Great updates yet again, Hurricane Hayward!

In the Midwest, my favorite available/economical option for orange juice and grapefruit juice is the unpasteurized juices at Trader Joe's. Look for the plastic jugs in the refrigerator section. The OJ is always good and fresh-squeezed tasting, and the grapefruit is usually great. It's pink grapefruit juice, and it seems to change seasonally depending on the fruit that goes in it. I've had batches that are a lighter pink color, and pulpier, that work very well in certain Mai Kai drinks (see Yeoman's Grog). Limes are always reasonable there but sometimes they tend to be a little hard and dry. And the refrigerated cartons of pineapple juice at TJ's are dynamite.

On 2016-05-02 19:51, Quince_at_Dannys wrote:
Great updates yet again, Hurricane Hayward!

In the Midwest, my favorite available/economical option for orange juice and grapefruit juice is the unpasteurized juices at Trader Joe's. Look for the plastic jugs in the refrigerator section. The OJ is always good and fresh-squeezed tasting, and the grapefruit is usually great. It's pink grapefruit juice, and it seems to change seasonally depending on the fruit that goes in it. I've had batches that are a lighter pink color, and pulpier, that work very well in certain Mai Kai drinks (see Yeoman's Grog). Limes are always reasonable there but sometimes they tend to be a little hard and dry. And the refrigerated cartons of pineapple juice at TJ's are dynamite.

Mahalo for the great suggestion. Trader Joe's recently starting opening stores in South Florida, so I'll have to seek out the juices. Note the pulpy pink grapefruit in the Yeoman's Grog on Saturday ...

Some special cocktails coming to The Mai-Kai during The Hukilau, June 8-12 ...

Sponsor drinks:

For Barbancourt, The Mai-Kai has crafted a special cocktail, the Spicy Hula Girl. It features Barbancourt 3 Star, pineapple and lime juice, plus cracked black pepper syrup. Look for the special table tents. It will be available Wednesday through Sunday.

Ron Diplomatico Reserva will be featured in the Mai Tai for the duration of The Hukilau.

Don Q Cristal will be used all five days in the Barrel O’ Rum.

Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum will be featured in a special Banana Rum Barrel on Saturday night.

"Lost cocktails" return:

During Sunday's finale from noon to 4 p.m., The Mai-Kai will serve three drinks that appeared on the original 1956 menu but were removed at some point over the years. These will be different than the lost cocktails served at The Hukilau in 2013 (above), or at any other organized event. Two of them have appeared on a very limited basis, and one has probably not been served in decades. Hint: Sponsor Rhum Clèment will be featured. Here's a refresher on all the lost cocktails:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/mai-kai-cocktail-guide/#retired

On 2016-04-22 23:18, Hurricane Hayward wrote:

Late one night, I had only an ounce or two of juice left and needed to make a few more drinks, so I got creative. Why not combine the fresh-squeezed Persian lime juice with the bottled Key lime juice? I wonder if a simple 50-50 mix would work? That's actually not bad, I thought after a small taste. A few cocktails later, I was sure I was onto something.

The Atomic Grog's Mai-Kai lime juice blend: Equal parts fresh-squeezed Persian lime juice and bottled Key lime juice from concentrate.

I bought a bottle of Mrs. Biddles to try your 50-50 blend. My friends were having kind of a communal party a month or so back. Everyone bring whatever. So I tossed the bottle in my bag with some other goodies figuring I'll make a batch of something and see how people like it. I don't recall what drink I made, it definitely wasn't a mai kai recipe, but it came out suuuper tart mixed equally with persians. To the point I had to doctor the drinks. Got home and put the key lime juice in the back of the fridge where it's been forgotten and possibly gone bad by now (no idea the shelf life of this stuff once opened). Curious, do you do this with all drinks now, or just ones from the Mai Kai? I've been on sort a Mai Kai cocktail hiatus since the Kohala Bay shortage but wanna get back to it soon cuz my body's having withdrawals.

Has anyone else experimented with this blend yet?

Yep I tried it once & used the rest to make a pie :)

I'm sure it adds some dimension in huge batches like the Mai Kai makes, but a 1:1 in a cocktail is way overpowering imho. I prefer Hurricane's tributes with all fresh juices.

On 2016-06-01 14:07, mikehooker wrote:
Curious, do you do this with all drinks now, or just ones from the Mai Kai? I've been on sort a Mai Kai cocktail hiatus since the Kohala Bay shortage but wanna get back to it soon cuz my body's having withdrawals.

Has anyone else experimented with this blend yet?

I prefer a 50-50 mix in Mai-Kai cocktails, but you could easily go 2:1 Persian to Key lime juice and get the same effect. I do use it in other cocktails, depending on the recipe.

FWIW, there is a world of difference between the Key Limes grown in South Florida and those from Mexico; the latter tend to be much harsher...the only problem with the Florida ones being basically impossible to find outside of farmers markets in S. Fla, and even then. But if you have a chance, definitely worth trying.

