Updated July 2026
Jump below: Updated Demerara Float review
Ancestor recipes UPDATED
Official recipe | Updated tribute recipes NEW
• Postscript: Demerara Float on YouTube
Related: The delicious Demerara Cocktail just can’t stay retired
Mai-Kai cocktail guide | See all the recipes
PDFs: Mai-Kai cocktail ratings | Cocktail ancestry
A classic retired Mai-Kai cocktail is once again having a moment in the sun in mid-2026, when the Demerara Float returned on a special menu during The Hukilau, the 24th annual Tiki weekender that has been held in conjunction with the historic restaurant since 2003.
RELATED: Special cocktail menu includes four retired classics
• Reviews, ratings of classics served at The Hukilau 2026
This descendant of Don the Beachcomber’s 1930s-era Demerara Dry Float disappeared from the menu in the late 1980s. More than three decades later, it made multiple special appearances starting with The Hukilau 2013. It was last seen on a special menu in 2017, three years before the October 2020 roof collapse that closed the restaurant until 2024.
Fast forward to June 2026, more than 18 months after the grand reopening that capped a $20 million restoration project that also saw the arrival of new beverage director Cory Starr. For The Hukilau, Starr and his bar team rolled out a menu of four classics, including the Demerara Float. In a change from past versions, it featured a float of the new Mai-Kai rum blend released in November 2025.
FAQ: Everything you need to know about Mai-Kai Rum No. 1
This new excitement was also fueled by a popular YouTube show and the unexpected revival of the cocktail’s classic glassware. We’d also like to thank Matt “Spike” Marble for rekindling interest in the Demerara Dry Float (and Demerara Float) by featuring our previous tribute recipe on Tiki Cocktails With Spike just days after The Hukilau. Follow this link or watch below in the postscript.
Marble also revealed a new glass from Stephens Drinkware that replicates the design of the cocktail’s original vessel, used by both Don the Beachcomber and the Mai-Kai. The iconic Streamline Tumbler from the Seneca Glass Co. is nearly impossible to find today. The new versions are handcrafted to order, so be sure to pick one up via Stephensdrinkware.com while they’re available.
Of the 43 cocktails on the Mai-Kai’s inaugural 1956-1957 menu, 41 can be traced back to classics created by Donn Beach at his groundbreaking Polynesian restaurants in the 1930s and ’40s. Many key staff that opened the Mai-Kai with owners Bob and Jack Thornton, including acclaimed mixologist Mariano Licudine, came from the Don the Beachcomber location in Chicago.
Licudine, who had worked for Beach since 1939, had access to the Tiki cocktail pioneer’s secret recipes. Manager Bob Van Dorpe, who was the purchasing agent in Chicago, knew how to procure the proprietary syrups and unique glassware that made these drinks special. The Streamline Tumbler was one of these.
Recipes were changed slightly, and many names changed, but the cocktails and their presentation remained a time capsule to another era. Licudine retired in 1979, but his influence is still being felt. Many of his recipes remain secret with Starr maintaining this integrity when he relaunched the bar program.
Related: Updated cocktail ancestry (PDF)
Past coverage: More retired cocktails | Tropical drink family tree
Of those 41 drinks from 1956, 24 are still on the Mai-Kai’s cocktail menu today. The others, including the Demerara Float, fell off the menu over the years and were once considered “lost cocktails.” But since most of them have been revived for special occasions over the past decade, we now simply call them “retired” in the hopes that they return for another encore.
Our Mai-Kai cocktail guide, which is due for a major update in 2026, features ratings, reviews and recipes for nearly every classic drink that has appeared on a main Mai-Kai menu. There are some official recipes that have been published, but mainly we share our own “tribute recipes” that we hope come close to the look and taste of the versions served at the Mai-Kai.
We also like to connect the dots and feature an extensive collection of “ancestor recipes,” typically those Don the Beachcomber originals that inspired Licudine and the Mai-Kai. Thanks to author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and his six seminal books and app, we’ve been able to post many of these former secret recipes.
Now, we have an additional resource: Searching for Don the Beachcomber, a new book by Tim “Swanky” Glazner, who also wrote Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant. The fascinating biography includes recipes for 47 vintage cocktails that first appeared on Don the Beachcomber menus from 1937 through ’42.
