Evocative of balmy summer days and boldly paired pastel leisure suits, the Miami Vice cocktail couldn’t be taken seriously if you tried—and one should not try, argues Shaun Traxler. “The Miami Vice is the best drink of all time because it strips us of all pretension,” says Traxler, the general manager and head bartender at Vault in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as well as the self-appointed Miami Viceroy. “It eliminates facades and levels the drinking field, which leads us to true booze-enthusiast equality.”
The hypnotic combination of a Piña Colada and a Strawberry Daiquiri—which supposedly predates the ’80s neo-noir cop show of the same name—could nonetheless be considered a vice in its own right. “While this drink is unapologetically sweet (and it damn well better stay that way), there’s still a semblance of balance to be found,” explains Traxler. “When made properly, the sugar-laden and lusciously rich Piña Colada is offset by the fresh, tart acidity in a Strawberry Daiquiri. I have a suspicion that the first to combine the two frozen delicacies may have only done so for color and presentation without understanding the genius they were about to stumble upon.”