PS Key lime juice also benefits from "resting" between juicing and serving. In my experience 2-3 hours is ideal. YMMV.

-J.

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2016-06-02 09:33 ]

On 2016-06-01 21:31, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
I prefer a 50-50 mix in Mai-Kai cocktails, but you could easily go 2:1 Persian to Key lime juice and get the same effect. I do use it in other cocktails, depending on the recipe.

I like the 50-50 mix in Arriano's Navy Grog Fizz and as a sub in Grog Log Hurricanes.

[ Edited by: PalmtreePat 2016-06-02 12:57 ]

Cocktail highlights at The Mai-Kai during The Hukilau:

On Wednesday, we confirmed that The Hukilau no longer contains coffee. Updated recipe to come.

On Friday, Tim "Swanky" Glazner's symposium, "The Mai-Kai: History, Mystery and Adventure," focused on the Mystery Drink and famous Mystery Girls. There were many special guests in attendance in the Pier 66 ballroom, and one lucky guests received the iconic drink and dance from Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid ...

Swanky also briefly discussed the legendary mixologist Mariano Licudine ...

At The Mai-Kai on Saturday, it was good to see the Deep Sea Diver still featuring the vintage glassware (see image above), resurrected by Beachbum Berry and Cocktail Kingdom ...

We asked Jeff if they had any issues with breakage or theft at Latitude 29. The glasses seem to be very sturdy, he said. And the gooey residue from the honey-butter mix keeps most potential thieves from pocketing them. Bars with valuable glasses should take note: Just fill them with a drink so messy nobody would want to take them.

It doesn't get much better than cocktails with Shag, followed by dinner and Polynesian Islander Review ...

Christie "Tiki Kiliki" White presented The Mai-Kai's Dave Levy (left), Kern Mattei and Pia Dahlquist with a special gift of 40,000 swizzle sticks after organizing a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money ...

The new swizzles are based on the classic design, and also feature one of the famed cannibal Tikis at the end of the longer one ...

They were quickly put to use on Sunday during The Hukilau's Finale, where they were featured in the three "lost cocktails" from the 1956 menu, served at a large event for the first time in decades ...

Island Queen

Liquid Gold

Martinique Cocktail

Later, we tried Kern's special drink created using sponsor Rhum Barbancourt, the Spicy Hula Girl. It also included an inventive garnish created by new chef Mark Rivera ...

Recipe and review coming soon.

See our story on the chef and his tasty new appetizer menu:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/09/king-kai-leads-procession-of-new-tikis-into-the-mai-kai/#new

We also have full coverage (and 40+ photos) of the new 10-foot King Kai (carved by Will Anders) installed in the gardens. Plus the new trio of Tikis carved by Anders, Tom Fowner and Jeff Chouinard:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/09/king-kai-leads-procession-of-new-tikis-into-the-mai-kai/

Last by not least, our booty of merchandise from The Hukilau included two great new mugs based on historic Tikis at The Mai-Kai: The official event mug by Eekum Bookum based on this guy ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/05/17/the-hukilau-updates-high-tide-party-announced-rum-sponsor-rundown-merchandise-preview-with-photos/the-hukilau-2016-mug-tiki-today/
And a new pendant-wearing mug by Tiki Diablo (based on a seldom-seen Tiki from the Molokai) ...

On the left is a special new Mai-Kai decanter (based on the original design but much larger), created by Eeekum Bookum for Tiki Kiliki to present to her staff and special guests. Sponsor Don Q Rum had a hand in making this happen, just as they did with the original:
http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=946
Also note that one of the new Tikis (carved by Fowner) in the porte-cochère is also based on the Tangaroa-style decanter:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/09/king-kai-leads-procession-of-new-tikis-into-the-mai-kai/37-tangaroa-sideview-052816/

Between the mugs you'll see The Hukilau official pendant, which pays tribute to the iconic Barney West moai:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/09/king-kai-leads-procession-of-new-tikis-into-the-mai-kai/16-barney-west-moai-052116/

I chose the painted finish, but I might grab the others:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/05/17/the-hukilau-updates-high-tide-party-announced-rum-sponsor-rundown-merchandise-preview-with-photos/hukilau2016-pendants-on-sale/
Look for news on online merch sales soon. Also in the pic above are a bunch of the swizzles, plus a sticker for Swanky's upcoming book, "Mai-Kai: History & Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant."

No word yet on the availability of The Hukilau mugs for the general public, but the Tiki Diablo mugs are for sale here here:
http://tikidiablo.bigcartel.com/

Also, look for a new Tiki Diablo mug honoring The Mai-Kai at Swanky's upcoming book release party on Sept. 16-17
https://www.facebook.com/events/1044865908886120/

The Week in Tiki * Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

The official blog of The Hukilau

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-06-15 02:03 ]

It is so cool that the Mai Kai is getting better and improving over time.
It's so hard after a long day of doing what makes the place go to then pick up
and do improvements and spend time and money doing it as well.

The Kahiki at the end did almost nothing, the last "improvement" I can think of was painting the tiki with Day Glo.

To all who help make these improvements happen good job!

Forgot one last thing: On the final day, I got to hang out with Mr. Berry and had him sign my newly framed Sippin' Safari photo (also signed by photographer Jonpaul Balak) ...

We then ended the night with a flourish, the Kona Coffee Grog ...

tikiskip: I had a conversation with Jeff about all the improvements and we agreed that the restaurant has so many "moving parts" that it's almost impossible to keep up with them all, but they're doing a great job with what they can. They actually have a staff on site all day (and several maintenance shops in the back) to keep up with everything, though it's not easy. For every major enhancement, like the Tikis and the lights, there are other issues to deal with. The heavy weekend rains exposed new leaks in the roofs, which I'm sure will have to be addressed soon. Of interest to this thread, some of the cocktails are suffering due to the disappearance of Kohala Bay, which will also need to be dealt with (more on that soon). But overall, they're taking really encouraging steps to improve where needed. Everyone agreed that the new chef is awesome. I would encourage everyone to try all the food again, even stuff you may have been disappointed with before. The new pupus are excellent, and I've tried several Cantonese dishes that he's turned completely around.

"They actually have a staff on site all day (and several maintenance shops in the back) to keep up with everything,"

Just think about that though, most places can't afford that kind of staff.
At my place I had to do all the repairs and décor AFTER I worked all day cooking food.
Then on the weekends I had to clean and do books ect.

The Hukilau has brought in money that is helping with this too I am sure.
Not to mention the Yankee Clipper, or whatever they call that now.

It's good to see some good come out of this bunch of tiki nutz.

The Mai Kai is just the best tiki restaurant alive today for sure.

On 2016-06-15 13:05, tikiskip wrote:
Just think about that though, most places can't afford that kind of staff.
At my place I had to do all the repairs and décor AFTER I worked all day cooking food.
Then on the weekends I had to clean and do books ect.

That's part of the reason they're only open for dinner, but the kitchen is open lots of days not only prepping, but helping service a robust catering and special events business.

If you haven't seen this, you'll want to check it out or set your VCR for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow ...

Jim Stacy returns to The Mai-Kai in a rerun of his Cooking Channel show ... http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/offbeat-eats-with-jim-stacy/100/day-at-the-beach.html

Very enjoyable thread/website. Thanks for the gusto!

The Mai-Kai rum guide page is updated with the latest on Kohala Bay, which is to say it's still in limbo ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#dagger

I have, however, updated my recommended Kohala Bay substitutes ...

1 – Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum and El Dorado 12 Demerara rum (equal parts).

2 – Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum and Myers’s dark Jamaican rum and Gosling’s 151 rum (equal parts). (Mahalo to AdOrAdam for this blend)

3 – Coruba Original Jamaican rum.

4 – Denizen Merchant’s Reserve.

5 – (Tie) – Bacardi Black and Ron Carlos Black.

Not recommended: Myers’s or Blackwell.

See the full report and tasting notes:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

I received a new report from The Mai-Kai that they've been told that the outage is temporary, but still no definite date on Kohala Bay's return. In the meantime, they're looking into other options, including their own blend direct from a distillery.

So you may be asking, what does this all mean when I'm ordering a cocktail at The Mai-Kai? As some of you may have noticed at The Hukilau, there are a few drinks that definitely suffer from the loss. There are a few others that are noticeable, and there are others that don't really matter. I've sampled them all at least once, so here's my take ...

The Zombie remains as great as ever.

Kohala Bay is missed: The Barrel O' Rum suffers the most. Using Bacardi Black, it misses the 2-ounce jolt of dark Jamaican rum. Together with the seasonal red grapefruit juice instead of white, the drink is now too fruity and lacks the bite of the classic recipe. The Jet Pilot also misses the heat and flavor from Kohala Bay, though not as much as the Barrel. And the Mutiny also seems a little more mild and fruity, though the flavor profile is not altered as much.

A slight difference: The Black Magic, 151 Swizzle and the Special Planters Punch are all fine, but they suffer a slight loss of flavor. I wouldn't avoid them, but adjust your expectations. A side note: The Swizzle seems to have returned to an older, more classic recipe with much less sweetness, so that helps a lot. Expect an updated review and recipe soon.

Not noticeable: The Zombie, Cobra's Kiss, Yeoman's Grog, Oh So Deadly, Bora Bora, and Tiki Swizzle all seem to be up to the same standards. I had all of them at The Hukilau or shortly before, and didn't really miss the Kohala Bay. Another side note: The Oh So Deadly received a major upgrade with the addition of falernum. I'll update the recipe and review soon.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Interesting story on Don's Mix from Punch, quoting Messrs. Berry, Cate, et al.

http://punchdrink.com/articles/diy-dons-mix-cocktails-recipe/

Looks like Martin faces the same issues with grapefruit juice as The Mai-Kai: "We like to adjust the ratio based on the kind of grapefruits we're getting seasonally. About two months a year, we’re able to get white grapefruit, and the rest of the time we have pink; the pinks are a little sweeter, so we adjust as needed."

Since I'm becoming more willing to trade in fresh pink grapefruit when I can't get an Oro Blanco (fresh pink > canned white), I'm going to start adding dashes of Fee's Grapefruit bitters to fresh pink grapefruit to try and keep that sharpness of a white grapefruit.

Things would be so much easier if the local grocery stores would carry the fruit being grown 30 miles to the north!

Kevin

Kevin, I hear that's a challenge everywhere. I feel kinda guilty, just a smidge, but have admitted here before that I often don't sweat it anymore and use pink because it's so handy. Yes, there is a difference, but "how much" is the issue. Some would say I have really lowered my standards by not worrying about pink versus white, but reality is that there are often other ingredients in drinks which can sway the finished drink flavor profile a whole lot more than my choice of white versus pink. And sometimes, to me, it's all about being able to make a drink on short notice versus going to the store. I should keep some white juice frozen in the same way that I do with some other out-of-season stuff.

Good thought on the bitters to compensate. Let us know how you like it.

On 2016-06-19 20:08, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Interesting story on Don's Mix from Punch, quoting Messrs. Berry, Cate, et al.

http://punchdrink.com/articles/diy-dons-mix-cocktails-recipe/

Thanks for sharing that article as it touches on something I've been wanting to address here. Since citrus is so finicky with flavors changing within days if not hours of squeezing, I never keep a homemade Don's Mix on hand, nor have I bought the BG Reynold's kind as it's pricey and not readily available near me. If a drink calls for 3/4 of Don's Mix, I just squeeze a half ounce of gf and and pour 1/4 oz of cinnamon syrup into my jigger before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. I don't see how that's any different than pre-making the stuff in short lived batches. So it's annoying sometimes when recipes call for Don's Mix rather than just stating the appropriate amount of grapefruit and cinnamon needed.

On 2016-06-20 08:35, AceExplorer wrote:
I should keep some white juice frozen in the same way that I do with some other out-of-season stuff.

Per your recommendation, I squoze and froze over 20 ounces of white grapefruit juice into 1/2 ounce cubes a few months ago during the short season, which I believe was a brilliant idea. I still have about 8 cubes left but they're showing signs of freezer burn which worries me as I don't know how that will impact the flavor when I go to use them, which most assuredly will be soon. Have you run into this issue on other citrus you've frozen?

On 2016-06-20 12:33, mikehooker wrote:
Per your recommendation, I squoze and froze over 20 ounces of white grapefruit juice into 1/2 ounce cubes a few months ago during the short season, which I believe was a brilliant idea. I still have about 8 cubes left but they're showing signs of freezer burn which worries me as I don't know how that will impact the flavor when I go to use them, which most assuredly will be soon. Have you run into this issue on other citrus you've frozen?

Hey, Mike! I have no freezer burn problems here because I freeze and save each 1-ounce stick wrapped in fold-top sandwich baggies. I can fit three sticks into each baggie and I "roll" each stick so that the three sticks do not touch each other in cold storage. I assume the juice will "age" and lose freshness over time so I periodically discard and re-freeze fresh juice. I have many pounds of Persian limes each year, so no worries with limes. For other less-used juices I try not to over-squeeze and over-freeze. The life of frozen juice is surprisingly good, and it's very hard to tell when a "refresh" is prudent. I need to post some pics, will try to do so soon, I'm pretty slammed.

When I have guests to my bar, and I have advance notice, I try very hard to use fresh fruit and squeeze in front of their eyes. However one of the joys of having a home bar, and using squeeze-and-freeze, is that you find you can be a master of spur-of-the-moment cocktail making. I place a very high value on being johnny-on-the-spot since it's such a pain to run out and shop for fruit when you want a cocktail. Squeeze-and-freeze brings me closer to the speed and readiness of a commercial bar where they get regular deliveries of fruit and have juices very handy. I don't like the thought of having a couple thousand dollars invested in spirits and home bar tools/equipment without the ability to be spontaneous. Squeeze-and-freeze is the answer to those who seek spontaneity for private drinking as well as spur-of-the-moment needs with guests.

I personally have a short list of key tenets for home bartending. Both speed and showmanship are key success factors, among others.

A few more photos from The Hukilau's Pre-Party at The Mai-Kai ...

Full recap and more photos:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/22/the-hukilau-2016-day-1-photo-recap-pre-party-at-the-mai-kai-the-wreck-bar-mermaid-show/

Plus a bonus recipe for the Spicy Hula Girl, created by Kern Mattei and featuring featuring sponsor Rhum Barbancourt ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/06/22/the-hukilau-2016-day-1-photo-recap-pre-party-at-the-mai-kai-the-wreck-bar-mermaid-show/#spicy-hula-girl

Still no updates on the Kohala Bay outage. It still may come back, manager Kern Mattei confirmed last night, but in the meantime The Mai-Kai has finally been able to get Coruba dark Jamaican rum from their distributor. They hope to begin using it soon in all the cocktails that call for Kohala Bay.

