The ready-to-drink version of a New York City favorite earned a manager’s pick at Total Wine & More in South Beach, where shoppers snapped up the four-packs reserved for a weekend tasting.
A taste of New York City has made its way to Miami Beach, and for some shoppers, it brought a little nostalgia.
During a recent tasting at Total Wine & More in South Beach, a couple visiting from New York City spotted a familiar name on the shelves: Verlaine Lychee Martini. Regulars at Verlaine Bar & Lounge on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the couple recognized the cocktail they had enjoyed back home and picked up a four-pack.
They weren’t the only ones intrigued. Throughout the event, shoppers stopped to sample the canned cocktail, with some recognizing the iconic New York bar and others discovering its signature drink for the first time. By the end of the tasting, the four-packs reserved for the event had sold out.
The cocktail remains available for purchase at the South Beach location.
A New York Favorite Gets a South Beach Welcome 
The Verlaine Lychee Martini received a warm welcome from the South Beach store’s general manager, Sharmila Vernon, who selected it as one of her personal favorites.
A shelf display featuring Vernon’s photo and the words “Sharmila’s Favorite” highlighted the cocktail alongside its distinctive white packaging, featuring an illustration of a golden lychee martini.
Priced at $12.99 for a four-pack, the ready-to-drink cocktail comes in 250-milliliter cans with 13.4% alcohol by volume, offering customers a convenient way to enjoy the bar’s signature cocktail without mixing one themselves.
The tasting brought a festive atmosphere to the store, with towering Verlaine Lychee Martini banners, bold red and yellow branding, and stacks of four-packs surrounding the sampling
Local bakery, Sweet T Cakery, made a custom cake to celebrate the tasting.
station. Branded T-shirts and bucket hats also caught shoppers’ attention, adding to the excitement surrounding the launch.
Guests had the opportunity to sample the cocktail before purchasing, while local bakery Sweet T Cakery created a custom cake to commemorate the occasion.
From a Lower East Side Institution to a Ready-to-Drink Cocktail
The story of Verlaine’s Lychee Martini began in 2001 at Verlaine Bar & Lounge, a longtime fixture of Manhattan’s Lower East Side nightlife scene.
Made with vodka, lychee and pineapple, the cocktail quickly became the bar’s signature drink, developing a loyal following among New Yorkers and visitors alike. According to the producer, the lounge serves more than 12,000 lychee martinis each month, a testament to the drink’s enduring popularity.
Now, more than two decades later, Verlaine Spirits is bringing that same recognizable flavor beyond the bar through its canned, ready-to-drink version. The spirits company operates independently of the original New York lounge.
The South Beach tasting marked another opportunity to introduce the cocktail to a new audience while reconnecting with customers already familiar with its New York roots.
For Verlaine Spirits, the enthusiastic response offered an encouraging sign of the cocktail’s potential in South Florida, where a thriving hospitality scene and year-round cocktail culture make Miami Beach a natural market for the brand.
And for New Yorkers who find themselves in South Beach, a familiar Lower East Side favorite is now just a four-pack away.
Learn more: thelycheemartini.com
