best Cocktails In Miami 2012

Miami has been steadily overhauling the assumption that all cocktails here must be bright blue or green and end with "-tini."

While sticky-sweet cocktails still exert their hegemony over popular taste at many South Beach clubs, cocktail lists at select Miami bars are expanding in sophistication and diversity.

The bars at the vanguard of this transformation are hearkening back to the days of classic cocktails, using liqueurs that once gathered dust on Magic City shelves, like Fernet Branca and Luxardo. The city's best bartenders are also innovating, creating cocktails with spices and herbs, including Chinese five-spice at Lantao Social Club, or cilantro at Bloom Wynwood. Or they're bringing the beer cocktail to a city crazed for craft beer.

After careful consideration (and experimentation), we are proud to announce Tasting Table Miami's Best Cocktails of 2012. These drinks, distinctive for their flavor and creativity, are our favorites from the last 12 months. We've also provided the recipes for you to create these innovative libations at home.

There's still a ways to go, but this was one of the best years to drink in Miami. We're looking forward to the next one.