Post #363722 by Bongo Bungalow on Wed, Feb 27, 2008 2:47 AM

"Only" 50 people?! Sounds like a nice sized party.

To get the uninitiated to try the Mai Tais and other tropical-type drinks may require "selling the experience". You might try setting up a small remote bar in the dining room which only offers a couple tropical drinks. Decorate it in the theme and have the bartender be a bit of a showman and have he/she attractively dressed in something tropical such as a Hawaiian shirt instead of the usual uniform. If a remote bar is not possible, the same thing can be created perhaps at one end of the regular bar.

The care and quality you bring to the food should be matched by the ingredients and skill of the bartender. Making drinks by the pitcher is a whole lot less fun for the guest than making them individually. There's more showmanship involved and frankly, the quality of the drink is improved when you make them one at a time. (Just squeezing the lime can be great showmanship!)

One other detail I might suggest is to have the bartender bone up on the history of these drinks. When he/she can speak casually about Donn Beach and Trader Vic and the history of the drink as it is being prepared, it adds a lot to the experience. You can get the info on line or purchase a book such a Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari.

Anywho, I didn't mean to get preachy. Just a few thoughts from a guy in the business.