Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company — Restaurant in Miami Beach

The neon sign reading "Pursue Happiness" glows above Sweet Liberty's bar with particular poignancy. What began as marketing copy became a memorial after John Lermayer, the cocktail pioneer who transformed Miami Beach's drinking culture, died unexpectedly in 2018 at 45. His legacy lives on in what may be the city's most generous oyster happy hour.

From 4 to 8 p.m. daily, East Coast oysters arrive for 75 cents each—a price that borders on philanthropy in a market where $3 specimens are considered reasonable. The math is staggering: a dozen pristine bivalves, served with créme fraîche and caviar, costs less than a single cocktail at most South Beach establishments.

Lermayer's journey from New York's cocktail renaissance to Miami Beach reads like hospitality folklore. After persuading fashionable crowds to abandon vodka-Red Bulls for complex libations, he was personally selected by Lenny Kravitz to craft cocktails at Delano's Florida Room. His global ambassadorship took him from the White House bar to Spanish distilleries lined with Picassos.

In 2015, partnering with restaurateur David Martinez and nightlife veteran Dan Binkiewicz, Lermayer opened Sweet Liberty in Collins Park. The bar earned recognition as 27th on World's 50 Best Bars and claimed the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar.

The oyster program reflects Lermayer's obsessive attention to detail. Sweet Liberty sources Mid-Atlantic varieties—the backbone of East Coast oyster culture—from waters spanning the Chesapeake to the Maritimes. These filter feeders absorb their environment's essence: ocean-proximate specimens offer pronounced salinity, while estuary-raised varieties provide gentler, sweeter profiles.

The tumbling process proves crucial. Northern waters' slower growth allows farmers to reinforce shells through repeated tumbling, yielding easier-to-shuck specimens with superior presentation. Maine oysters require three years to mature compared to Gulf varieties' eight-month cycle, explaining the premium typically commanded by northern specimens.

Sweet Liberty's commitment to quality at this price point defies industry economics. The establishment operates until 4 a.m. nightly, maintaining its 1,000-bottle spirits collection alongside elevated bar fare. The Collins Park location, adjacent to the Bass Art Museum, attracts tourists and locals equally.

The atmospheric details matter: servers maintain Lermayer's gregarious hospitality standards, while the interior balances sophistication with approachability. The outdoor seating provides respite from South Beach's intensity.

Recent visits confirm consistency. Oysters arrive properly chilled with clean liquor, accompanied by traditional mignonette alongside the signature caviar service. The créme fraîche elevates each specimen without overwhelming the shellfish's natural minerality.

Miami New Times recognized the program as Best Happy Hour in 2016, though the accolade understates the achievement. When comparable establishments charge premium prices for lesser experiences, Sweet Liberty's offering approaches the revolutionary.

The city of Miami Beach proclaimed John Lermayer Day, ensuring his influence endures. Annual celebrations featuring international bartenders honor his memory while maintaining operational standards.

For serious oyster enthusiasts, the mathematics prove irresistible: premium East Coast specimens at unprecedented prices, accompanied by world-class cocktails in an atmosphere honoring one of American hospitality's most influential figures. The pursuit of happiness, it turns out, tastes remarkably like properly sourced bivalves at...

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I have known this place since John and Josh used to be on site. Decor, vibe and ambiance has not changed much (which is a good thing IMO) since that time. But like most places (especially in the heart of South Beach) there is always something that causes some degradation; in this case its the service provided the by the now staff. Having known what this venue was originally about (craft cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere mainly targeting people that work in the hospitality industry), its sad to see that they've had to settle for 'bodies' as employees that pay more attention to their friends/work colleagues that have already been serviced versus someone desperately trying to gain their attention to order a drink. It's infuriating to wave and make awkward eye contact all in an attempt to order a drink to simply be ignored & over looked. There was one female bartender who looked me dead in the eye and when I waived she stared at me for three long seconds (like I some how offended her by waiving) and then turned away and proceeded to service someone who had just walked up to the bar; this interaction upset me to the point that I gathered my group, closed the tab and left. We were hoping to end our night out at sweet liberty but after the afore mentioned interaction, I refused to continue the night at a place where I'm willfully & consistently ignored. I worked in the South Beach hospitality scene from '07 to '19 so I know just as well as any seasoned south beach goer how pretentious and stuck up venues can be but this experience at Sweet libs when compared to my many previous experiences set a new (lower) standard with me; on a kinda positive note, I now know what to expect when and if I return. So in closing unless you're/with a regular patron or personal friends with staff, expect service to be sub-par and comparable to that of an over crowded Blue...