With our (almost) endless stream of sunshine, al fresco all year temps and overall rilassato attitudes (really, who's working after 5pm?), it's a surprise the Italian custom of aperitivo hour hasn't been met with more fanfare here. But ViceVersa, new Downtown Miami bar, might change that.
Set to open in 2024, ViceVersa will be a modern aperitivo bar featuring Italian spirits, vermouths, bitters and amaros shaken and stirred with unexpected ingredients. The project is a collaboration between Jaguar Sun's Will Thompson and Carey Hynes and Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender winner Valentino Longo, who's best known for his work at the Surf Club and is currently building his consultancy and hospitality education platform Shoshin Art Club.
“I come from a restaurant family in Rome and am happy to be following in my family’s footsteps," says Longo. "ViceVersa is the first bar I’m able to call my own, a dream come true, and the fact that I’m able to collaborate with the amazing team from Jaguar Sun makes this even better."
If you've ever spent a day sipping cocktails at leisure at The Champagne Bar at the Surf Club or returned again and again to your go-to barstool at Jaguar Sun, you'll know that this won't be your average Aperol Spritz joint. This is going to be a negroni lovers paradise, as many of the drinks will be based on a house-made dolce amaro blend called Mi-To, which is short for Milano-Torino, the drink that inspired the Americano, which later inspired the negroni.
Other signature cocktails will include the Avanguardia, a dry martini variation of a classic dry martini with Bombay Premier Cru, Cocchi dry vermouth, dry sherry, marsala and cent’erbe (an Italian herbal liqueur), and the Brucio in Bocca, a twist on a spicy margarita featuring Barolo wine and marmalade, Cocchi vermouth torino and tequila. And of course, there will be spritzes – but none like you've ever had before.
The kitchen will be helmed by Jaguar Sun’s Chefs Carey Hynes and Justin Flit with items that make you feel like a summer's day in Milano. Think pizza, pasta, charcuterie and fresh catches for the raw bar.