Post #773121 by Feelin Zombified on Sun, Feb 19, 2017 11:53 AM

On 2016-05-01 08:16, uncle trav wrote:
One of the lingering mysteries of the Mauna Loa is the cauldron mug.... I believe these were actually drink mugs that never made it to the restaurant in time for the printing of the menu. Maybe delayed due to the elaborate construction of the mug. Many of the mugs that have been found in the past few years have included the original shipping box hinting to the fact they never made it onto the restaurant cocktail line.

I've wondered the same thing. But what makes the most sense to me is that these were part of an updated menu or "new for this year" concept that never happened. Here's why: There are 2 different salt and pepper shakers, both the same design but different molds. The originals are darker glaze and are imprinted "design by Mauna Loa Detroit" on the bottom, and are harder to come by. The newer, lighter glaze shakers are simply imprinted "Japan" on the bottom and are readily found on eBay, often in new-old-stock packaging. I would conclude that the small initial run was quickly pilfered by diners in the restaurant and a 2nd, bigger batch was ordered some time later, probably around the time the cauldrons were ordered, but they closed up shop before they could be used.

I'd like to know the drink recipes!

-Z