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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Oct 4, 2018 9:11 PM
Some photos from the Lemon Hart happy hour at The Mai-Kai, presented by the Fraternal Order of Moai, Gumbo Limbo Chapter ...
Okole maluna! More photos from the FOM: |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Oct 25, 2018 12:27 PM
ICYMI: The 14 finalists in the regional competition of the Chairman's Reserve Mai Tai Challenge at The Mai-Kai on Oct. 30 have been announced. Find out who will be competing in Fort Lauderdale to earn a trip to the finals in St. Lucia in 2019!
Florida and New Orleans made a fine showing with five bartenders each, followed by Chicago with two. Atlanta and Washington fill out the coastal-heavy lineup. See who made the cut ... Also, Chairman's Reserve just announced the judges: Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, author and owner of Latitude 29 in New Orleans I'm honored to be participating and joining such prestigious company! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Oct 25, 2018 12:49 PM
In memoriam: Jack Lewis Sadly, we recently lost a Mai-Kai legend. Jack Lewis was a retired Mai-Kai bartender and disciple of Mariano Licudine. Jack's legacy and influence on The Mai-Kai's cocktails still loom large, and will be felt for a long time to come. A memorial was held Oct. 7 in his honor at Stevens Field in Oakland Park, where Jack used to play with the teams from The Mai-Kai and shared many good times. As Swanky points out, Jack was Mariano's hand-picked successor and the second head mixologist at The Mai-Kai. He was still making Mariano's secret syrups for The Mai-Kai until shortly before he died. Yes, he was the retired bartender making Mariano's mixes #4 and #7 that were added back to the recipes recently. They are in safe hands, however, and will continue to be made in Jack's honor. Okole maluna to Jack! |
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mikehooker
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Fri, Oct 26, 2018 12:56 PM
Very sad, but glad the legend will live on. Would like to learn more about Jack. When did he join the Mai Kai? |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Nov 8, 2018 11:56 AM
It's been a very busy several weeks. Here's all the latest news ... The Hukilau and The Mai-Kai made a rare appearance outside of South Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 17, when the historic Tiki bar popped up during festivities surrounding the UK RumFest and London Rum Week. The Tiki Takeover was organized by the long-running Tiki cocktail festival in Fort Lauderdale.
The Hukilau's London Tiki Takeover event also featured four of the top tropical bars from the United Kingdom and Europe: Trailer Happiness and Laki Kane from London, Liars Club from Manchester, and Dirty Dick from Paris. The event featured Tiki drinks, rum tastings, bartending demonstrations and more. The party was be the first time that the U.K. public had the opportunity to sample The Mai-Kai's famous cocktails outside of Fort Lauderdale. Key members of the staff were on hand to meet Tiki and rum devotees and "spread aloha." The Mai-Kai sent a crew of nine across the pond for the 62-year-old Polynesian restaurant's first-ever appearance in London: Dave Levy (owner and general manager), Kulani Gelardi (owner and CFO), John Gelardi (director of catering), Pia Dahlquist (director of sales and marketing), Kern Mattei (manager), Alexandra Gelardi (bartender), Elke Mattei (cashier) Lisa (Molokai bar server), and Rose-Marie (Molokai bar entertainer).
