Official Hukilau 2010 Room Crawl Thread

Wednesday will be lighter than the rest of the week. You should be fine... A little Backsheech will help you out

Oh yes, understood. I always tip.

On 2010-05-04 09:28, JETSETTER wrote:
Apart from some cherished secret recipes, I think you'll find the natives to be rather forthcoming. Ask and you shall typically receive. Remember to say 'please' and 'thank you' :wink:

ABSOLUTELY! I have learned this: Not only does one attract more flies with honey, but it is also a better ingredient to keep in the bar instead of vinegar. If I am nice and polite, folks might share some of their recipes!

Mahalo, Jetsetter!

Vince Martini endorses Fez-O-Rama

Willing to share our drink. Stop by "The Planet of Forbidden Tiki." If we can help you to increase the Ohana in Arkansas through better living through rum, all the better.

All Hail Floyd!! (Mira Mar League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

[ Edited by: Trader Rick 2010-05-28 08:33 ]

Hope you're all gearing up for what promises to be one VERY competitive Hukilau 2010: A Cocktail Odyssey Room Crawl and Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge, now just four short weeks away!

That being the case, a good competition is deserving of equally as impressive rewards for the winning Room Crawl rooms and Master Mixologist!

The Room Crawl will feature two prizes of Mai Kai gift certificates (always handy to have :wink: to be used during Hukilau weekend, one each awarded for Best Room Decor, and Best Original Cocktail, as selected by our panel of judges.

Our Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge will be awarded the night's Grand Prize. In addition to boasting that the winner will bear the 1st Hukilau Master Mixologist title ever awarded, they'll also receive the following:
A custom-sculpted hand-carved muddler by renowned Tiki carver Tom Fowner!
A gift certificate to the Mai Kai to utilize during the Hukilau festivities
Their winning drink recipe published in a future email blast to Hukilau attendees, as well as a feature in the program for Hukilau 2011, the 10th Anniversary of the Hukilau!

The Master Mixologist will be crowned by a distinguished panel of experts.

We hope these great prizes help to raise the already fierce competitive juices (& syrups :wink: in all of our contestants!

Best of luck, and may the best Cocktail (and Decor) win!

... And we'll also be posting some of the Best Original Cocktail contest recipes from the room judging here for all to sample and judge at home. To be elibible to win, you must provide us with your recipe the night of the event.

All the sponsor rums will be announced soon so get ready to mix.

We'd like to acknowledge and offer thanks to our rum sponsors for supplying us with rums (for Jeff Beachbum Berry's mixology seminar, the Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge, and the 2010: A Cocktail Odyssey Hukilau Room Crawl) and other support they've lent to the success of this year's event. These fine contributions include Seven Tiki Spiced Rum, Bacardi Superior, Bacardi 8, and Rhum JM Gold, Blanc, and Vieux. Big thanks to Trader Tiki Syrups for their contributions as well.

We'd also like to announce our celebrity judges for the master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge (an esteemed lot to say the least):

Joe Desmond - A Master mixologist in his own right and co-proprietor of the infamous 'Rhum Rhum Room'

Otto Von Stroheim - a man who knows a thing or two about cocktails and founder and host of California's Tiki Oasis

Josn Agle (aka SHAG) - a man who needs no further introduction.

The Thursday Kickoff Party promises to be one you'll definitely NOT want to miss (and we didn't even mention the stellar entertainment lineup as well!)

That would be 'JOSH' Agle. Not sure why Spellcheck didn't catch that, when it does catch 'tiki' ;)

Harold Golen Gallery presents:

POLYBLEND

at Hukilau 2010

[ Edited by: HAROLDGOLENGALLERY 2010-05-20 13:48 ]

...AND the premiere of the Polyblend Art Show too! Quite the night :wink:

...not to mention a certain astro-simian surf troop throwing down tunes in the wee hours.

Or so I hear :wink:

and maybe even the Chief Defender Of The Faith... Could be a LONG night ;)

We've had a lineup change. Here's the updated list of the contestants in the Cocktail Challenge:

• Ken Kanaka: Singer-songwriter, ukulele player and rum mixer on the road to stardom without a map.

• Ken MacArthur: A local tikiphile and aspiring mixologist.

• Samantha Kuras: Professional bartender and a fish-tailed mermaid in Marina's pod.

• Al Nagas: According to Senor Al de Negas, he is to the Mai Tai like dice is to Las Vegas.

• Grady Johnson: Missing for years on an uncharted island in his mind

Attention-Room name change
Due to the evolution of the room decor, the room formerly known as "The Day the Tiki Stood Still" is now known as "Planet of Forbidden Tiki"
It's on the ground floor under the stairs facing the area that had the vendors last year. For traffic flow, best to come in from the right and depart left.

John Kissee
KOZMIK KAI
Canvas Print on Wood
11" x 14"
$75

Scott Scheidly
THE SOPHISTICATE
Acrylic on Board

Before we can can walk, we must learn to Crawl. The Cocktail Odyssey begins in one week from today!

can't wait. i have been practising for a week now.

counting the days...

i think its 6, then again i'm on the other side of the world and had too much rum tonight!

should we bring our own mugs?

Yes, by all means, bring your favorite mug. That's a Hukilau tradition, especially at the laid-back Cabana. I may have to dust off my old Shag mug.

Hukilau 2008 ....

my favorite mug is a PNG penis gourd . . . .

is that okay?

... just make sure you wash it first.

And now on to a completely unrelated but important topic:

Here's a link to grocery stores near the Bahia Cabana for those of you needing room crawl supplies or any other Hukilau necessities.

http://bit.ly/9299e0

Recommended:

F) Publix, 1940 Cordova Road
B) Winn-Dixie, 1625 Cordova Road

Both are full-service chain groceries just a short cab ride from the beach. There's a cluster of stores in the Cordova-17th Street area including several liquor stores (more on that to come). Publix is known for its superior produce. Most of these chains' South Florida locations feature large Latin sections and you'll find a nice selection of fruits and juices.

If you just need a few basics, there's a 7-Eleven (A) within walking distance. Nevermind (C) and (E); Google apparently can't tell the difference between a grocery, a dive tour and sportfishing charter. I'm not familiar with (D), (G) and (I). They appear to be specialty markets.

I am hyperventilating with excitement!

MUST BREATHE ! ! !

OK, now for the really useful info ... liquor stores near the Hukilau hotels, thanks to Google maps:

http://bit.ly/a9DjEm

Recommended:

C) Total Wine and D) Crown are perhaps the top two chains in South Florida. But don't let that scare you. Total Wine, especially, will surprise you with its vast non-wine inventory. Lots of hard-to-find rums and liquors. Crown stores vary by location but are very much above-average. Both of these stores are within walking distance of the Publix (F) and Winn-Dixie supermarkets (see above post).

G) 67 Liquors and H) Inlet Liquor are also both worth a visit. They're in that same Cordova-17th Street nexus and are established local chains who may be more inclined to stock a few offbeat items that the major chains don't.

A) and B) are your typical beachside package stores. Easily accessible, walking distance from the Mar and Cabana. Having never been to these outlets, I can't recommend either for all your room crawl needs but I'm sure they carry the basics.

Until now, I was not aware that Angostura USA, the stateside distributor of Angostura Bitters, had an office just east of the 17th Street Causeway. Very interesting, perhaps worth a future visit, but not exactly relevant to this post.

At least the shortage is apparently over:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/16/angostura-bitters-shortag_n_540219.html

Been hard at work preparing for the event, painting and making decorations for the room. Lost a couple days last week when a tool slipped and I ended up with sliced knuckles. A few stitches later and I'm back on the case. Now that we've made a blood sacrifice, Ku should be appeased and grant us smooth set up.
Leave room for our semi truck to unload :)

On 2010-06-06 21:17, robotiki wrote:
Been hard at work preparing for the event, painting and making decorations for the room. Lost a couple days last week when a tool slipped and I ended up with sliced knuckles. A few stitches later and I'm back on the case. Now that we've made a blood sacrifice, Ku should be appeased and grant us smooth set up.
Leave room for our semi truck to unload :)

Yes, little does everyone know that our room is actually the Tardis!

