Post #743547 by Hurricane Hayward on Sun, May 24, 2015 12:14 AM

OK, I have a definitive answer from Kern Mattei on what The Mai-Kai used as garnish before it and the glass disappeared some 20 years ago. First, note that the same image appeared on the menu from 1956 until the menu was redesigned in 2014. Here's a snapshot from the 1980s ...

Here's an undated photo (probably from the 1970s) that shows the Deep Sea Diver with its original glass and garnish ...

So I asked Kern tonight about it, and he said that, at least during his tenure in the bar, which dates back into the '80s, they used a galax leaf ...

Galax leaves (otherwise known as Wandplant, Wandflower and Beetleweed) is a genus of the Diapensiaceae family and is native to the Southeast United States. Galax grows in shaded forest areas. The dark green, heart-shaped leaves grow around the base of the plant. Galax leaves are harvested for the floristry trade and are very popular when making bridal bouquets for wedding flowers. In the wholesale flower markets, galax leaves are sold with 10 bunches of 25 stems per bag. The sealed plastic bag is designed to keep the galax leaves moist. You can buy wholesale galax leaves online.

Kern said they would cut off the stems and punch a hole in the leaf, then run the straw through the hole to keep the leaf in place on the drink.

He's looking into the possibility of bringing back the Deep Sea Diver glassware. Perhaps we'll see the galax leaf garnish too.

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[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-05-24 00:16 ]