At the Tiki Takeover, The Mai-Kai served its two most popular drinks, the Barrel O' Rum and Mai Tai, both featuring event sponsor Appleton Rum. Other sponsors included rum brands Diplomatico, Don Q, Plantation, The Real McCoy and Worthy Park, plus Angostura bitters and Real Syrups. Attendees at five-hour event were treated to sample cocktails from the five guest bars, a traditional Jamaican patty paired with a complimentary Jamaican rum, tastings of rums from at least six distillers, plus optional masterclasses, symposiums, and film screenings. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Nov 8, 2018 12:54 PM
Bartenders from across the eastern half of the United States faced off on Oct. 30 in the regional finals of the second annual Chairman's Reserve Mai Tai Challenge at The Mai-Kai. The 12 competitors came from four states, from Illinois to Florida, for the chance to move on to the global finals in St. Lucia, the home of Chairman's Reserve Rum. The judges included Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, Staci Town (Florida state business manager, Breakthru Beverage), Benjamin Jones (North American managing director of Spiribam, which controls the Chairman’s Reserve brand), plus yours truly! It was an action-packed event with some very creative presentations and delicious cocktails. Here's just a small selection of photos:
Gregory Schutt (Crush XI in Melbourne, Fla., and The Fat Snook in Cocoa Beach) pulled off an upset victory to earn a trip to the finals in St. Lucia in 2019. The Peanut Butter Banana Mai Tai was an outside-the-box creation featuring two Chairman's Reserve rums, lime, peanut butter infused orgeat, banana liqueur and topped with marshmallow fluff. He impressed the judges by using a power drill as a mixer and a blowtorch to brulee the marshmallow fluff. Here's more on his drink:
He was a unanimous winner, but a host of others were close behind. The consensus No. 2 was Aiden Dillon, while Miami's Sam Wiener (Lost Boy Dry Goods / The Bend Liquor Lounge) finished third. I also gave high marks to Jesse Carr from Balise Tavern in New Orleans for his creative coffee and mezcal Mai Tai. I'll be posting a full recap with my take on all the drinks and festivities. In the meantime, the blog contains links to all the various photo galleries and videos ... The contest was held from around 1 to 4:30 p.m. before The Mai-Kai opened for the day and was attended by around 50 or so VIPs and industry guests. The Mai-Kai served complementary Mai Tais representing three iconic versions (Trader Vic, Don the Beachcomber and their own) ...
It was great to have the Bum back in town after a 2 1/2 year absence. He last visited during The Hukilau 2016.
After the contest, an after-party was held in The Molokai bar featuring a DJ and open to the public. It was there that we first spotted the new Julep-style cup now being used for the 151 Swizzle ...
The next day, I met up with the Bum for a relaxing dinner in the Tahiti Room and a few Zombies for Halloween ... A big mahalo to The Mai-Kai for hosting the competition, and to all the contestants for their hard work and participation ...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Nov 24, 2018 9:42 AM
Blair Reynolds of BG Reynolds Syrups recently stopped by The Mai-Kai with Tiki Lindy ...
Mahalo to Blair for the new syrups to add to the collection. We'll be putting them to the test soon ...
Shop and find out more about BG Reynolds at http://bgreynolds.com |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 11, 2018 11:13 AM
It was a Joy to meet the legendary master blender from Appleton Rum, Joy Spence, on a recent visit to The Mai-Kai ...
While touring the back bar, she spotted some old Jamican rums ... |
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mike and marie
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Sun, Dec 23, 2018 4:07 PM
Hayward, Appreciate all this info! Been a while, but we want to report back on our recipe testing experience... We tried your recipes soon after you posted this. Gotta admit, we had some doubts -- the Shark's Bite as we remember it at the Mai-Kai has almost a slight hint of red or ruddy brown to it, in color, so you would think that there's got to be some ingredient like maraschino cherry juice, or a rich cinnamon syrup, or even a small dash of grenadine. So in the past, we always tried one of these ingredients. We had serious doubts about your simplified recipe ... until we tried it. It was amazing! The color, too, had that hint of amber obviously from the rum. The Appleton 12-year made the difference. But the flavor and taste was so right on. We tried it with two different types of lime -- bottled and fresh -- and the drink was noticeably different in color and flavor. The fresh beat the bottled hands down. But then ... we were thinking about what you said about the very tart Key lime juice that the Mai-Kai uses. What could we use? Then it hit us: we've got a stock of something called old sour, which is an old recipe from the conchs of Key West. It's pretty simple, just fresh key limes squeezed, then a little coarse salt added, then it's bottled and it keeps in the fridge forever -- we always knew it as a condiment to use on salads, fries, shrimp, whatever. The Key West conchs put it on everything. For some reason we never thought about putting it in a drink. But "tart Key West lime juice" rang a bell, and we tried it. Bingo! Beachbum Berry just washed up around these parts last week, and when we saw him we asked his opinion on what went into the Mai-Kai Shark's Bite. "Oh it's basically just rum, lime juice and sugar syrup!" We vouch for you guys, it's simple, the proportions and types of ingredients matter, and it's a fantastic recipe!
