Trendy bar makes homemade cocktails

When you’re fed up with the Grove, don’t want to deal with Wynwood’s pretentious hipsters, and can’t stand the grimy club rats in South Beach, where are you supposed to go?

The Broken Shaker in the Freehand Miami Hostel is the answer to your problems. The intimate bar prides itself on its specialty cocktails, made from locally grown fruits as well as herbs and spices straight from the Broken Shaker’s garden.

“It’s our passion,” co-owner Gabriel Orta said. “We were first a pop-up and after we saw how everyone embraced it and how big of a success it was, we decided to settle down at the unique location.”

The cocktail menu is always changing according to what is growing in the garden. Recent drink options have included the Midwestern Old Fashioned – made with apple, cinnamon, Old Forester Bourbon and walnut bitters – and the Clover Club – a mix of homemade raspberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, egg whites and Bombay dry gin.

“We always bring something new to the table,” Orta said.

But it isn’t just the cocktails that make the Broken Shaker worth a visit. With both indoor and outdoor seating, the laid-back bar offers plenty of entertainment. You and a buddy can have a blast from the past with a round of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, or a game of table tennis in the courtyard if you’re feeling up to it. For the more low-key groups, start up a game of Jenga, and hope you can still see straight enough to play.

In the spirit of keeping things different, the bar will soon have cocktails on tap and begin serving food.

The bar also serves beer. Prices range from $3 for some beers to $11 for mixed drinks.

If You Go:

What: The Broken Shaker

Where: 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach

Open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends