Updated June 30
On sale now: The Hukilau 2016 merchandise by Shag, inspired by The Mai-Kai NEW
Photos: First exclusive day-by-day recap
15-year tributes: Tiki Kiliki’s memories | Video: The first 14 years
Official sites: TheHukilau.com | Facebook: Page and Group | Twitter | Instagram | App
Previous updates:
The East Coast’s longest-running and largest Tiki-themed weekender continues to add special events, merchandise and rum sponsors with less than a month remaining before throngs of retro-loving Tikiphiles descend on Fort Lauderdale. The latest major addition is the The Hukilau’s High Tide, presented by Rhum Barbancourt and taking place during the Friday night festivities at the host Pier 66 hotel.
An overlay to the live performances in the waterfront Panorama Ballroom, High Tide is a special event celebrating the high water mark of the weekend and featuring Rhum Barbancourt cocktails by swashbuckling New York City bartender Brian Miller, plus Polynesian small bites from award-winning Atlanta-based celebrity chef Jim Stacy.
Exclusive recipe below: Brian Miller’s Haitian Frolic featuring Rhum Barbancourt
See more below:
* 15 rum sponsors serve up tastings, cocktails
* New merchandise goes on sale (photos)
High Tide takes place from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. during the live performances by an eclectic lineup of bands (Jason Lee and the R.I.P. Tides, Tikiyaki Orchestra, The Intoxicators) and burlesque/retro entertainers (Angie Pontani, Kitten Deville, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, Lila Starlet).
The Hukilau: June 8-12, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.
* Buy tickets, passes | Book hotel | Schedule
* Previous Atomic Grog coverage: Tiki Road Trip announced, Pier 66 and Mai-Kai sold out
Existing Friday night passholders can buy wristbands for $35 giving them access to the special Barbancourt cocktails during High Tide (up to eight per person). Cocktails are also available for $10 each. Non-passholders can buy a Friday day pass that also includes the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party (noon-4 p.m.) and Tiki Treasures Bazaar (10 a.m.-8 p.m.) for $129. A Friday night pass is $99 (or $69 without drink bracelet). Stacy’s Polynesian tidbits will be sold à la carte. Hotel bars will also be selling cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.
Miller, an accomplished Big Apple bartender and brand ambassador, is host of the city’s most celebrated Tiki cocktail event, Tiki Mondays With Miller. He’ll be bringing many of his motley crew with him to The Hukilau to help him with the Rhum Barbancourt pop-up bar, including Ryan “Corporal Captain” Liloia, Jelani “Swabble” Johnson, and Garret “Dr. Funk” Richard. They’ll be pouring four different Tiki cocktails featuring Rhum Barbancourt, a venerable spirit from Haiti that will have a high profile at this year’s event. Miller issued a missive from his pirate’s lair promising “an assortment of temptresses, rogues and scoundrels.” His captain’s orders: “Tortuga ain’t got nuthin on Tiki Mondays With Miller at The Hukilau.”
Miller and an all-star lineup of world-class bartenders (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Martin Cate, Paul McGee, St. John Frizell) will also be mixing with Rhum Barbancourt at the sold-out Tiki Tower Takeover on Thursday night. You can sample the distinctive rhums and see them mixed in cocktails Thursday through Saturday outside the Tiki Treasures Bazaar in the brand’s special tasting booth.
As a special treat, Friday’s High Tide event will also include The Hukilau debut of larger-than-life chef Jim Stacy, best known for his appearances on Food Network and the Cooking Channel. Stacy is a renaissance man whose talents include butcher, bartender, chef, touring rock ‘n’ roller and tattoo artist. He cut his teeth in the Atlanta bar and restaurant scene at the Star Community Bar and Starlight Drive-In Theatre, then became a local and national TV food authority. He recently sold the Atlanta-area Pallookaville Fine Foods in preparation for a new concept sure to please fans of traditional Polynesian-themed food and cocktails.