[ Edited by: mike and marie 2018-12-23 16:08 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 25, 2018 11:04 AM
Mahalo Mike and Marie! Happy to hear of your Shark Bite explorations. The particular lime juice and sugar syrup The Mai-Kai uses does make a difference. And, of course, the Appleton 12. Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 25, 2018 11:06 AM
Mele Kalikimaka!
Don't miss the 62nd anniversary party this Friday with extended happy hour until 9 p.m.!
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1637641769870532/ [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2018-12-26 18:16 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Jan 9, 2019 1:56 PM
Just announced: I'll be speaking about "Demerara Rum: The Mai-Kai's secret weapon" on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m. in The Molokai bar. Attendees will enjoy two sample cocktails, there will be a raffle to win a bottle of rum from sponsor Lemon Hart, plus an assortment of swag. Now, be sure to get your ticket and reserve your seat! Happy hour is free, plus there's a special $60 dinner and show ticket available. Event organized by Retro Rekindled and the Magical Tiki Meetup. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Jan 16, 2019 8:27 PM
Advance tickets to Saturday's event are sold out!
Mahalo and I hope to see a lot of you there! Here's a preview of what to expect ... |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jan 20, 2019 9:36 PM
Mahalo to everyone who turned out to our talk on Lemon Hart and Demerara Rum, plus all the festivities at The Mai-Kai Takeover from The Magical Tiki Meet-Up and Retro Rekindled. The rum raffle raised $275 for the Humane Society of Broward County. Here are a few photos ... Lemon Hart brought out the full product line ... Reaching for a secret weapon ... We enjoyed two sample cocktails, including the classic Demerara Float ... The organizers reward the happy rum raffle winner ... We'll update the blog soon with lots more. In the meantime, a few few social galleries have been posted ... Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Jan 30, 2019 6:37 PM
Check out our full event recap, including photos and highlights of our discussion:
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Feb 6, 2019 2:58 PM
This weekend's Miami Rum Congress is bringing a ton of VIPs to South Florida ...
Thursday night, Ed Hamilton hosts a sold-out private tasting at The Mai-Kai. Then, Friday and Saturday will feature industry seminars and tastings in Miami, including our favorite Bum ...
Look for a recap coming up on the blog plus live coverage on our social media pages: Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Feb 11, 2019 10:35 PM
Mahalo to Ed Hamilton for the entertaining and informative presentation, his first ever at The Mai-Kai ...
We sampled four rums and two cocktails: Demerara Cocktail and Hamilton Navy Grog ...
Ed presents Mai-Kai owner Dave Levy with a rare copy of his first book ... Then, it was two days of rum in Miami, including the return of Ian Burrell and Beachbum Berry ...
I was smitten by the Monymusk rums, coming very soon to the U.S. That's Winston Harrison of National Rums of Jamaica Group and Long Pond Distillers, home of Monymusk. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Feb 21, 2019 7:00 PM
A full recap and more photos from Miami Rum Congress ...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Apr 7, 2019 2:22 PM
My follow-up to last year's "How to Mix Like The Mai-Kai" class is on sale now at http://TheHukilau.com ...
The Rums of The Mai-Kai: The Classic Tiki Template Don the Beachcomber's groundbreaking use of multiple rums in a single cocktail is crucial to the style that came to be known as Tiki. Nearly 90 years later, that exact same blending of spirits is still practiced today at The Mai-Kai. Hurricane Hayward of The Atomic Grog blog will guide hands-on lessons on how these flavors from different Caribbean islands are used in concert to create some of the world's most famous rum rhapsodies. Put these practices to use to make your home bar sing. Latest news at http://TheAtomicGrog.com |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Apr 14, 2019 10:48 PM
If you're on the fence about attending our class at The Hukilau: It looks like we'll have a very special guest "professor" helping us out. He'll be bringing a few treats from his extensive collection. [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-04-14 22:49 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, May 4, 2019 4:35 PM
For the eighth anniversary of The Atomic Grog, here's something to celebrate: All 210 Tiki cocktail recipes on the blog in one convenient place ...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, May 8, 2019 10:52 PM
I hope this makes up for the lack of cocktail updates lately. Here's the first of many to come, a deep dive into the history of a deadly classic ...