The book features 36 cocktails that made their way to the Mai-Kai, including 25 on the current menu and 11 that are retired. Some are the same as recipes we’ve seen before in Berry’s books and elsewhere, but many are different and a few are brand new. Over time, we plan to incorporate all of these updates into the Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide.
In our latest extensive update below, you’ll find an updated review of the Demerara Float served during The Hukilau, plus a new tribute recipe. We’ve also added the new ancestor recipe from Glazner’s book featuring the new replica glassware. Before the general release late this year, Glazner is offering signed copies at a discount through his online store. The book is highly recommended.
Previous coverage: Countdown to Don the Beachcomber biography begins with fundraiser, early special edition
This means that this story now features two ancestor recipes, four tribute recipes, plus one recipe that many or may not be an authentic 1970s version. We hope this keeps home mixologists busy comparing and contrasting.
The revival of the Demerara Float
Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica! first revealed the Demerara Dry Float in 2002, and the drink slowly migrated into a new generation of Tiki bars. But our fascination didn’t begin until August 2012, when the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Cocktail suddenly appeared. Both are named for their use of Demerara rum from Guyana, a distinctive style known for its heavy body and dark caramel notes.
The Demerara Float made its comeback at multiple events beginning in 2013. It was featured at the first “lost Cocktails party” at The Hukilau in June 2013, then again at the restaurant’s 60th anniversary party in December 2016. [See menu]
It was also served at the September 2016 release party for Glazner’s Mai-Kai history book. [See menu] The drink became a favorite during a “Flashback Friday” promotion in 2017 that featured the return of retired cocktails.
Before the 2020 closing, it was popular enough to be available as an off-menu drink by request. Since the 2024 reopening, the Mai-Kai has featured other blasts from the past. But we were left wondering when we’d again taste the Demerara Float.
We got finally got our chance at The Hukilau in June 2026, enjoying a slightly revamped version that joins the ranks of the many tasty takes on this 90-year-old classic.
DEMERARA FLOAT
A floating crown of Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 and tropical intrigue.
Okole Maluna Society review and rating
Size: Medium
Potency: Medium
Flavor profile: Potent rum and lime dominate with slight sweet and bitter notes.
Review: Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 brings the heat to this new tart and dry version. Less sweet and balanced than previous iterations.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars – We were not as impressed with the latest version served over crushed ice, so our rating drops from the previous 4.5 when the cocktail was served similar to a Shark Bite over a traditional ice feature. [See how it ranks]
Ancestry: A direct descendant of Don the Beachcomber’s Demerara Dry Float, it was on the original 1956-57 Mai-Kai cocktail menu but removed in the latter half of the 1980s.
Bilge: For a cocktail that’s relatively straightforward, there seems to be no consensus on the exact proportions of the ingredients in the Demerara Dry Float. Many also disagree on the proof of the rum float, varying from 86 to 151. A slightly different version that we recommend is the one served at the award-winning Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco and featured in the 2016 book, Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki by owners Martin and Rebecca Cate. There are other great versions out in the wild at the many new bars that have sprung up during the cocktail revival, including the one at Beachbum Berry’s Latitidue 29 featured in the Total Tiki app.
Agree or disagree with this review? Share your comments below!
ANCESTOR RECIPES
Demerara Dry Float
(From Searching for Don the Beachcomber, 2026)
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 ounce sugar syrup
• 1 ounce Demerara 96-proof rum
• 1 ounce Pontalba or New Orleans rum
• 1 dash each Angostura and orange bitters
Swizzle with crushed ice, then strain into a glass over an ice comb. Serve with a 1/2 ounce shot of Demerara 96 on the side in a small glass, allowing the drinker to float it themselves.
By Don the Beachcomber, circa 1937.
Mixing notes: When recipes in Glazner’s book say to “swizzle with crushed ice,” we take that to mean pulse blending (typically 4-6 seconds) in a spindle mixer, a technique that Donn Beach pioneered in the 1930s and is still dominant at Tiki bars today. For this small cocktail, we used 1/2 cup of ice. Employ a different style blender if necessary, or feel free to swizzle with an old-school le bois lélé (the traditional wooden stick native to the Caribbean). See ice and glassware notes below.