Unfortunately, Coruba never panned out, so they've been pouring Appleton Reserve while they wait out the great Kohala Bay outage. It's definitely a higher quality rum than the earlier substitutes and works fine in some drinks. But you may notice the lack of funk in the Black Magic and some others. I had no complaints with the Zombie, however.

Meanwhile, the new Lemon Hart 151 is starting to appear on store shelves (in Austin and the Florida Panhandle) ... http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=51252&forum=10&start=45

The Mai-Kai plans to reach out to the distributor, so it may not be long before we find out whether we see another return of the venerable 151 Demerara rum.

Good to see the new swizzle sticks every time we visit ...

They were introduced during The Hukilau after a Kickstarter campaign organized by the event's organizer, Christie "Tiki Kiliki" White, and produced by Royer.

Available now!

See you at the release party Sept. 16-17 ...
http://www.maikaihistory.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MaiKaiHistory/

... featuring more special lost cocktails!
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/tim-swanky-glazner-explores-tiki-culture-and-rare-cocktails-in-mai-kai-history-and-mystery-of-the-iconic-tiki-restaurant-8045463

Lots of rum news to report, including the return of Lemon Hart 151 and a new replacement for Kohala Bay. Get the full story here ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/

Plus, here are some direct links to specific features ...

The list of all the Guyana rum drinks featuring Lemon Hart 151 and Hamilton 86:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#demerara_drinks

The list of cocktails now featuring Appleton instead of Kohala Bay, plus recommendations on which ones are affected the most:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#dagger

Recommended Kohala Bay substitutes:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

More Appleton cocktails:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#appleton

Okole maluna!

Many lost cocktails were consumed this weekend ...

Demerara Float, now featuring Lemon Hart 151

Hanalei Bay, aka Don the Beachcomber's Montego Bay

Dr. Fong (aka Dr. Funk) along with more Demerara Floats.

I even mixed up the Big Bamboo for a special hotel room party ...

After a weekend of extensive tastings, we've also slightly adjusted our Appleton vs. Kohala Bay ratings, moving the Barrel down and the Special Planters and Jet Pilot up one notch each ...

No noticeable difference:
Special Planters Punch | Yeoman's Grog | Zombie

Different, but in a good way:
151 Swizzle | Bora Bora | Jet Pilot | Oh So Deadly | Tiki Swizzle

Missing the funk:
Barrel O' Rum | Black Magic | Cobra's Kiss | Mutiny

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#dagger

We're stoked to see Hidden Harbor in Pittsburgh featuring some of our recipes in a special event tomorrow night ...

Okole maluna!

Attention anyone in or near Pittsburgh: You don't want to miss this!

Below is a major update to our guide to fresh juices at The Mai-Kai. Everything was added to the post back on the top of page 13 of this thread for easy reference:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=47293&forum=10&start=180

You'll find new recommendations for fresh orange and grapefruit juices, plus a new blend for lime juice that comes even closer to duplicating the Mai-Kai's distinctive flavor. These updates were the result of our experience mixing the Big Bamboo for Swanky's book release party last week. Mahalo to everyone who attended and sampled the drinks!

Also be sure to check out our updated Big Bamboo recipe, which contains lots of new background and history gleaned from the book and the book-release event. Mahalo Swanky for finally rewarding me with my membership card!
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/06/02/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-big-bamboo-features-big-flavors-unique-history/

We also updated the background and tasting notes on the Mara-Amu, Marinao Licudine's revamped version of the Big Bamboo that has become a classic in its own right: http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/07/02/mai-kai-cocktail-review-mara-amu/

So without further ado, here's the latest info on fresh juices at The Mai-Kai ...

---

SEPTEMBER 2016 UPDATE

First up, the latest update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the state's citrus crop, including some bits of good news. The final forecast for the 2015-2016 growing season, released in July, showed an increase of 1.5 million boxes from an October 2015 forecast, but down nearly 16 percent from the prior season’s near five-decade-low of 96.8 million boxes. "Production is nearly 70 percent lower than it was 20 years ago, and the long-term future of Florida citrus depends on a breakthrough in the search for a long-term solution to greening," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a statement. Growers have been allowed to temporarily use three antibiotics that remain under review for a "special use exemption" by the EPA but have shown signs of controlling greening. Florida Department of Citrus Executive Director Shannon Shepp also promised programs in the fall and winter to boost the state's signature crops. See the full story here:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/floridas-orange-crop-drops-16-percent/nrxqq/

Meanwhile, I finally secured a bottle of Kennesaw's 100% fresh-squeezed orange juice, which we've confirmed is the juice used by The Mai-Kai. All I can say is wow! It blows away my previous go-to OJ, Indian River Select, and is probably even better than anything I could squeeze myself. It's very pulpy, totally unprocessed and tastes like the best oranges in the crop were just squeezed into the bottle this morning.