The Shrunken Skull review now features an updated tribute recipe, inspired by a tip from The Mai-Kai's owner, Dave Levy ... Also, we've added the true ancestor recipe, Don the Beachcomber's Skull & Bones, along with more history thanks to Jeff "Beachbum" Berry and 10th anniversary edition of Sippin' Safari ... We've also updated lots of background info, including the story behind the infamous shrunken skulls in The Mai-Kai's Samoa dining room ... The review features nine new photos, including lots of info on the mugs (new and old), the rums, and Shrunken Heads spotted at other bars across the country. Including the two new ones, there are now six recipes for you to enjoy. Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, May 14, 2019 4:03 PM
Just added to the blog ...
The Atomic Grog presents new class and symposium at The Hukilau 2019 Hurricane Hayward of The Atomic Grog will take guests on an virtual journey to the Caribbean to learn about the key rums and styles that have dominated The Mai-Kai’s acclaimed cocktails for more than 60 years. He'll be joined by rum expert Stephen Remsberg for an Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class at Pier Sixty-Six hotel on June 8, and by Cocktail Wonk writer Matt Pietrek for an on-stage symposium at The Mai-Kai Grand Finale on June 9. Fans of vintage rum, Tiki mixology, and The Mai-Kai’s cocktails are advised to clear their calendars for these special events at The Hukilau 2019. This new post includes everything you need to know about Saturday's class and Sunday's festivities at The Mai-Kai. A lucky group of students will get to tour the historic rum collection, and we'll all be mixing cocktails with actual Mai-Kai ingredients! Tickets still remain if anyone is on the fence. Everyone is welcome to Sunday's events, which will include rare "lost cocktails" from The Mai-Kai's 1956 menu, along with a new symposium featuring me and Cocktail Wonk. Don't miss out.
Click here to buy tickets: https://www.thehukilau.com/tickets Also added: Photos from how to Mix Like The Mai-Kai, the Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class at Hukilau 2018 |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jun 2, 2019 8:05 AM
Tickets sill remain for "The Rums of The Mai-Kai" class on June 8 during The Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale. Get 'em before they're sold out at https://www.thehukilau.com/tickets We also have some fun in store for students who attend Saturday's class during Sunday's Grand Finale at The Mai-Kai ...
Sunday's events, including a menu of lost cocktails, are included with all multi-day passes. I hope to see you there!
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Jun 5, 2019 12:43 PM
I hope to see lots of Mai-Kai cocktail fans this week at The Hukilau. The class and symposium are shaping up to be outstanding. We have lots of surprises, giveaways and cool stuff to share. Hope to see some of you there! I'd also like to recommend the latest Texas Tiki Podcast we did with carver Will Anders and manager Kern Matti. It's a unique walking tour of the property you can enjoy either at home or listening while you explore the grounds.
Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jun 16, 2019 10:55 AM
As usual, we're just now emerging from the post-Hukilau decompression chamber. But I hope to start trickling out updates, news and photos. First, a quick recap of the first three days leading up to my class on Saturday and symposium on Sunday ... As usual, Wednesday's pre-party was a perfect way to get warmed up at The Mai-Kai and meet many of the visiting industry VIPs. I caught some of Gold Dust Lounge's performances (love the new album ... it's complex and full of dynamics), hung out with Vincent and Magdelana (kudos to the cool all-vinyl DJ tunes from the NJ power couple) and their crew from Hi-Tide Recordings, and enjoyed a great Zombie and Special Planters Punch. I was especially looking forward to meeting some of the women participating in the Tiki Tower Takeover the next day. I ran into old friend Marie King from Tonga Hut (newly married to Jon Paul ... congrats!) and had the pleasure of meeting New York City's Shannon Mustipher (acclaimed author and beverage director of Glady’s), San Francisco's Jeannie Grant (bar manager at Pagan Idol), and Portland's Sierra Kirk (former Iron TikiTender champ from Hale Pele). Many were first-timers at The Mai-Kai, and it's always fun to watch the amazement on their faces as they gaze around the restaurant. On Thursday, we checked in to Pier 66 for a bittersweet four-night stay. It's unclear what the future holds with a massive redevelopment plan about to start at the property, but we do know that the iconic tower will remain much as it is. That was our immediate focus as we headed straight for the 17th floor skylounge for the fifth Tiki Tower Takeover. I'll have a full recap on the blog, so I won't go into the details. Except to say that this was easily the smoothest and most flawless of any of the previous four events. And with eight cocktails to choose from (limited only by the three-hour time slot), it was a Tiki paradise. The floor even started rotating near the end of the event after they cleared the food stations. For now, you can check out a photo gallery on Facebook that includes all the bartenders, along with their cocktails and menus ... The Mai-Kai's managing owner, Dave Levy, also made his usual appearance at one of his favorite events ... It was hard to top the Tiki Tower as a weekend highlight, but there was lots more to come. We browsed the Bazaar and ran into many old friends, such as Tiki Tony, Ron Ferrell and Typhoon Tommy ... There were many, many booths to peruse while we were introduced to some great tunes by The Swingin' Palms and Slowey & the Boats. We also ran into The Mai-Kai manager Kern Matti, who somehow kept his little restaurant running flawlessly while enjoying The Hukilau at the same time. I want to give Mr. Mattei a huge mahalo for his calm and cool leadership all weekend and his essential help in giving me everything I needed to make my class and symposium memorable for all.
