Happy Hour: Boozy at Baires

Now that the weather is cooperating with our proclivity toward outdoor dining, you’ll probably spot us traversing Miracle Mile around 5 pm daily, hunting for happy hours with streetside seating. Baires Grill is one of our favorites, with comfortable lounge seats snuggled underneath the Hotel Colonnade’s imposing arches and a dimly lit marble bar inside.

With half-off drinks, including beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails from 4 to 7 pm on weekdays, the cocktails here will only run you about $8 to $9 — pretty good prices for Coral Gables. Our favorites are the delicately flavored fruit-based martinis. The cucumber version features Hendrick’s gin, while the watermelon is made with Stoli vodka — both so easily drunk as to give the impression of juice rather than alcohol. Dangerous… but delicious.

If you’re looking for something with a stronger taste to keep you intrinsically aware of how much alcohol you’re consuming, try the Spicy Mamacita with Herradura Silver Tequila, passionfruit puree, and fresh lime; or the Take It Easy, with Organika Life vodka, strawberries, and lime juice. Both are packed full of flavor and the pours seem slightly heavier than the martinis’, making one of the discounted happy hour bar bites a necessary pairing.

These small plates include mini cheese boards with your choice of Manchego, burrata, brie, Parmesan, or truffled Provolone ($8 to $20) and an adorable duo of empanadas, fried or grilled, filled with a selection of meats ($10). Something about finger food and outdoor dining on a cool, breezy evening just works.

RELATED: The Happiest Hour in the Gables

Baires Grill
180 Aragon Ave.
786.409.5121
bairesgrill.com/coral-gables/