The Scapegoat Reimagines Its Interior With an ’80s Soul and a New Era of Cocktails

Eight years is a long time in Miami Beach hospitality. The Scapegoat has spent those years earning a reputation as one of the most serious cocktail programs in the city. The reimagination isn't a reinvention — it's a refinement.

Eight years after opening in Miami Beach's South of Fifth enclave, The Scapegoat — an intimate, 30-seat cocktail den from award-winning Ariete Hospitality Group — is stepping into a new era with a reimagined interior and refreshed logo that pays homage to the 1980s while preserving the charming, unpretentious ethos that has defined the bar since its inception.

At the helm is internationally acclaimed bartender Tom Lasher-Walker, whose two-decade pedigree includes The American Bar at The Savoy in London and Attaboy in New York, along with local favorites like Mae's Room. Under his stewardship, The Scapegoat has built a loyal following around the idea of a warm neighborhood cocktail bar where the drinks take center stage. His approach combines the rigor of world-class bartending with the ease of a familiar local haunt, creating a place where a meticulously made cocktail never comes with unnecessary formality.

"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."

Lasher-Walker and the team led the remodel in-house, personally handpicking aesthetic and functional updates designed to sharpen The Scapegoat's identity while improving the flow of service and guest experience. Inside, formerly dark brown-black walls have been transformed in a rich hunter green to complement a refreshed logo inspired by The Strokes' 2001 debut album, Is This It, which was directly influenced by the retro, chrome-styled wordmark of Magna cigarettes, a budget cigarette brand popular in the 1980s and 1990s. High-top wooden tables have also been swapped for standard-height wood tables to create a more relaxed experience within the bar's 635-square-foot footprint.

Warm amber lighting, illuminated bottles, glossy green tile, dark wood and leather-toned seating round out the space. The Scapegoat captures the after-dark allure of the '80s heyday through subtle references not only to the Miami and South Beach party era, but also to the decade's broader impact on music, cocktail culture and the city's identity as a whole.

Complementing the 1980s aesthetic is a cocktail program and beverage philosophy rooted in early 2000s New York — think equal-parts cocktails, Milk & Honey-era contemporary classics, and recognizable drinks suitable for novice drinkers and barflies alike. 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 more personal layers that reflect different chapters of his career: the Hidalgo, created at The Scapegoat in 2025, brings together 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. The menu also features two of his creations developed for Mae's Room: the bright, refreshing 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).

The Scapegoat is located at 100 Collins Ave., #Cu-4 in Miami Beach and is open daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Happy hour cocktails — daiquiris, gimlets, Palomas, Tom Collins, Manhattans, mojitos and Moscow mules — are $12 daily from 5–8 p.m. Follow @scapegoatmiami on Instagram or visit scapegoatsobe.com.

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