New Look Honors South Beach's After-Dark Era Eight years after opening in Miami Beach's South of Fifth enclave, The Scapegoat has unveiled a reimagined interior and refreshed logo that pays homage to the 1980s while preserving the bar's unpretentious neighborhood ethos. The 30-seat cocktail den, part of Ariete Hospitality Group, is now helmed by internationally acclaimed bartender Tom Lasher-Walker, whose two-decade pedigree includes roles at The American Bar at The Savoy in London, Attaboy in New York, and local favorites like Mae's Room. Under his stewardship, the bar has built a following around meticulously made cocktails delivered without unnecessary formality.
Design Details and Inspiration Lasher-Walker and his team led the remodel in-house, handpicking aesthetic and functional updates to sharpen the bar's identity while improving service flow. Formerly dark brown-black walls are now a rich hunter green. The refreshed logo was inspired by The Strokes' 2001 debut album Is This It, which itself drew from the retro, chrome-styled wordmark of Magna cigarettes, a budget brand popular in the 1980s and 1990s. High-top wooden tables have been swapped for standard-height wood tables to create a more relaxed experience within the 635-square-foot space. Warm amber lighting, illuminated bottles, glossy green tile, dark wood, and leather-toned seating complete the aesthetic, capturing the allure of South Beach's '80s heyday through subtle references to the decade's music, cocktail culture, and the city's broader identity. "South Beach nightlife culture in the 1980s is not only one of the most iconic and important aspects of Miami's cultural and historic identity, but also a defining chapter in American pop culture history," said Lasher-Walker. "Coupled with the fact that the decade also gave birth to some of the greatest bands and music of the last 50 years, alongside the emergence of modern cocktail culture through drinks like the Espresso Martini, Cosmopolitan and Tommy's Margarita, it made sense for us to really lean into that aesthetic and identity."
Cocktail Program Rooted in Early 2000s New York The beverage philosophy blends equal-parts cocktails, Milk & Honey-era contemporary classics, and recognizable drinks suitable for both novice drinkers and barflies. The lineup includes the crisp, spirit-forward Frozen Vesper and bittersweet White Negroni alongside modern standards including the Penicillin, Waterlily, and Revolver. Lasher-Walker's own recipes add personal layers reflecting different chapters of his career: the Hidalgo, created at The Scapegoat in 2025, combines mezcal, pomegranate amaro, lime, and orgeat; Beneath The Sheets, created at The Gibson Room, pairs cognac, Giffard Pineapple, triple sec, and lemon; and Beny's Daiquiri combines Don Q Gran Reserva Añejo XO, Velvet Falernum, Giffard Banana, lime, and Angostura bitters. Two creations developed for Mae's Room round out the menu: the Taylor's Tonic, with gin, Luxardo Aperitivo, lemon, seasonal fruit, and cucumber, and the Hollywood Margarita, with blanco tequila, triple sec, Ancho Reyes Verde, and lime. The program is rounded out by domestic and imported beers ($9–$14), including a nonalcoholic Kölsch-style ale, as well as wines by the glass ($17). Happy hour cocktails ($12) are available daily from 5–8 p.m., featuring daiquiris, gimlets, Palomas, Tom Collins, Manhattans, mojitos, and Moscow mules.
Hours and Location Located at 100 Collins Ave., # Cu-4 in Miami Beach, The Scapegoat is open daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.
More information is available on Instagram at @scapegoatmiami or at scapegoatsobe.com.
Why It Matters
With established hospitality operators refreshing key venues to remain relevant, The Scapegoat's redesign demonstrates how neighborhood cocktail bars can leverage cultural nostalgia and design storytelling to strengthen brand identity while maintaining operational efficiency. The shift to standard-height tables and improved sight lines reflects practical updates that enhance the guest experience—details operators often overlook in aesthetic-focused renovations.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