In the evening, it was back up to the tower for Tiki A Go-Go featuring DJ Brother Cleve and more great cocktails from Marie King and many of the other bartenders from around the country. They all worked their butts off all weekend. If that wasn't enough, some of them hosted room parties late into the evening. We ran into Jeannie serving drinks at the Pagan Idol party before we wisely decided to rest up for Friday's full day of activities. To be continued ... [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-06-16 11:18 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jun 16, 2019 9:02 PM
Friday got off to a fun and informative start with the "Everything You Wanted to Know About Tiki Mugs" symposium and a rare treat to see five great artists together sharing experiences and answering questions ...
From there, it was a quick dash through the opening of the pool party to sample as many cocktails as possible ... ... before stopping by Georgi Radev's Tiki on the Thames cocktail class, then back over to the symposiums for a very important meeting of the rum minds ...
Due to the overlapping schedule, I'm sorry I missed Ron Ferrell's "Home Tiki Bars" symposium but I made sure to stop by the Tiki Mayhem class with Daniele Dalla Pola, Georgi Radev and Ian Burrell ... Mrs. Hurricane and I then met up with Professor Remsberg to head over to The Mai-Kai for dinner and discuss our class agenda for Saturday. It was great to see Stephen again and catch up on our recent activities while enjoying a few cocktails along with the wonderful Mardarin Pressed Duck ... But more importantly, we met with manager Kern Mattei and gave Stephen a long-awaited tour of the back bar ... Stephen wanted to try a few, so of course we did, though Kern was careful not to open any previously unopened bottles. It's sometimes hard to tell since even the bottles that are still sealed will lose quite a bit of liquid over the course of a half century. The Special Reserve 12, which has been off the market since the early '70s, tasted rich and complex, arguably better than today's Rare Blend even in its deteriorating state. Luckily, Stephen brought an unopened bottle with him to be shared Saturday with the entire class! The older 15-year, along with the Myers's, were on The Mai-Kai's original 1956 rum list that I planned to share with the class. These exact bottles may not be 62 years old, but they're probably close. It's also worth noting that Special Reserve is the descendant of Wray & Nephew's famous, holy grail of rums: The 17-year used by Trader Vic in the original Mai Tai. The other rum we tried Friday night was a huge surprise ... This old bottle of Ron Rico (likely from the 1960s) was unlike any Puerto Rican rum I've ever tasted. Full of pot-still funkiness, you'd swear it was a Jamaican blend. Before column stills became ubiquitous, even the mid-level distilleries in Puerto Rico relied heavily on pot stills, Stephen told us as we savored the rich brown elixir. It was time to get out of the way and let these unsung heroes do their job ... But before we left, I made sure to grab our pre-arranged supplies for Saturday: Six half-gallons of Rum Barrels and six half-gallons of Mai Tais, pre-mixed without rum for our students to blend with rums of their pleasure. We also grabbed a couple gallons of Black Magics (rum included) for Swanky's symposium. As tempting as it was, I took nary a taste and delivered the goods straight to the heavily guarded cooler deep in the bowls of Pier 66 where they would be safe overnight. Then it was off to the High Tide Party for a night of great surf rock from Surfer Joe and The Intoxicators, along with many other cool bands. The cocktails were flowing from bars near (Suffering Bastard) and far (Dirty Dick) as we perused all the rare items in the silent charity auction. I later found out that someone bid $170 for the privilege of attending our Sunday back-bar tour at The Mai-Kai. After having just had that experience, along with a taste of rum history, I'd say that's a great deal. Events, music, art, cocktails, culture [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-06-16 21:03 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Jun 21, 2019 8:27 PM
