Month: December 2012

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The Hukilau offers special deal if you book before 2013

The 12th edition of The Hukilau returns to its longtime June time slot in 2013, but it’s never too early to sign up for the East Coast’s premiere Tiki event.

The Hukilau

If you buy an all-access pass in the waning days of 2012, you’ll automatically be “grandfathered in” to any additional events – such as rum and cocktail tastings – that may require an additional fee if you book later. In past years, some great symposiums and special events were added added as the event approached, so here’s your opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

The Hukilau is scheduled for June 6-9 at Fort Lauderdale’s Sheraton Beach Hotel, aka the “Yankee Clipper.” Go to TheHukilau.com, the official website, to purchase your event tickets now. The site also includes instructions on how to book your room at the Sheraton. There’s a special $119 rate (per night, double occupancy), but you must click on the website link to get this deal.

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The 12 Days of Christmas, Mai-Kai style

On the first day of Christmas
The Mai-Kai gave to me
a Derby Daiquiri

Derby Daiquiri. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, November 2011)
Derby Daiquiri. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, November 2011)

On the second day of Christmas,
The Mai-Kai gave to me,
Two Shrunken Skulls,
And a Derby Daiquiri.

On the third day of Christmas,
The Mai-Kai gave to me,
Three Shark Bites,
Two Shrunken Skulls,
And a Derby Daiquiri

On the fourth day of Christmas,
The Mai-Kai gave to me,
Four Hidden Pearls,
Three Shark Bites,
Two Shrunken Skulls,
And a Derby Daiquiri.

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Miami mixologist shows how to jazz up your tired old cocktails with exotic liqueurs at Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Xanté Pear Sidecar, Blood Orange & Sand, Singapore Sling, and Xanté Old Fashioned
The results of Freddy Diaz’ handiwork during his cocktail seminar at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in October 2012 (from left): Xanté Pear Sidecar, Blood Orange & Sand, Singapore Sling, and Xanté Old Fashioned.

A worthy New Year’s resolution for any mixologist would be to break away from the norm and explore alternative ingredients to make your cocktails stand out from the crowd. Today’s explosion in creative craft cocktails makes it difficult to decide what direction to take, but luckily there are some great experts in the field to guide us.

I had the opportunity to learn from one such expert recently at the 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World, where Freddy Diaz of AlambiQ Mixology in Miami presented an educational and entertaining seminar on behalf of the Peter F. Heering Co.

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The Mai-Kai celebrates its 56th birthday, rings in 2013 with special events

On Dec. 28, 1956, the venerable Mai-Kai restaurant opened its doors on a desolate stretch of Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. In the ensuing half-century, the rest of the world has changed radically but you can still be guaranteed a totally immersive South Seas experience in this one-of-a-kind slice of Polynesian paradise.

Ty (left) and Andrew with fellow Mai-Kai Islander Hokulani
Ty (left) and Andrew with fellow Mai-Kai Islander Hokulani at a recent catered event. The duo will be performing at the 56th anniversary party on Dec. 28. (Photo courtesy of The Mai-Kai)

This mid-century marvel will celebrate its 56th anniversary next Friday (Dec. 28) with its annual Customer Celebration Party in The Molokai bar starting at 5 p.m. Live music will be provided all night by Ty and Andrew, The Mai-Kai’s house band, playing a mix of island and holiday music on ukuleles, bongos and guitar.

There will also be an extended happy hour all night in The Molokai. After 7 p.m., just tell your waitress that you’re there for the celebration party in order to receive half-priced drinks and appetizers. This includes most of The Mai-Kai’s legendary tropical cocktails, many of which date back to the early days of Tiki mixology in the 1930s. Taste history in a glass all night while you munch on decadent small bites such as Shanghai Chicken and Crab Rangoon. Click here to see the menu.
* Click here for the Facebook event

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Sweetwater introduces new cocktails, voluminous spirits menu

Sweetwater Bar & Grill in Boynton Beach, one of South Florida’s premiere spots for craft cocktails, has raised the bar again with the debut of some long-awaited new concoctions plus a monster spirits menu that runs a whopping 70 pages.

I stopped by last night to sip a few cocktails and take a gander at the tome-like menu. Presented in a three-ring binder on narrow pages with appropriately retro typography, the menu is incredibly detailed, more like an encyclopedia of spirits than a throw-away guide. Mixologist Sean Iglehart has out-done himself with this carte du jour of every bottle in the house.

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