South Beach Wine & Food Festival Highlights
Food, cocktails, and celebrity booze under the blue Miami skies
After four days of events, parties, seminars, and tastings, the 23rd South Beach Wine & Food Festival wrapped up last evening.
With more than 100 different happenings ranging from a pasta-making class to a pickleball tournament, there truly was something for everyone.
Although it is physically impossible to attend all — or even most — of the soirees connected to the weekend, the weekend is a great way to spot new trends, enjoy food from around the country, and connect with friends.
From winning burgers to celebrity spirits, here are the best moments of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2024 — see you on the beach in ‘25!
Burger Bash Winners
One of the festival’s signature events, the Burger Bash is the annual party that celebrates hamburgers and gets the most national attention. The party, hosted by Rachael Ray, is also a way for burger devotees to try dozens of burgers around the country — and vote on their favorite. For the third time, Miami-based fast-casual restaurant, Pincho, won the People’s Choice award for its “Jalapeno Delight”, a signature beef patty topped with jalapeno jack cheese, jalapeno bacon, jalapeno bacon jam, and jalapeno cilantro aioli. The fast-casual restaurant previously won in 2015 and 2019. The restaurant chain has recently expanded to Texas, with three locations in the Lone Star state. Other winners include Cowy’s Burger as the judge-based best of the evening, and Hate Mondays Tavern receiving the Plant-Based Violife award.
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
Each year at the festival, Guy Fieri brings his Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives to life with an event showcasing various restaurants featured in the series.
The best part is that most restaurants are small mom-and-pop establishments that normally wouldn’t be showcased nationally if not for the show — and the subsequent SOBEWFF event.
Although there were some standout restaurants like Tampa’s Blackbrick Chinese and Denver’s Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery, the much-deserved winner was the chicken and biscuit from Memphis’ Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken. The delicious chicken is coated in a signature “corruption” seasoning, then drizzled in a sweet and spicy blend of honey and hot sauce. One of the best bites of the evening — and the weekend. Tuckaway Tavern in Raymon, New Hampshire, and Martin’s Bar-B-Cue Joint in Nashville took the second and third-place titles, respectively.
Art of Tiki
Tiki aficionados and rum lovers look forward to the annual Art of Tiki Cocktail Showdown at the festival, where some of the country’s best tiki bars and cocktail lounges compete in the competition sponsored by Appleton Jamaican Rum.
This year, judges chose the Bird of Fortune cocktail from Miami’s Beaker & Gray. The Wynwood-based cocktail bar is no stranger to the Art of Tiki - each year its team not only creates a fantastic cocktail, but they dream up an entire story around it, with the Beaker & Gray bartenders dressed as Zoltar fortune tellers, wishing “good fortune” to all who stopped by for a drink and a shot! The People’s Choice award went to Bar Hana in Sarasota, Florida.
Celebrity Booze
There’s no stopping the celebrity-endorsed booze craze, as evidenced by the slew of star-studded libations. During the weekend, you might have been poured a glass of rose by Elizabeth Banks at her Archer Roose booth at the Grand Tasting Village or enjoyed a few fingers of Four Walls, a new Irish American Whiskey brand from Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day.
With Spring officially on the horizon, it’s time to start stockpiling the incredibly chuggable “Gin & Juice” cans by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
The newly launched Crossfire Hurricane rum by none other than the Rolling Stones premiered at the festival. The liquid is a blend of Caribbean rums from Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic that are aged for up to five years in charred oak barrels.
While the rum has some lovely spice, banana, and caramel notes that worked very well in a Dark & Stormy, it’s the bottle that’s the selling point for me and all Stones fans. The bottle has the famous Stones Hot Lips logo featured prominently on the bottle, making it the coolest addition to any home bar.