Tasting notes: Despite 2 1/2 ounces of rum and only 1 ounce of lime and sugar, this is a nice and easy sipper with simple, classic flavors. Boozy and bold but not out of balance. The rums shine, enhanced by the sweet and sour notes. Using an ice-cold glass and small sipping straws, Beach designed this not to be quaffed quickly but rather enjoyed leisurely.
Ingredient notes: We opted for Demerara sugar syrup, both to stay in theme and also to add a richer flavor. The combination of bitters is unique to all the recipes we’ve encountered, and they combine to add the required dryness that other versions achieve via maraschino liqueur.
Alternates to today’s standard 80- and 151-proof Demerara rums were more common in Donn Beach’s day, which explains the odd call for a 96-proof rum. A vintage Don the Beachcomber rum list from 1941 shows Demerara rums at 91, 96, 100, 114, 142, 150 and 151 proof. Several, including one at 96, are listed as “Don’s Private Blend / Blended Specially for Don the Beachcomber.” Sadly, we don’t have those options today. But Hamilton 86 is a fine rum from Guyana and shines in this cocktail.
The 1941 rum list features “Beachcomber’s” from New Orleans as well as Pontalba from Louisiana. Today, there are several craft distilleries making rum in Louisiana from local sugarcane. For this drink, we would opt for something molasses-based and fairly dark, since that’s what Beach liked to use in his day. Lacking a true New Orleans rum, we opted for Bounty Dark, an 86-proof pot and column still blend from St. Lucia, which we find to be an underrated budget mixing rum.
How to make the ice comb: The recipe doesn’t call for a specific glass, but at just 3 ounces this requires a cocktail coupe or a small sour glass with a similar volume. Both Don the Beachcomber and Mai-Kai menus feature cocktails in similar glasses, often with an ice comb, aka ice shell. Of course, most old menus show the Demerara Dry Float in its own signature glass, the Streamline Tumbler, which has long been unavailable. Whether you picked up a replica from Stephens Drinkware (discussed further near the top of this story), or you’re using a more generic glass, these instructions remain the same.
The first key is starting with finely crushed ice or shaved ice. If you don’t have a specific machine that crushes ice finely, you can always put regular crushed ice in a Waring-style blender or “bullet-style” blender and crush further. I have an old, cheap machine that works fine (see photo). After you crush a couple cups of ice into a fine, sno-cone consistency, it’s all in the technique.
Armed with a muddler, pack the glass with ice and work it around until it disperses evenly. If the ice melts slightly, that enables you to mold the feature more easily. You may need to work it for a minute or two, but with enough elbow grease you should end up with a basic ice comb. Click here to watch a behind-the-scenes video of Mai-Kai bartender Steven Beach making a simple ice shell. Mahalo to Spike Marble and Cory Starr for sharing.
The second key is to freeze the finished glass sufficiently to let the shell harden. I like to leave it in a standard freezer at least overnight. If you’re having a party, just clear some space and prep all your ice combs in advance. We guarantee your guests will be impressed.
Demerara Dry Float
(From Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica, 2003)
• 2 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 ounces passion fruit syrup
• 1/4 ounce sugar syrup
• 1 ounce Demerara rum
• 1/4 ounce 151 Demerara rum
• 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
Shake everything – except 151 rum – with ice cubes. Strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Carefully float 151. Do not stir.
By Don the Beachcomber, circa 1941.
Tasting notes: This drink is sour and dry – as advertised. But in the Don the Beachcomber tradition, there’s also balance and complexity, despite the abundance of lime juice. It’s also sweet and rummy, thanks to the passion fruit syrup and distinctive Demerara rum. In addition, the juices and maraschino liqueur add a nice tart counterpoint to the rums and sweet syrups.
Ingredient notes: Fresh-squeezed juices are essential. We make our own sugar and passion fruit syrups. You can find recipes online and in Beachbum Berry’s books. There are also quality passion fruit products available from some of the many syrup purveyors.
Lemon Hart was one of Donn Beach’s go-to 151 Demerara rums, so we used that brand in this drink shortly after its return to the U.S. market in 2012. Nowadays, there are viable alternatives, including Hamilton 151 and Diamond Reserve 151. There are even more choices for the standard proof Demerara rum, including El Dorado (try the 8-year-old and 12-year-old blends), as well as Hamilton 86. Luxardo is the most famous maker of maraschino liqueur, having established the iconic recipe in 1821. It’s distilled from Marasca cherries, including the pits, which gives it a subtle almond flavor.