It may take some more time to update the blog, but I won't keep you guys waiting. I just posted similar info over on the "Kohala Bay Rum" thread, which I'll continue to update with details on the new substitutes and The Mai-Kai's new blend ... There were three big reveals during "The Rums of The Mai-Kai" class and symposium at The Hukilau. Here are the first two: The results of the recent, extensive blind tastings (including Rum Barrels) using Plantation Xaymaca and the previous top recommended substitutes for Kohala Bay: Next, I was able to piece together a more accurate history of the dark Jamaican rums employed in the back bars at The Mai-Kai with the help of manager Kern Mattei while breaking the news on the new Kohala Bay substitute ... The new blend was rolled out in April. Everyone who took the Sunday back-bar tour at The Hukilau got a taste of the multi-rum blend neat. I've tasted and re-evaluated all of the cocktails that use it. For the first time in years, you can taste the Jamaican funk in most of them, especially the Barrel and Suffering Bastard. I'll be updating all my reviews and adding tasting notes in the coming weeks. Sorry, I can't reveal what's in it, other to say it's similar in style to one of my suggested substitutes. Same concept, but slightly different. I suggest you taste all the drinks and see what you think. Some of the suggested substitutes listed above are still very close. I'd say it's a little funkier than Kohala Bay but not quite as raw and fiery. Unexpectedly, I ended up tasting every rum on that list above with the exception of the 1950s Dagger. However, there's a bottle in the back bar from that era that I still hope to get a sip from soon. As we were wrapping up on Sunday, owner Dave Levy was generous enough to share an unopened bottle of Dagger Punch ... This is the later blend, not the original Dagger. It's 87.6 proof, the same as Kohala Bay. The original Dagger was 97 proof. This timetable and the fact that Kohala Bay came immediately after the final Dagger blend, packaged in a similar plastic bottle, has led many to believe it's the same rum. After tasting them side-by-side at The Mai-Kai, I can assure you they're not. The rum in that bottle of Dagger had wonderful, rich molasses notes that I've never tasted in Kohala Bay, or any other current Jamaican rum. But that wasn't even the best dark Jamaican rum I tasted all weekend. Stephen Remsberg, my special guest at our Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy class on Saturday, brought a selection of rare rums that he generously encouraged us to use in abundant amounts, including this ... All I can say is "wow." It's the missing link between the '50s-'60s era, 97-proof Dagger Punch and the 87.6-proof version from the 1990s. According to Kern, The Mai-Kai used it for quite a few years when he worked behind the bar in the early '80s. But they apparently didn't save a bottle. At 97-proof, it packs the same wallop as the early Dagger and a similar taste as the later version. We put it to good in the class, mixing up two authentic Barrels 'O Rum with pre-batched ingredients provided by The Mai-Kai. All we had to do was add the rum. To complement the Appleton Punch, we used a white Ron Rico rum from the 1970s (also courtesy of Professor Remsberg). The result was unequivocally the best Rum Barrel I've ever tasted. No contest. Now I know what Mariano Licudine intended it to taste like. The same molasses notes are prevalent, but not quite as intense (possibly due to the age of the bottle, or the higher proof). But the heat and complex flavors were still there. Luckily, a third of the bottle remains for me to experiment with ... Perhaps we should be trying to duplicate the flavor of the 97-proof Dagger/Appleton Punch blend, not the 87.6-proof Kohala Bay. No guarantees, but I'll definitely be experimenting in the coming months. Okole maluna! [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-06-22 19:22 ] |
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PalmtreePat
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Sun, Jun 23, 2019 11:26 AM
That's pretty interesting. Did he mention if any distilleries there still operate pot stills? Trader Vic's Royal Amber claims to be a product of Puerto Rico, but its got a good deal of pot still flavor to it. I've been assuming that PR rums are all column still these days and that it was a blend of imported and domestic distillates. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jun 23, 2019 7:25 PM
That's a good question. I'm assuming that if pot stills are still used in Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc., it's very minimally. There are certainly no more "funky" Puerto Rican rums that I know of. I'd expect perhaps some pot-still distillate to be included in the high-priced, premium blends from Bacardi and Havana Club. If anyone knows definitively, please let us know. A big part of the reason column stills took over is because pot stills were not cost effective and the producers were greedy. Too bad because I'd love to have something like that dark Ron Rico today. I suspect The Mai-Kai might have used it along with Dagger in the Black Magic, Jet Pilot, et al. Events, music, art, cocktails, culture [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-06-23 19:29 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Jul 6, 2019 9:58 PM
LIVE AUDIO: The Rums of The Mai-Kai, presented by The Atomic Grog at The Hukilau 2019
Mahalo to Adrian Eustaquio and Inside the Desert Oasis Room for documenting the June 9 presentation where I was joined by Matt Pietrek of Cocktail Wonk live on stage at The Mai-Kai during the closing festivities of The Hukilau 2019.
