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John Lermayer
World's 50 Best Bars
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i. Biography
Coming Up
Behind the bar at Skybar at the Shore Club in Miami, Florida in 2004, John Lermayer entered a room where timing, polish, and control mattered as much as the pour. That early post placed him in a city bar culture that can move quickly from daylight service to late-night pressure, and it gave him a working foundation in pacing a room, reading a guest, and keeping the bar moving without losing the details. At Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach, Florida, where John Lermayer was co-owner from 2015–2018, the work extended beyond service into the shape of the venue itself. Co-ownership brings a wider set of decisions, and in that role the bar becomes not just a counter but part of the room’s identity. Across those years, the work at Sweet Liberty tied drinks to atmosphere and kept the venue’s character consistent enough to register. Taken together, those steps trace a steady build: from bartender at Skybar at the Shore Club in 2004 to co-owner at Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach, Florida from 2015–2018. John Lermayer’s career stayed rooted in Miami, accumulating experience through service, ownership, and repeated nights behind the bar rather than through any single leap.
Where They Are Now
Cocktails remain the center of John Lermayer’s work, and that focus explains the way his reputation took shape in Miami. The bar side of the trade demands speed, judgment, and a feel for the room; ownership adds the broader responsibility of keeping a place legible and steady. In John Lermayer’s case, cocktails are where those pressures meet, linking the early service work at Skybar at the Shore Club with the later ownership chapter at Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach, Florida.
Signature
John's signature dishes include She Said Yes and Sweet Liberty's Sherry Cobbler. As signatures, they point to the kind of menu thinking that stays with a guest: one name carries its own moment, while the other ties directly to Sweet Liberty’s identity. Read together, they mark a practice centered on cocktails, hospitality, and the kind of Miami bar presence that is built through repetition and detail.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of John
Where did John Lermayer work before?
John Lermayer's earlier career included Skybar at the Shore Club and Sweet Liberty.
What recognition has John Lermayer received?
lifetime achievement award, Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards (2018).