Stacy will soon be opening MoaKai, a full-blown Polynesian/island restaurant spotlighting “classic resort dishes made with Southern soul food ingredients.” Expect the themed Atlanta eatery to include such creative, taste-tempting dishes as lau-lau with collards instead of taro leaves, and poi made with sweet potato. “We’ll be doing a traditional Hawaiian barrel smoked chicken as our specialty with additional emphasis on vegetarian and vegan menu items,” Stacy said in a recent interview. At the High Tide party, Stacy will be cooking up “Polynesian delights featuring Rhum Barbancourt expressions with a soul food twist,” according to the event announcement.
Of course, Stacy’s restaurant will include a Tiki bar, The Barnacled Mermaid. Guests can sample Stacy’s fresh take on tropical mixology on Friday afternoon during the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party along with other top bars from across the country: Porco Lounge & Tiki Room (Cleveland), Foundation Tiki Bar (Milwaukee), Aku Aku (Orlando), and The Happiest Hour and Slowly Shirley (New York City). Stacy is a longtime supporter of The Hukilau who attended last year’s event (see photos). But this will be his first year as a participant. He also featured The Mai-Kai on an episode of Offbeat Eats in January 2015.
Some events sold out, but plenty remain on full weekend schedule
Interest is high in The Hukilau for its 15th anniversary gathering, which will also celebrate the upcoming 60th birthday of The Mai-Kai. The historic Pier 66, another 60-year-old landmark, is sold out of rooms. But event co-founder and organizer Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White quickly lined up an overflow host hotel, the nearby Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel. See our previous report for all the details and book a room now.
Several smaller and in-demand events have sold out, so it’s recommended you buy you tickets and passes now. Events that are already filled to capacity:
* Exclusive swimshows by Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid (MeduSirena) and her pod of aquaticats at The Wreck Bar at the B Ocean Resort on Wednesday and Saturday are no longer available. Tickets ($15) remain for the Savage Jungle themed show at 2 p.m. Thursday at the oceanfront hotel just 1 mile down State Road A1A from Pier 66. The Wreck Bar’s regular 5:30 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday are free and open to the public. Marina will also perform a Feature Figure Swim poolside at Pier 66 on Thursday night at 9. Plus, she’s on the bill Friday night during the High Tide event (see above). She’s also making a special appearance as a Mystery Girl in author Tim “Swanky” Glazner’s The Mai-Kai symposium Friday afternoon (see below).
* Wednesday night’s pre-party in The Molokai lounge at The Mai-Kai featuring Miami retro rockers Gold Dust Lounge is exclusive to holders of South Seas and Big Kahuna passes, which are sold out. But the rest of the restaurant is available for dinner and smaller gatherings, an opening-night tradition at The Hukilau. Call (954) 563-3272 to make reservations.
* The first event to sell out when tickets went on sale last year was the second annual Tiki Tower Takeover, a special Thursday happy hour party in the 17th-floor revolving Pier 66 ballroom featuring signature cocktails from world-class bartenders from Latitude 29 (New Orleans), Smuggler’s Cove (San Francisco), Tiki Mondays With Miller (New York City), Lost Lake (Chicago), and Fort Defiance (Brooklyn). Live exotica music will be provided by The Quiet Villagers. [Atomic Grog 2015 recap]
* Tickets to Shag’s SkyLounge, a “Martini meet and mingle” Thursday night with artist Josh Agle in the Pier Top Lounge, were also snapped up fast. Guests will compete for the best costumes inspired by characters in Shag paintings while enjoying spectacular night views, DJ Xerox spinning exotic lounge tunes, plus a special guest band and go-go dancer. [Atomic Grog preview]
* The Thursday after-party at the intimate Kreepy Tiki Lounge in Fort Lauderdale featuring live retro and rockabilly tunes by Slip and the Spinouts is also filled to capacity with advance ticket-holders. Late arrivals may be accommodated.
* “I Learned My ABC’s in Waikiki,” the exclusive Friday symposium with Shag, is also sold out. Tiki’s most famous artist will talk about the first eight years of his life in Hawaii, and how that influenced his art and world view.