Analysis: How the recipes compare
Dated 1937, one could presume that the new recipe unveiled in Searching for Don the Beachcomber is the first, but we can’t be positive. Glazer says that’s the earliest date he’s seen the drink on a menu. His sources are mainly the archives he received from Beach’s widow, Phoebe Beach. Berry had different sources, mainly old Don the Beachcomber bartenders who worked during different eras. To complicate all this, Beach himself was notorious for changing his recipes on a whim. So we’ll have to settle for assuming both are vintage, from roughly the same era.
They’re quite a bit different however. One is small, around 3 ounces, while the other clocks in at nearly 6 ounces. The call for glassware is telling, however. The larger drink is correctly served in a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. The smaller version’s recipe simply calls for “a glass over an ice comb,” which were typically fashioned into coupes and sour glasses.
Glazner’s version skips the passion fruit and lemon, employing bitters instead of maraschino liqueur. The rums are also slightly different with Berry’s version featuring the more popular 151 float.
Our best guess is that what we’ll call the 1937 version used the signature Streamline Tumbler. The glass holds 6 ounces, but after packing with the signature ice comb, the 3-ounce cocktail fits perfectly. The larger version is more suited to join a cup or more of crushed ice in a double old-fashioned glass, which typically holds about 12 ounces.
We’ll also point out that the Smuggler’s Cove version, mentioned in the bilge section above, closely follows the Intoxica recipe, but with slightly less lime and more rum. The book calls for 1 1/2 ounces of blended aged rum to be mixed with the other ingredients, then 3/4 ounce of 151 served as a “side of danger.” Along with one of our tribute recipes, this version was featured on an episode of the Make and Drink vlog on YouTube. [Watch the video]
Meanwhile, Berry pretty much abandoned the old recipe, leaving it out of Beachbum Berry Remixed, the 2010 book that compiled most of the drinks from the author’s first two books, plus 23 new recipes. The Total Tiki app features a Demerara Dry Float recipe from Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 in New Orleans, circa 2014.
Interestingly, it’s a scaled-down drink very similar in size to the 1937 version above and the Mai-Kai “official recipe” below. All feature a little more than 3 ounces of ingredients, but beyond that they’re quite different. Berry’s recipe calls for passion fruit syrup, but the others don’t. Glazner’s version calls for bitters while the others don’t. The Mai-Kai version calls for 151 rum. The others don’t.
This sort of analysis can be both fascinating and frustrating, and drive us to drink even more. So we’ll dispense with the head-scratching and move on to the Mai-Kai versions, which is what we’re here for.
OFFICIAL RECIPE
Demerara Float
(From Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats, 1973)
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 ounce gold Puerto Rican rum
• 1 ounce Lemon Hart Demerara rum
• 3/4 ounce Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum
Mix ingredients (except 151 rum) with cracked ice and strain into a cocktail or sour glass. Float 151 rum.
Mixing notes: Like Don the Beachcomber and the Mai-Kai, we mixed this up in a small spindle blender instead of shaking like you would a Daiquiri. This technique works well here, the cracked or crushed ice diluting the strong flavors when poured through a strainer.
Tasting notes: This version of the Demerara Float is a very potent and dry strong sipper that serves as a great showcase for Demerara rums, Lemon Hart or otherwise. Break it down and it’s just a souped-up Daiquiri. But one of the best Daiquiris you’ll ever taste.
Ingredient notes: The Demerara rums are the key to this cocktail. If you can’t find Lemon Hart, there are many simlar brands (Hamilton, Diamond, El Dorado, Pusser’s, et al.). Your choices of gold Puerto Rican rums are many, so no need to look far.
This recipe, featured in a vintage Lemon Hart Rum cocktail book, says it was “created at the Mai-Kai Polynesian Restaurant, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.” [See recipe] We don’t doubt it, since Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats was edited by Leonce Picot, an assistant manager at the Mai-Kai from 1957 until 1967. The same book also includes a Demerara Cocktail recipe that was published in Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari.
As noted above, this recipe is similar to the version that was recently published in Searching for Don the Beachcomber. The rums are slightly different, but that’s not a surprise considering it’s published in a Lemon Hart book. This makes us wonder if the 151 float was added for the sake of the book, or if that was what the Mai-Kai really served.
The glassware is more generic than the Streamline Tumbler, but that’s likely due to this being a publication geared toward a mainstream audience who may not have access to that glass. The same goes with the call for a teaspoon of sugar rather than a syrup.
All of this means that even though this is billed as the Mai-Kai’s version, it may actually be a bit different than the authentic Demerara Float from that time period. Consider this an official recipe with an asterisk.
There’s also an interesting back story here. Picot was a key member of the Mai-Kai’s early management team, credited with helping conceive and launch the Mystery Drink, according to Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant. In 2011, Glazner interviewed Picot about his role in the creation of the iconic drink. Sadly, Picot passed away in 2018.
While working at the Mai-Kai, Picot also edited a series of slim books spotlighting restaurants and recipes from around the world. These books – including Gourmet International’s Recommended Restaurants of Puerto Rico (1961) and Great Restaurants of the United States and Their Recipes (1966) – were financed by the Mai-Kai’s owners, Bob and Jack Thornton, Glazner said. The books were illustrated by Al Kocab, known for his distinctive artwork for the Mai-Kai (see image).
• See all of Picot’s books on Amazon
Picot was also the Southeast manager of Rums of Puerto Rico, which could also explain the use of Puerto Rican rum in the recipe above. He left the Mai-Kai in 1967 to open the Downunder, which also had recipes in the Lemon Hart book. Picot was “drink editor” of Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats, a paperback that includes more than 125 food and rum cocktail recipes, selling for a mere 95 cents in 1973. Good luck finding it at that price today. Used copies fetch big bucks on Amazon. Note that the cover art was the work of noted British artist Ronald Searle, who illustrated Lemon Hart ad campaigns in the 1950s (see story and more artwork).
TRIBUTE RECIPES
Tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float, v.4
(As served during The Hukilau 2026)
By The Atomic Grog, June 2026
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce rich simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup
• 1 ounce Demerara rum
• 1/8 ounce maraschino liqueur
• 1 ounce Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 (for float) / Sub Demerara rum (86 or 151 proof)
Flash blend everything – except the rum for float – with 1 heaping cup of crushed ice for 5-8 seconds. Pour unstrained into a stemmed glass around 8-10 ounces. Garnish with a swizzle stick. Float the Mai-Kai or Demerara rum. Stir with swizzle.
Before float: Sweet and tangy with just a hint of rich rum. After float: Boozy and rummy with hints of bitter maraschino tempering the sweetness.
This is similar to the previous version, just a bit stronger with higher proof rums and Luxardo maraschino liqueur instead of bitters. The hefty rum float can make the cocktail disjointed, so be sure to stir well.
Ingredient notes and analysis: Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 is a 100-proof blend from Barbados and Jamaica that’s shipped to Florida directly from the Caribbean, bottled and sold exclusively in the restaurant’s gift shop. That makes it an exotic treat for those of us who have a bottle, a little difficult to source if you don’t live near the Mai-Kai. In this scenario, you’re better off going with the traditional Demerara rum (Hamilton 86 or one of several 151-proof labels available) rather than trying to replicate the Mai-Kai Rum. This also keeps the signature Demerara profile intact. Our only critique of the Mai-Kai rum in this drink is that it takes away a bit from the original intent of a Demerara float.
The fact that the rum is 100 proof, however, makes the potency of this version similar to the 1937 recipe in Searching for Don the Beachcomber, which calls for a 96-proof rum. [See ancestor recipes above] We’re not sure what other rum was featured, so we’re defaulting to Hamilton 86 to keep some Demerara in the recipe. If you end up using a Hamilton 86 float, you could mix it up with an 80-proof rum from El Dorado.
Since this version was served over crushed ice in a larger glass than previous revivals of the Demerara Float, we increased the lime juice (fresh squeezed) and syrups accordingly. As noted in our review above, we’re not crazy about this presentation and would prefer the traditional ice comb, but the addition of a splash of maraschino liqueur was a nice touch, a nod to Donn Beach’s 1941 version that has been widely circulated and has a loyal following.