Did somebody say TARDIS?

On 2010-06-07 05:46, Trader Rick wrote:

Yes, little does everyone know that our room is actually the Tardis!

You might want to bring some extra batteries. I am pretty sure those little adapters you use to change plugs from European to American are not going to work very well at the Cabana.

120 Volts here - no adapters necessary ;)

I,ll be there to help drink, er, I mean, JUDGE, the contest. I,m practising up on my judging skills right now!

2010: A COCKTAIL ODYSSEY: THE HUKILAU ROOM CRAWL - TOMORROW!

Heading out now. Look for our motley caravan along 1-75 crossing Alligator Alley. We'll be the ones looking like the Beverly Hillbillies, er..... Florida Tikibillies

Robotiki, it looks a little empty. Was that before pack out? I would have thought there would have been a ton more stuff. Can't wait to see your room and taste your drink! Were you at the Mai-Kai tonight? Did I miss you?

[ Edited by: TikiRenee 2010-06-09 19:15 ]

penis gourd is packed.

see all of youse der.

Just got home and unloaded, Robby safely back in his lair. We're out for more Mai Tai action at the Sarasota Trader Vic's this afternoon. It was great to participate in the Room Crawl . Hoping to see some pictures of our room as we were too busy to take many. We had a blast hosting tiki royalty in our hallowed hall.

For those that were asking about our drink, the Astro Tango, we'll post the recipe here soon. I challenged our Mixologist, Dick (Trader Rick) to come up with something made with Tang, 'cause that's what the astronauts drink, and the result was a tasty and refreshing treat perfect for sweltering South Florida summer nights.

We had a swell adventure. Thanks to the organizers, one and all.

Robotiki
Mira Mar League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[ Edited by: robotiki 2010-06-13 19:11 ]

So sorry I didn't get a chance to get in the room to see Robby! The lines were just crazy, but I heard your room rocked.

tang drink good.

tang drink was da best, robby rocked that room too. great meeting robotiki and trader ric at the mia kai and snapping some pics for them.

[ Edited by: talo ka 2010-06-13 16:59 ]

Trader Rick on the left and Robotiki on the right. The calm before the storm. Thanks for dropping by our room and enjoying what we did and what we served. For me it was like bartender bootcamp. Anthea said I served close to 350 drinks from 9 to 11:30. All of them properly mixed and shaken. Beachbum Berry tipped his hat to me when I told him at his seminar the next day. Wow! I can't believe it's over. Super great time!

Some photos of our room........
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miramarleague/sets/72157624151829649/

Robotiki
Mira Mar League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[ Edited by: robotiki 2010-06-14 16:10 ]

[ Edited by: robotiki 2010-06-14 16:16 ]

On 2010-06-14 14:50, Trader Rick wrote:
Trader Rick on the left and Robotiki on the right. The calm before the storm. Thanks for dropping by our room and enjoying what we did and what we served. For me it was like bartender bootcamp. Anthea said I served close to 350 drinks from 9 to 11:30. All of them properly mixed and shaken. Beachbum Berry tipped his hat to me when I told him at his seminar the next day. Wow! I can't believe it's over. Super great time!

Trader Rick, it was a pleasure meeting you! AND, a special "THANKS" for the after crawl mixer to cut the jug of rum a fellow drunken buddy poured for me. Your hospitality was much appreciated (and greatly needed at the time)...WHEW!!!

Sorry I did not get to chat a bit longer while at the crowded, crazy Mai Kai. I was having to follow the crew to our table and they were moving quickly! But, I DID take your advice, studied the place from stem to stern (no pun intended there) and will do my best to replicate some of that legendary ambiance...if I ever get to flip the switch on my own project.

Thanks to you, and your team, for the great hospitality!