Click here to listen now or subscribe on iTunes and other podcast platforms: |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Aug 14, 2019 11:50 AM
Joy Spence, the master blender of Appleton Estate in Jamaica, will lead an exclusive tasting of her acclaimed rums at The Mai-Kai tonight. The sold-out event is the first-ever official appearance at the historic Fort Lauderdale restaurant by the pioneering Spence, the first woman to hold the position of master blender in the spirits industry.
Learn more about Appleton, Joy Spence, and her rums in this preview on the blog ... |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Aug 27, 2019 10:56 PM
What's it like to get a guided Appleton Estate Rum tasting from the master blender herself? Find out in our full report and photos from the Aug. 14 special event with Joy Spence ...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Sep 3, 2019 9:32 PM
If The Mai-Kai were to serve a Hurricane, it might taste something like this. Created and posted on the blog in 2015, it's my take on what a Hurricane could be like using classic Mai-Kai ingredients. Here's an updated version with a few slight adjustments in the rums. This goes out to all our friends in the path of Dorian ... stay safe!
THE MAI-KAI HURRICANE
Pulse blend with 1 cup of crushed ice. Serve in a Hurricane glass with more crushed ice. Garnish with three cherries, two red and one dark. Here's the original story and recipe ... http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2014/07/15/tales-of-the-cocktails-signature-drink-packs-a-wallop-but-can-it-tame-a-hurricane-inspired-by-the-mai-kai/ |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Oct 9, 2019 1:47 PM
Sorry about the lack of blog updates recently, but there are several big ones still in the works. In the meantime, here's a treat: Our 34th tribute recipe from the current menu ...
The entire blog post was updated with everything you ever need to know about the Piña Passion, including historic photos and new info ...
It includes background on the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality, plus an overview of its use as a drinking vessel at historic Tiki bars. Okole maluna! [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2019-10-09 15:40 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Oct 14, 2019 1:57 PM
Prepping for the Oct. 25 Hulaween party at The Mai-Kai with a Shark Bite ...
Event info: https://www.facebook.com/events/904152649966065/ Shark Bite review and recipes ... http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2011/08/17/mai-kai-cocktail-review-what-makes-the-shark-bite-so-jawesome/ |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Oct 18, 2019 9:56 PM
Tiki zombies will feast at The Mai-Kai's Hulaween 2019: Luau of the Living Dead on Oct. 25 Also worth noting: The Mai-Kai has an all-new website! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Nov 1, 2019 10:33 PM
During last week's Hulaween party in The Molokai bar, I popped in to say aloha to Max Vrahimis, the Lemon Hart Rum rep who now works in the famous main bar that serves the many dining rooms ...
Congrats on the new job! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Nov 29, 2019 8:00 PM
The Mai-Kai's first ever Christmas rum barrel launched tonight!
The Barrel Before Christmas features Lemon Hart's Blackpool spiced rum. Available through the holiday season. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Dec 4, 2019 7:52 PM
Some holiday magic comes to The Mai-Kai in 2019 with a special menu of cocktails in The Molokai bar through the end of December ...
