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Tiki Central / Other Events / Official Hukilau 2010 Room Crawl Thread

Post #539151 by Hurricane Hayward on Sat, Jun 26, 2010 2:06 PM

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Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge recap, recipes and photos

Five competitors, four mystery ingredients, just 20 minutes to make a taste-tempting Tiki drink that will impress our expert judges and earn one winner the title Master Mixologist of Hukilau 2010. This was the challenge thrust upon the contestants in the first annual Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge.

The contest was the highlight of the opening-night party at Hukilau 2010 in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, June 10. Hundreds gathered at midnight in and around the beachside "Skylounge" penthouse to see this first-of-a-kind competition inspired by such Food Network contest shows as "Iron Chef" and "Chopped."

The penthouse's centrally located, sunken kitchen was transformed into a mixology "arena" as spectators gathered on all sides to watch the thrilling competition. The five competitors assembled at their workstations with all the tools they needed to create a memorable exotic drink.

The contestants bravely raced the clock and ignored the surrounding chaos. Hukilau organizers and Tiki celebrities were right on top of them in the crowded kitchen as King Kukulele hovered on the counter above offering his distinctive running commentary and zany comments.

But the mixologists were unfazed. All five did an amazing job of completing the drinks and samples before time ran out and they were all received warmly, albeit with some criticism, by the expert panel. They all presented professional, fully garnished cocktails in one of the specialty glasses available to them.

The judges rated the drinks on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Here are the official results, including contestant name, drink name and score.

• Ken MacArthur, "Atomic Rust," 2.7
• Al Nagas, "Aqua Velva," 3.0
• Samantha Kuras, "Just Drink It," 3.0
• Ken Kanaka, "Lewa Lumi (A Recipe for Disaster)," 3.3
• Grady Johnson, "Hell in a Handbasket," 4.3 (see photo below)

Here are the recipes for the the runner-up and winner:

Lewa Lumi (A Recipe for Disaster)
Ken Kanaka

• 2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 ounce Bacardi 8 rum
• 1/4 ounce Trader Tiki's Don's Mix
• 2 ounces Seven Tiki spiced rum
• 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Dash Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and serve in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick gently wrapped with a long orange twist.


Hell in a Handbasket
Grady Johnson

Main drink
In a cocktail shaker, combine:
• 2 ounces Seven Tiki spiced rum
• 1 ounce El Dorado 15-year-old Demerara rum
• 2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 ounce Trader Tiki's Don's Mix
• 1 ounce Trader Vic's macadamia nut liquor
Set aside

Shot
In a second cocktail shaker, combine:
• 2 ounces Bacardi 8 rum
• 1/2 ounce Trader Tiki's cinnamon syrup
Muddle with fresh mint
Set aside

Garnish (assemble handbasket)
• Fresh lemon: Slice in half widthwise. Core flesh from one lemon half, leaving rind intact and about 1/8-inch of flesh
• Fresh orange: Cut in half widthwise. Cut circular slice from center. Cut circle in half, removing flesh from half-circle. Use peel as a handle for lemon basket. Secure with toothpicks and garnish with cherries.

Pour drink
• Shake main drink with ice
• Rim a wide-stemmed glass with brown sugar, fill with ice
• Strain main drink into glass
• Quickly suspend "handbasket" over rim of glass with toothpicks
• Strain shot into basket and float Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum
• Ignite and serve

To drink
• Blow out flames
• Do the shot
• Cool your jets with the main drink

Welcome to Hell!


HAYWARD'S SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTION:
After playing around with both drinks, I'd suggest 1 ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice in lieu of 1 ounce of orange juice in both drinks. The sour lemon gives Lewa Lumi an extra layer of flavor and cuts back on the overload of OJ. And it counter-acts the over-the-top sweetness of Hell in a Handbasket.

If you sample these two drinks, keep in mind that they were created in battle conditions. Try this challenge at home in see what you can come up with in 20 minutes or less featuring Bacardi 8, Seven Tiki, Trader Tiki's Don's Mix and a fresh orange. Our contestants handled the challenge admirably.


Click on the link below to see a photo gallery of all the highlights of the contest (photos courtesy of Go11Media.com and Mike Jones) ...

http://www.slammie.com/hukilau/roomcrawl/photos/2010_challenge/

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2010-07-08 00:05 ]

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2010-07-08 00:16 ]