A high-end lounge combines a retro vibe and swank cocktails on the shores of South Beach
As an avid extra dry martini A drinker, I wasn’t going to switch to the opposite extreme and be convinced to order Medium Cool’s famous Cold AF Martini, a prebatched, frozen mix of Fords gin or Grey Goose vodka, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, Kleos Mastiha, Italicus, Ancho Reyes Verde, Filthy-branded olive brine, pepperoncini brine and celery bitters—but I did.
A suave European bartender sold me on having the best martini anyone would dream of, and my predisposition to dry gin stirred with a twist went out the window.
A striking, white and gold martini glass contained a large pour, deftly mixed following an alchemist recipe. It was complex and easy to drink in its almost frozen state. A side dish of garnishes—onion, olive, caper berry and radish—made this martini sing.
The Lounge
Medium Cool is a bar located at the Gale but not affiliated with the hotel. Its entrance, on 17th Street between Collins and James avenues, leads you into a ’70s glam basement joint that attracts a good-looking crowd who appreciate the high-end mixology offerings and nightly jazz entertainment.