According to The Mai-Kai: "Barrel Before Christmas is highlighted with Lemon Hart Blackpool Spiced Rum, Rudolph’s Red Rum Swizzle has a touch of our homemade cranberry simple syrup, the Sleigh Ride is a new tropical elixir and the Chocolate Candy Cane Martini features the rich and creamy Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur. I'll be checking out all the drinks next week and hope to have updates ... More to come. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Dec 9, 2019 8:21 AM
The Mai-Kai has teamed up with Lemon Hart Rum for an exclusive "guest shift" at Swizzle Rum Bar in Miami tonight! This new Miami cocktail haven is located in the old Employee's Only location in The Stiles Hotel on Collins Avenue. Stop by and say aloha to Max from Lemon Hart and The Mai-Kai tonight during this fun-filled, four-hour event featuring some of the Mai-Kai's best-known cocktails.
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Dec 12, 2019 9:50 PM
A few photos from Monday's "guest shift" at Swizzle Rum Bar in Miami Beach ...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Dec 20, 2019 1:08 PM
We finally got a chance to taste all of the special "Mele Kalikimaka" rum cocktails at The Mai-Kai ... The Barrel Before Christmas ... Sleigh Ride ... Rudolph's Red Rum Swizzle ... All are recommended to elevate your holiday spirits. Get them through the end of the year, and don't miss Saturday's Tiki Christmas Party in The Molokai bar! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Dec 21, 2019 10:10 PM
Tonight I found out why the Barrel Before Christmas is so deliciously potent ...
In addition to the 86-proof Lemon Hart Blackpool spiced rum, it also features Lemon Hart 151. It's the first time this classic Demerara rum has been featured in the Barrel, as far as I know. If you're playing along at home, I'd try 2 ounces of Blackpool, 1/2 ounce of 151, and 1 1/2 ounces of white Puerto Rican rum. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Jan 19, 2020 2:34 PM
Mahalo to bar manager Luigui Hernandez for including one of our cocktails, the Mai-Kai Moai, on the new menu at Waikiki Tiki Room in Mexico City!
Matt "Cocktail Wonk" Pietrek shard this photo during a recent visit ...
I'm honored to be among such illustrious company. If you're ever in Mexico City, be sure to check it out. But don't be alarmed ... 200 Mexican pesos equates to 10.27 United States dollars. The Mai-Kai Moai is a tribute to The Mai-Kai and the "Big Barney" moai carving (RIP). It's also a nod to the Fraternal Order of Moai. The drink was conceived during a FOM seminar during the 2015 Miami Rum Festival. Here's the recipe, as posted on the blog in 2016 ... THE MAI-KAI MOAI
Pulse blend in a drink mixer with 1 cup of crushed ice for 4-6 seconds and pour unstrained into a double old-fashioned glass or moai Tiki mug. Add more crushed ice and garnish with mint and an orchid or other flower. A photo of the drink posted by the Waikiki Tiki Room on social media ... https://www.instagram.com/waikikitikiroom/ Luigui's pages ... Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Feb 2, 2020 1:53 PM
New symposium announced for The Hukilau 2020: 'How The Mai-Kai Perfected the Modern Tiki Cocktail'
Hurricane Hayward of The Atomic Grog blog and some very special guests explore the passing of the torch from Don the Beachcomber to The Mai-Kai’s Bob and Jack Thornton in 1956, and the key role of master mixologist Mariano Licudine in keeping Don’s historic Tiki cocktails alive and thriving for 63 years.
Events, music, art, cocktails, culture [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2020-02-02 15:07 ] |
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CincyTikiCraig
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Sun, Feb 9, 2020 4:07 PM
I just made a round of Black Magics today but used the old V1 recipe with some mods from the newest recipe. I love the cinnamon in the old recipe, but I also really like Mariano #7 from the new recipe, as well as Columbian coffee. I used my Kaholo Bay replacement (Xaymaca/Coruba/OFTD)and Appleton Gold. The result is delicious. This is my new go-to Black Magic variant. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Feb 24, 2020 8:12 PM
What could be more comforting on a chilly winter night than some warm rum and spices with a big dollop of butter? Check out our updated tribute recipe for The Mai-Kai's Hot Buttered Rum, a seasonal classic with links to Tiki godfather Don the Beachcomber but also claiming roots that date back to colonial times.
Update includes expanded history and review: |