* “The Mai-Kai: History, Mystery and Adventure” with Tim “Swanky” Glazner on Friday afternoon is the latest symposium to sell out. The author of the upcoming book Mai-Kai: History & Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant will take guests on a journey through the history of the landmark restaurant, including the iconic mystery girl. Special appearance by Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid. [More on the website, book]
* The Friday symposium “World War Tiki” by Latitude 29 owner and Tiki cocktail author/historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry was the first symposium to sell out. Guests can still catch the creator of six memorable tropical cocktail books, the Total Tiki app and his own line of barware on Saturday as part of the “Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture” symposium, plus a signing in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
* Both Saturday night dinner shows at The Mai-Kai during the main event on June 11 are filled. The restaurant will be restricted to passholders with reservations for the Polynesian Islander Revue and dinner in the back dining rooms. Call The Mai-Kai at (954) 563-3272 to check on late openings. There may also be standing room available after dinner, subject to capacity. Guests are free to attend the dinner show or stop for drinks at most other times during The Hukilau, including the Sunday finale.
Multi-day passes, tickets to most symposiums still remain
Act soon to make sure you pick up a pass and tickets to the many remaining events on sale at TheHukilau.com. Among the options for potential passholders:
Multi-day passes: The four-day Aloha ($150) and three-day Luau ($135) passes allow access to Pier 66 events, including daily and nightly parties plus the Tiki Treasures Bazaar. This includes most of the rum and cocktail tastings. Also included is the Sunday finale at The Mai-Kai, which features a screening of Korla The Movie and access to special Mai-Kai “lost cocktails.”
Single day and night passes are available for Thursday and Friday at Pier 66. Friday’s Tiki Road Trip pool party requires an extra $20 wristband for access to cocktails. A stand-alone party pass for day guests is $49. Included with all night passes is access to special late-night parties, including Friday’s “Astronaut Trailer Park Presents …. Tiki Bars all over Mars” space-themed costume party from 1 to 3 a.m. The other special event ticket still available is Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s Thursday swimshow at The Wreck Bar (see above).
* On the Atomic Grog: Preview of the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party
Symposiums: Aside from the Friday symposiums by Shag, Beachbum Berry and Swanky, all the other educational presentations at Pier 66 still have tickets available. All of these events, excluding the two craft demonstrations, include at least one free cocktail. Here’s the lineup, listed chronologically:
* Friday, June 10, 10 a.m. – “DIY – Carving 101” with Will Anders. The South Florida artist shows you how to create Tiki artwork by delicately carving a bar of soap. Cost: $20, includes supplies.
* Friday, 10:30 a.m. – “Innocence Lost, Paradise Found – The Evolution of ‘Old School’ American Tattooing,” with Paul Roe. The tattoo historian explores sex, sailors and the birth of the “American style” centered around Hawaii and U.S. West Coast from 1860 to 1960. Tickets: $20 passholders, $30 non-passholders.
* Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. – “DIY – Make your own Float Lamp Necklace” with Tom Fowner. The South Florida artist shows you how to create a personal keepsake you can take home. Cost: $20, includes supplies.
* Saturday, 10 a.m. – “First Person Tiki: Seeing Polynesian Pop with Your Own Eyes” with Humuhumu. The creator of the Critiki and Ooga-Mooga websites tells you about off-the-beaten-path places worth your time, and how Polynesian Pop varies from region to region. Tickets: $20 passholders, $35 non-passholders.
* Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – “2001: A Tiki Odyssey with Otto von Stroheim. The founder of Tiki News and Tiki Oasis talks about the early days of the revival, revaling how the early enthusiasts pieced history back together from scattered matchbooks, menus, and drinking vessels. Tickets: $25 passholders, $40 non-passholders.
* Saturday, 1 p.m. – “Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture” with Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Otto von Stroheim, Humuhumu, Martin Cate, Crazy Al Evans, Shag, Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White, and Sven Kirsten (via Skype). The Atomic Grog’s Hurricane Hayward will moderate a freewheeling panel discussion that will explore the early days and evolution of the revival with Kirsten, Berry and von Stroheim. They’ll later be joined by the rest of the panelists as we find out what drove them to push the boundaries even farther. Tickets: $15 passholders, $30 non-passholders.
* Facebook event
Quick links: Buy tickets, passes | Full schedule | More on the symposiums
* On the Atomic Grog: Symposium previews | Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture added
UPDATED: Expanding list of sponsors includes 15 rums! Find out where you can taste them all
Organizer Tiki Kiliki has stepped up the level of sponsor involvement to new heights in 2016, including more than 20 spirits-related companies (15 rums, plus gin, vodka, tequila, whiskey, beer and cocktail syrups). There will be numerous opportunities to sample the sponsor spirits at tasting booths and special events throughout The Hukilau.