I proceeded to make an S.O.S. using Kennesaw OJ and a revamped lime blend (see below), resulting in the best S.O.S. I've had outside of The Mai-Kai. The freshness of the juice blended perfectly with the lime and honey, creating a savory backbone for the rums and falernum. Of course, Kennesaw is not easy to come by. It's available at Restaurant Depot in South Florida, along with citrus shops at select groves. I haven't tasted it yet, but Kennesaw's seasonal pink grapefruit juice was also available. I'm hoping the white juice comes back into season soon.

Another option, as suggested by Quince_at_Dannys, are the unpasteurized orange and grapefruit juices at Trader Joe's. He says to look for the plastic jugs in the refrigerator section. "The OJ is always good and fresh-squeezed tasting, and the grapefruit is usually great. It's pink grapefruit juice, and it seems to change seasonally depending on the fruit that goes in it. I've had batches that are a lighter pink color, and pulpier, that work very well in certain Mai Kai drinks (see Yeoman's Grog)." At some point we'll have to compare the Kennesaw juices head-to-head vs. the Trader Joe's juices in a taste test.

Also be on the lookout for Natalie’s Orchid Island (non-pasteurized, 100% fresh-squeezed Florida juice), which has won much acclaim from online tasters:
http://www.orchidislandjuice.com/serious-eats/
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/01/taste-test-best-orange-juice-with-pulp-natalies-whole-foods-simply.html
In fact, I've seen info online that seems to indicate that Natalie's provides the juice used by Trader Joe's (both OJ and grapefruit). Wrote one commenter: "Please note Trader Joe's & Wegman's are private labeled, look for Natalie's products under their label. Be assured this is the same juice, only with a different label." Beware that Natalie's also makes a pasteurized orange juice that's very good (probably the best available at stores such as Publix), but not quite as fresh and pulpy as fresh-squeezed and non-pasteurized.

---

THE FINAL WORD ON OJ AND GRAPEFRUIT: My recommendation is 100% fresh Florida citrus, either by squeezing the fruit yourself or finding the rare brands that produce 100% pure, fresh-squeezed, non-pasteurized juices containing pulp. These include Kennesaw (used at The Mai-Kai), and Natalie's / Trader Joe's. The key when sourcing bottles is to look for non-pasteurized from Florida.

---

Speaking of taste tests, I had the privilege on Sept. 16 of mixing up a special cocktail for guests of Tim "Swanky" Glazner at the release party for "Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant," the amazing new book that everyone should buy ... http://www.maikaihistory.com

Hurricane Hayward admires his handiwork after mixing up the Big Bamboo for the party in Swanky's hotel room.

The cocktail was the Big Bamboo, which I chose for several reasons. It was a rare confirmed Mariano Licudine recipe (from Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari), and it fit the theme of the "lost cocktails" of The Mai-Kai perfectly. It was also relatively easy to make quickly in large batches, so I could serve the thirsty hordes at Swanky's hotel and also partake in the festivities. That's me and Max Vrahimis, who helped me source ingredients and was essential in helping out in the kitchen ...

But mixing up the Big Bamboo also turned out to be a great test of The Mai-Kai's juices. I wanted to duplicate The Mai-Kai's flavor profile as closely as possible, so I secured several half gallons of Kennsaw OJ, as detailed above. I had planned to make my own lime-juice blend that I detailed back in April, but for the hell of it I asked Kern Mattei if he could donate a half gallon of The Mai-Kai's distinctive lime juice. Kern also donated a bunch of The Mai-Kai's new swizzle sticks, and director of sales and marketing Pia Dahlquist also helped secure a donation of Appleton Reserve rum.

Check out our updated Big Bamboo review, with enhanced history and mixing notes:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/06/02/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-big-bamboo-features-big-flavors-unique-history/

Perhaps under the influence of too many Big Bamboos, I led a special late-night lime juice tasting. Several of us compared three different juices: The Mai-Kai's blend; my attempt to duplicate The Mai-Kai's blend (as detailed above: equal parts fresh-squeezed Persian limes and bottled key lime juice); plus some 100% Persian lime juice. As you can imagine, we weren't in the best state of mind to conduct a 100% scientific tasting since it was now nearing midnight and happy hour had started at The Mai-Kai at 4 p.m.

Luckily, I do have some sketchy notes, which praise The Mai-Kai's "very sour and rich" blend as the best of the three. My blend was close, but definitely No. 2 in the judging. The Persian juice tasted sour and fresh, but not as rich as the others and placed third.

A few days later, I put the juices to the test again, this time a bit more clear-headed in the comfort of The Atomic Grog (photo above). I compared The Mai-Kai's blend to my standard 1:1 mix of fresh Persian and bottled key lime juices, plus a more intense 1:2 mix (see photo above). I did a solo tasting, with these results:

The Mai-Kai blend remains No. 1 with its very rich and sour flavor, almost like straight key lime juice but not as tart. I suspect it's a premium brand of key lime juice, not the cheap supermarket brand that I use. Probably from a local grove or juice supplier. I'm savoring my remaining supply, but I know it won't last long.