Now that Hukilau 2010 is behind us I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of the Room Crawl Hosts personally for the part they all played in making this year's event so successful.
All the rooms and served cocktails were simply spectacular, and the highlight of most everyone's weekend!

As a judge, I can say that while I enjoyed all of the rooms, having to make 'winner' decisions was a hard task for us all.

The winning decor went to Planet of Forbidden Tiki, hosted by Robotiki and Trader Rick, while Gaugin's Grotto, hosted by the Diabolical Dr. K, Damon Vegas, Dylan Otto, and Jonathan Lee Blouk, took home the prize for best cocktail for their 'Papeete Paralyzer' (recipe below for you to try at home).

From the neon glow of Tiki Woo's Radiation Spaceport, the wildman antics of Gaugin's Grotto, the tiki robotics of the Planet of Forbidden Tiki, thebeauties in Look At The Bunny, the Mele Kalikimaka holiday spirit of Christmas Island, until the 'endless' fun at the Macadamia Nut Hut, the Room Crawl was a hit from start to finish!

Again, thanks to all for their tremendous creativity, and perhaps most importantly, generous hospitality for making the 2010 Room Crawl the best one ever, as thousands of drinks were passed along to guests!

Hope to do it again with you all in 2011!

Mahalo!

Recipe for the 'Papeete Paralyzer'
1.5oz Benedictine
1.0oz JM Agricole Blanc
.25oz Falenum
Juice of one lime
1 inch fresh banana
Lemon Hart 151 demerara float
Lime zest

The build: In a mixing glass pinch one inch of fresh banana and muddle with the juice of one lime. Add the the rest of the ingredients (save the 151) and shake wellwith ice. Strain into adouble old fashioned packed with crushed ice. Top with 151 and garnish with fresh lime zest.

Created by Damon Bolte (Damon Vegas)
Prime Meats, Brooklyn NY

Well, here's our drink. It didn't win, but a lot of you told me how much you liked it. I only made 20 Xerox copies of it and they were snatched up in the first hour. So for the benefit of those who wanted the recipe, here it is:

1 oz. Seven Tiki Spiced Rum
½ oz. Orange Curacao (Dekuyper)
1 oz. Orange flavored Tang© (mix 2 Tbsp. per 8oz.)
1 oz. Orange Juice (Tropicana© No Pulp Premium)
1 oz. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ oz. simple syrup (Trader Vic’s© Rock Candy Syrup)
¼ oz. Orgeat syrup (Trader Vic’s© Orgeat Syrup)

Fill a Boston Shaker with party ice. Add all the ingredients. Shake for 10 seconds. Pour into a Double Old Fashioned Glass. Add fruit stick (maraschino cherry and pineapple wedge) for garnish. Add a couple of cocktail straws for sipping.

-By “Trader Rick” (Rick Coyle) for the 2010 Hukilau Room crawl.

The Room Crawl was great this year, though I only got to visit about half of them. Mahalo to all who took their time to hydrate the Hukilau masses.

On 2010-06-14 17:14, Trader Rick wrote:
Well, here's our drink. It didn't win, but a lot of you told me how much you liked it.

-By “Trader Rick” (Rick Coyle) for the 2010 Hukilau Room crawl.

I heard much the same, and as I said, the decision making was REALLY tough on the judges. Thanks for posting the recipe to allow those that didn't make it the opportunity to play '2010: A Cocktail Odyssey: Hukilau Room Crawl HOME VERSION'!!!! (Note to Tiki Kiliki: a merchandising opportunity for next year ;)

Everybody really went all out whether on the cocktail, decor, or both and the rooms were all awesome. Very very very hard to judge. Fantastic job everybody.

Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge official results

Grand prize winner ...
"Hell in a Handbasket" by Grady Johnson

Runner-up ...
"Lewa Lumi (A Recipe for Disaster)" by Ken Kanaka

Third place (tie) ...
"Aqua Velva" by Al Negas
"Just Drink It" by Samantha Kuras

Fourth place ...
"Atomic Rust" by Ken MacArthur

Check back soon for photos plus the top two drink recipes.

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2010-06-16 08:56 ]