Cocktails are moving to the dark side of liquor, as whiskey-based spirits enjoy a revival

While Miami may like its cocktails light and bright, saunter into one of our bars or restaurants these days, and you may notice grand presentations of smoking Old Fashioned cocktails, carts featuring deep amber-colored liquor zipping by tables, or even a gaggle of women sipping straight-up whiskey while noshing on caviar. Whiskey sales in North America are up — collecting rare editions of the spirit even took top billing in this year’s Knight Frank Wealth Report — and South Florida is joining the dark renaissance.

WIDE WORLD OF WHISKEY

Demand for American bourbons is soaring, with longtime brands such as Beam Suntory touting stories like this year’s launch of Jim Beam Peach, a peach-flavored bourbon that’s expected to become the fastest-selling launch in their 224-year history. And, while America and Scotland are often first thought of when it comes to whiskey, Japan is quickly staking its claim on the bar thanks in part to the country’s oldest whisky distillery, Suntory. (Japan and Scotland drop the “e” in their spelling.)

“Once Suntory’s Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 was rated Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, there’s been a massive surge in popularity,” says Jules Gomez, beverage manager at Zuma Miami, where they offer more than 25 Japanese whiskies. “There are more than 20 distilleries scattered throughout Japan producing more expressions than I can count.”

One of the most popular: Suntory Toki, a highball-friendly blended version that’s used in Zuma’s take on a Penicillin cocktail; the restaurant also offers decadent dessert pairings with lesser known Japanese producers.

Those looking for something truly unique, yet approachable, Legent bourbon ($34.99) might be the new go-to. While first distilled and aged in the traditions of the Jim Beam family, it’s then aged in wine and sherry casks and undergoes a unique blending process by Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory’s award-winning Chief Blender for a spicy, sweet and smoky taste.

“Legent has seen some good excitement in Miami because the bourbon is so versatile in classic, contemporary or reimagined cocktails,” says Tim Heuisler, Beam Suntory’s east coast bourbon ambassador.

WHISKEY EXPERIENCES

Drinking whiskey has become an immersive, and even luxurious, experience. Diners can cozy up in the Zen-like courtyard of Jaya at The Setai Miami Beach for a special tasting menu that centers around The Macallan, a revered single malt Scotch whiskey.

Begin with delicate truffle dumplings, followed by Peking duck smoked with wood chips from Macallan casks that dramatically arrives in a smoking glass dome — complemented by a mahogany-red Rare Cask Old Fashioned cocktail boasting the same spices used in the duck dish.

“Like wine pairings, it’s all about balance,” says Food and Beverage Director Julien Labays. “The duck shouldn’t be overpowered by the drink, and vice versa.” The dinner appropriately ends with Macallan-infused chocolate truffles. $150 per person.

At Root & Bone restaurant in South Miami, a whiskey cart rolls by after dinner for tableside pours of a wide variety of bourbons, Scotch and high-end pours of a 12-year Pappy Van Winkle for true connoisseurs. Swing by on Mondays for half-price bourbon paired with the restaurant’s coveted fried chicken, and every Wednesday, brown spirits are half-off from 4 p.m. to close. rootnbone.com/miami.

In Fort Lauderdale, a new cocktail lounge devoted to whiskey, appropriately named Whiskey Neat, offers more than 200 varieties of whiskey including rare bottles like WhistlePig The Boss Hog and Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon, along with liquor lockers for patrons to store their high-end whiskeys. whiskeyneatbar.com.

WOMEN AND WHISKEY

On the last Wednesday of every month, Jennifer Massolo of The Liquid Projects fills the bar at Maison F.P.Journe, a luxury watch boutique that doubles as a bar, with women who want to learn more about whiskey.

“We have this general assumption that whiskey equals men, and we’re changing that by empowering women with the knowledge to order a whiskey neat, or even buy a bottle for their home bar,” says Massolo, who leads ladies through a blind tasting of whiskeys from all over the world — anything from a high-proof George T. Stagg bourbon to a special finish like a Balvenie PortWood 21-year-old single malt.

“It’s important that women try drinking unadulterated whiskey,” says Massolo. “To drink these aged spirits neat, trying them side by side, you pick up nuances that you would never pick up in a cocktail.” The spirits are often paired with caviar, fine cheeses, chocolates and sometimes a full-blown meal. reservations@barjourne.com.