My 1:1 blend just didn't compare. It was both tart and acidic, resulting in the most aggressive of the three but not as smooth and mixable. I plan to ditch this mix in favor of my new recommendation ...

---

NEW RECOMMENDED LIME JUICE: 2 parts premium key lime juice and 1 part fresh-squeezed Persian lime juice. This new, stronger blend comes close to The Mai-Kai's flavor, especially if you can find a quality key lime juice. It's less bitter than the previously suggested 1:1 blend and almost as tart as The Mai-Kai blend.

---

The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

The official blog of The Hukilau

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-09-27 16:38 ]

As suggested by mikehooker, I put another potential Kohala Bay substitute to the test recently, both neat and in the Big Bamboo ...

While a 50/50 mix of Smith & Cross and Appleton Reserve doesn't replace our long-running No. 1 choice, it comes in a close second and is worth a try. Here's the full list of recommended substitutes ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-09-27 13:53 ]

Fresh-squeezed white grapefruit juice is back ...

Yeoman's Grog, sampled tonight during Luau by the Sea festivities in The Molokai bar.

More bad news on the future of Florida's citrus industry ...

Florida orange crop forecast at 70 million boxes, lowest in decades

Florida’s signature crop, the orange, continues to be battered by greening disease, and the federal government’s first forecast of the 2016-17 is a bleak one. It’s shaping up to be worse than last season’s when the crop reached a 52-year low.

The state’s commercial orange crop will be an estimated 70 million boxes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday. That’s a drop of more than 11 million boxes from last season’s 81.6 million boxes, which was 70 percent lower than 20 years ago.

Over the last decade, Florida’s commercial groves have been crippled by greening, a bacterial disease. Spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, it attacks a tree’s vascular system and can kill it within two years.

Full story:
http://protectingyourpocket.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/10/12/florida-orange-crop-forecast-at-70-million-boxes-lowest-in-decades/

I know new rootstocks which do better under than current ones when infected with HLB are in stages of testing. Positive results from certain trifolate-sour mandarin crosses look promising.

Two pretty big updates to "lost cocktail" reviews ...

DEMERARA COCKTAIL
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/01/08/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-demerara-cocktail-is-a-throwback-to-another-era/

I found an old menu description from the 1980s ...

And posted a photo from (I believe) the last time I enjoyed the cocktail along with lots of background notes, including the discovery of the authentic recipe in an old Lemon Hart cocktail recipe book.

I also made note that you can find Mariano Licudine's official recipe on the menu at Undertow, the new Tiki bar that opened in Phoenix this summer.

DEMERARA FLOAT
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/09/07/lost-cocktails-of-the-mai-kai-the-classic-demerara-float-rises-again/

This update is even more robust, including a newly discovered authentic recipe from "Mr. Lemon Hart's Tropcial Treats" (1973; see photo above). Also added are photos from Swanky's book-signing events in September, where the cocktail was featured ...

You also may notice that I raised my rating to 4.5 out of 5 stars (and dropped Big Bamboo down to 4). This was a result of much imbibing of both during the book-release parties and the realization that this is a superior drink. Very much worthy of the top of the lost cocktail ratings.

Also added were lots of tasting and mixing notes for all three recipes, plus a mahalo to Hidden Harbor in Pittsburgh for featuring the Demerara Float on their Tiki Time Machine menu last night ...

The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

The official blog of The Hukilau

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-10-19 16:19 ]

Long overdue, it's the latest version of the Zombie tribute recipe ...

Featuring a fully updated back-story and new photos ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/11/01/mai-kai-cocktail-review-the-theory-of-evolution-of-the-zombie/

Not a major changed to the recipe. Don's Mix has been removed and grapefruit juice added. But as hinted at in the notes, there may be a new secret revealed soon.

At Hulaween tomorrow night, I hope to sample The Mai-Kai's newest creation, a drink created for a movie making its East Coast premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival next month. The Chief Zabu cocktail, named for the title of the film, includes lime juice, club soda, passion fruit, honey, orange juice and three different rums. New Times did a full article on the movie and the drink:
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/mai-kai-creates-cocktail-in-honor-of-film-chief-zabu-an-ode-to-donald-trump-8177714

Also worth mentioning: We have a new Facebook group called Friends of The Mai-Kai, where we'll be sharing photos, stories and keeping up with all the news:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MaiKaiFriends/

If you're on Facebook, please join us!

Okole maluna!

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-10-27 22:30 ]

For a while now we've been led to believe that all Mai Kai cocktails were mixed in a top down blender a la Don the Beachcomber, or in some cases an actual blender - but certainly never shaken.

While browsing the calendar section of Swanky's site I came across this photo....

What is he holding there on the left?!

I'm outraged.

Need explanation...

On 2016-10-28 13:58, mikehooker wrote:
What is he holding there on the left?!

I'm outraged.

Need explanation...