There didn’t seem to be a lot of passion fruit flavor in this version (perhaps none at all), so we split the difference with the syrups in our tribute. We like having that flavor in the mix, and it works fantastically in the previous tribute recipes as you’ll see below. In both instances we used rich, homemade syrups.
Here are the previous tribute recipes, which were based on the versions available to us at the time …
Tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float, v.3
By The Atomic Grog, May 2017 (updated April 2021)
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 3/4 ounce passion fruit syrup
• 1 1/2 ounces lightly aged, blended Jamaican rum
• 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters (optional)
• 1 ounce 86-proof Demerara rum (for float)
Pulse blend everything – except the Demerara rum – with 1/2 cup of crushed ice in a spindle mixer for 6-8 seconds. Pour into a chilled cocktail or specialty glass. Float the Demerara rum. For a truly authentic experience, strain into a glass with a pre-made ice shell (see details above).
Tasting notes: Dry yet sweet, with a potent rum combination of rich Jamaican and Demerara rums. There’s still enough fruit and tart flavors to keep everything in perfect balance. Very similar to the Demerara Cocktail, the only differences are a little less sweetness and more flavorful rums (along with the optional bitters). Second-generation Mai-Kai general manager Kern Mattei told us that the Demerara Float is very similar to the Demerara Cocktail with a few ingredients “switched up” just a bit.
All the components meld perfectly, with the result a very smooth and not-too-strong medium drink, similar to the Shark Bite. Not coincidentally, both are served in the same glass with the same ice feature and a floater on the side.
Until this update, we were convinced that the Demerara Float featured a shot of 151 Demerara rum, just as it did in the 1970s-era recipe in the Lemon Hart book shown above. In our initial tastings when this drink came out of the vault for special events, the only major difference we noted was passion fruit syrup added to the mix, so we posted the first version of this tribute (see recipe below). In fact, 151 rum may have been mistakenly served this way at one or more of the special events, Mattei said, but the correct recipe uses a lower proof rum, most likely Hamilton 86 from Guyana. We’ve updated our tribute recipe to account for the different rum in the float, but you can still find our earlier version below.
In the April 2021 update, we added a couple of optional dashes of Angostura bitters to the mix, providing some balance from the tartness and sweetness. This concentrated mix of herbs and spices (clocking in at 45 percent alcohol) also adds some of the same flavor notes of 151 Demerara rum, which explains some of our confusion. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, just forego the bitters.
Notes and tips for home mixologists
• The floater may not be 151, but the Demerara rum called for in this recipe is no slouch. Hamilton 86, which at 86 proof is bolder and more potent than many other Demerara rums on the market, is the Mai-Kai’s typical option in drinks that call for a non-151 Demerara rum. If you can’t find Hamilton 86 in your area, seek out another dark and flavorful Demerara rum such as the El Dorado products from Demerara Distillers. Pusser’s British Navy Rum (the 84-proof “blue label”) is another option since it’s now 100% Demerara rum from Guyana. Outside of the United States, there may be even more choices, but all Demerara rums come from that same distillery, the only one left in Guyana.
Past coverage: Demerara rum – the Mai-Kai’s secret weapon
• We noted the distinct flavor of Jamaican rum in this version of the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float, so we recommend a lightly aged mixing rum. Appleton Estate Signature Blend (historically used widely at the Mai-Kai) works perfectly, though you can find other stellar Jamaican mixing rums that aren’t too funky.
Related: Appleton master blender Joy Spence’s rum tasting at the Mai-Kai
• The Mai-Kai’s lime juice is distinct, a tart blend of Key lime and fresh-squeezed Persian lime juice. It elevates this drink by matching the bold flavors of the rum and syrup. Be sure to use a rich and flavorful passion fruit syrup, either homemade or a product from one of the many small-batch manufacturers.
Tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float, v.2
By The Atomic Grog, circa 2013
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 3/4 ounce passion fruit syrup
• 3/4 ounce gold Jamaican rum
• 1 ounce Demerara rum
• 3/4 ounce 151 Demerara rum
Pulse blend everything – except 151 rum – with 1/2 cup of crushed ice in a spindle mixer for 6-8 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail or a specialty glass with ice shell. Float 151 rum.
This version was created after the Demerara Float was rolled out at special events in 2013 and featured until May 2017, when version 3 was posted.
Tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float, v.1
By The Atomic Grog, circa 2012
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce passion fruit syrup
• 1/2 ounce rich honey mix
• 3/4 ounce Demerara rum
• 3/4 ounce 151 Demerara rum
• 1/2 ounce dark Jamaican rum
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake everything – except 151 rum – with ice cubes. Strain into a double old-fashioned or specialty glass filled with crushed ice. Float 151. Do not stir.
The original version was posted with this review in 2012, before the cocktail made a comeback at special events. It was our take on what we thought Mariano Licudine might have created based on Don the Beachcomber’s 1941 recipe. It may be overly complex compared to the others, but it features the same classic flavors.
No matter which of the above recipes you choose, this classic cocktail is an essential addition to your repertoire.
Okole maluna!
Postscript
Updated June 2026
The reproduction of the vintage glass used for Don the Beachcomber’s Demerara Dry Float (and the Demerara Float in the early days of the Mai-Kai) spurred Matt “Spike” Marble to revisit the cocktail in June 2026. It was featured on the Tiki Cocktails With Spike channel in a short video that shows off the faithful reproduction by Stephens Glassware of the distinctive Streamline Tumbler.
But instead of making Donn Beach’s original, Marble made our tribute recipe for the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float (version 3 above), which we greatly appreciate. He previously featured the drink in 2021 (see below). Follow this link or watch the video here …
In June 2024, Derek Cole featured our Demerara Float tribute recipe (version 3) on his Make and Drink vlog on YouTube , along with the Demerara Dry Float recipe from Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki.
He also took a detailed look at the glassware and ice feature, revealing new information on the distinctive vessel as well as providing a helpful demo on prepping an ice-lined glass. Click here or watch below …
In April 2021, Marble showcased the Demerara Float on his YouTube show, Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour. The episode featured version 2, along with a nice demonstration on how to make an ice shell. Check it out here …
In addition to the previous videos, we recommend you check out the comprehensive tutorial on how to make an ice shell by Mai-Kai historian and author Tim “Swanky” Glazner in this YouTube video or by streaming below …
Before all the attention on YouTube, we were asked to provide our input to the Rum Reader for an article on “Tiki’s Minor Stars.” We didn’t hesitate to honor the unheralded Demerara Float. Published online in July 2019, the article features version 3 above, but featuring a 151 rum float.
Mahalos!
We’d like to thank Hidden Harbor for featuring their own spin on our versions of the Mai-Kai’s Demerara Float and Demerara Cocktail as part of their “Tuesday Tiki Time Machine” menu in October 2016. (If you can’t see the Facebook post below, click here.)
If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, be sure to check out this modern Tiki bar with great cocktails and an appreciation for the classics as well as inventive new originals.
We’re always happy to see the Demerara Float also pop up in the social media feeds of dedicated home bars …
EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening Guide
Check out all past news, photos, video and deep details on the refurbishment and resurrection of the Polynesian palace.
Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
Reviews and ratings of the historic restaurant’s current and past tropical drinks, plus ancestor and exclusive tribute recipes.
Atomic Grog Cocktail Recipes, A through Z
A comprehensive list of every recipe we’ve posted on the site, from the 151 Swizzle to the Zombie, also sorted by style and creator.
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All these recipes missing from remixed, I need copies of grog log and intoxica. If only they were digital!
Looks great as always man. You research is a boon to all of us tikiphiles out there.
That Lemon Hart book? Check the author. Leonce Picot is the author of mine.
Swanky: I’ll make sure Leonce gets credit as drink editor (a worthy title that I definitely aspire to). Okole maluna!
Do you happen to know what the name of the original glass was that this was served in? It would be rad to serve this up in the original glassware.
Great question. That original glass featured on the early menus is very rare today and one we’ve never come across. We’ll have to check with The Mai-Kai to see if they still have any in the archives.
Awesome deep dive! Well researched and written. Thank you for sharing!
Really enjoyed this deep dive. Sometime tells me I’m going to have a Demerara Dry Float flight next week with the span of these recipes to see which I like best. I really want to try that version with bitters, but I do LOVE the Maraschino liqueur version a lot.
Mahalo! Sounds like fun. Let us know which version you enjoy best!