Photo shoot prop? It would look pretty clumsy for him to stand there holding a mixer :>)

That's my initial guess. It's also possible those are just two mixer tins stuck together, again for the purposes of the photo.

With another Hulaween in the books, here are some highlights:

Some wiseguy got the idea to dress up like Don the Beachcomber ...

... and order Don's Special Daiquiri (Special Reserve Daiquiri) and Pearl Diver (Deep Sea Diver).

He then ordered a round of 151 Swizzles ...

But Hannibal Lecter horned in on the action ...

I decided it might be a good idea to stay clear of an inebriated Dr. Lecter, so I sought out the new Chief Zabu cocktail ...

Wowza, this is a very rum-forward, boozy drink that fans of 151 Demerara rum will enjoy. It has at least 3 ounces of rum, probably Lemon Hart 151, plus a dark and gold rum. I may need a few more tastes, but I hope to post a recipe at some point. I'm hoping they continue serving it at least through the film festival in November. (See link above for details)

From there, the evening became a blur. I seem to recall a giant bottle of Rum and a Mai Tai walking around carrying a bottle of Appleton 12, but it may all be a hallucination ...

For a full recap and photos, check out the blog ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2016/10/30/photos-a-hauntingly-good-time-at-historic-mai-kais-8th-annual-hulaween-party/

On 2016-09-27 13:52, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
As suggested by mikehooker, I put another potential Kohala Bay substitute to the test recently, both neat and in the Big Bamboo ...

While a 50/50 mix of Smith & Cross and Appleton Reserve doesn't replace our long-running No. 1 choice, it comes in a close second and is worth a try. Here's the full list of recommended substitutes ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2016-09-27 13:53 ]

PRETTY COOL. I've defaulted to 50/50 mixes of Appleton and Smith And Cross. I find Appleton too weak, and Smith and Cross too bold. Mixing them puts me in the sweet spot for Mai Tais and many other drinks

dupe

[ Edited by: lll888 2016-11-18 07:25 ]

Newly updated: The Shrunken Skull tribute recipe, no longer featuring cinnamon syrup. Plus, some new ingredient recommendations ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/08/10/mai-kai-cocktail-review-drink-like-a-native-with-the-shrunken-skull/#tribute

Also added: Lots of ingredient and mixing notes, plus confirmation that the vintage recipe included in "Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats" is indeed an original Mai-Kai recipe. Beachbum Berry also confirms that book as his source for the Grog Log recipe, and teases us with a recipe from his upcoming 10th anniversary edition of Sippin' Safari ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/08/10/mai-kai-cocktail-review-drink-like-a-native-with-the-shrunken-skull/#ancestor

Also included: A bonus recipe from Hale Pele based on our first version of the Shrunken Skull tribute. Here's the full story:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/08/10/mai-kai-cocktail-review-drink-like-a-native-with-the-shrunken-skull/

Our next update is the result of some recent research that led to a new tribute recipe for the mysterious Zula #2 ...

... along with an update of the tribute recipe for Zula #1:

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/03/05/mai-kai-cocktail-review-double-your-pleasure-with-the-exotic-and-delicious-zula/#tribute

Included is a little background on how The Mai-Kai's managing owner, Dave Levy, continues the tradition of his stepfather (Bob Thornton) and founding mixologist Mariano Licudine in continually fine-tuning the cocktails but also keeping them reverential to the Don the Beachcomber classics. More on this in upcoming deep dives.

New info was added on recent sightings of the ancestor recipe, Penang Afrididi, from cocktail and Tiki blogs to Hale Pele in Portland and Lost Lake in Chicago:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/03/05/mai-kai-cocktail-review-double-your-pleasure-with-the-exotic-and-delicious-zula/#ancestor

From the 1979 cocktail menu.

Some research into The Mai-Kai's cocktail menus shows that Zula #2 disappeared some time in the late '80s or early '90s, but luckily you can still order it today ...

Okole maluna!

What do you think about the K.Bay replacement? Appleton Reserve seems so bland in comparison. How does Hamilton's Black Jamaican compare?

On 2016-11-15 19:56, lll888 wrote:
What do you think about the K.Bay replacement? Appleton Reserve seems so bland in comparison. How does Hamilton's Black Jamaican compare?

lll888, I wouldn't go so far as to call Appleton Reserve "bland," but it certainly lacks the funk and aggressive nature of Kohala Bay. I've reviewed all the drinks extensively and rated the impact of the loss of Kohala Bay on this blog post ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#dagger

It breaks down to four drinks that really miss it, three where it doesn't really make a difference, and five that taste different but probably don't suffer. There's also an extensive list of suggested substitutes, which could be updated again soon ...
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

The three top replacements I've found are blends of at least two other rums. The only rums that come close on their own are Coruba and Denizen. Hamilton's dark Jamaican rum is extremely hard to find in South Florida, so I haven't experimented with it yet (though I had the opportunity to taste it). I would mix it with a milder rum, perhaps Appleton Reserve, to take some of the extremely high funk down a few notches. But it's definitely worth trying.