Rums will have two dedicated locations Thursday though Saturday at the Tiki Treasures Bazaar. “Pouring Sponsors” will have booths all three days in the Atrium outside the Crystal Ballroom in the main tower building at Pier 66. Seven brands (Rhum Barbancourt, Sailor Jerry, Tanduay, Don Q, Blue Chair Bay, Ron Diplomático, and Koloa) will be pouring special cocktails along with rum samples during these hours: Thursday, June 9, 5:30-10 p.m.; Friday, June 10, 3-7 p.m.; and Saturday, June 11, noon-4 p.m. Inside the 7,500-square-foot ballroom you’ll find the Rum Shack, offering tastings and special presentations by brands (Rhum Clèment, Flor de Caña, Richland, Orgeat Works, Santeria, Appleton, Florida Mermaid, Gunroom) on specific days listed below. All tastings at the Bazaar are complimentary with a weekend or daily pass. On Saturday, when the marketplace is open to the public, tasting wristbands will cost just $10 for those without passes.
Following is a rundown of all the brands and where you can taste their products, including special events and symposiums:
Rhum Barbancourt – Returning as the top sponsor rum for a second year, the Haitian spirit distilled from sugar cane will be featured in all five cocktails in the sold-out Tiki Tower Takeover on Thursday. Check out all the different expressions (Réserve Spéciale 5 Star, 3 Star, White, and Pango) served neat and in cocktails at the Pouring Sponsor booth outside the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Hukilau’s Friday night High Tide event, presented by Rhum Barbancourt, will feature four signature cocktails from Brian Miller and his Tiki Mondays With Miller crew from Pouring Ribbons in New York City. Barbancourt Rhum will also be used Friday in the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party and Beachbum Berry’s symposium. The Mai-Kai has crafted a special cocktail, the Spicy Hula Girl (featuring Barbancourt 3 Star, pineapple and lime juice, plus cracked black pepper syrup), that will be available Wednesday through Sunday.
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktail recipes: 5 Star | 3 Star
* Event coverage, photos, cocktail recipes: The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Flor de Caña – Sample the highly mixable Spanish-style rums from Nicaragua in the Rum Shack at the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Flor de Caña rums will also be featured in cocktails at three high-profile events at Pier 66: The Tiki Tower Takeover (Thursday), Shag’s Skylounge (Thursday), and Tiki Road Trip Pool Party (Friday).
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktails: Grand Reserve 7 | White
Sailor Jerry – The Caribbean spiced navy rum will have its own Pouring Sponsor booth in the atrium outside the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday through Saturday. Sailor Jerry is also sponsoring two special events on Friday at Pier 66, where it will be featured in cocktails: Paul Roe’s tattoo symposium, and the late-night “Tiki Bars all over Mars” costume party.
* Atomic Grog review, cocktail:
Sailor Jerry Navy Spiced
Blue Chair Bay – The brand owned by country singer Kenny Chesney will feature its Caribbean rums in cocktails at Pier 66 on Thursday through Saturday in a Pouring Sponsor booth, plus a special stand-alone poolside booth on Friday at the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party. Blue Chair Bay is also sponsoring Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s sold-out Glamour Girl swimshow at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Wreck Bar. Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum will also be featured in a special Banana Rum Barrel on Saturday night at The Mai-Kai.
Ron Diplomático – The Venezuelan brand, a recent addition to the sponsor lineup, will have a large presence at The Hukilau with its rums featured in a Pouring Sponsor booth Thursday through Saturday, plus cocktails at several special events at Pier 66: The Tiki Tower Takeover (Thursday), and Tiki Road Trip Pool Party (Friday). It will be featured in a cocktail at the “2001: A Tiki Odyssey” symposium on Saturday.The Mai-Kai will also feature Diplomático Reserva in the Mai Tai for the duration of The Hukilau.
* Atomic Grog review, cocktail: Ron Diplomático Reserva
Don Q – The longtime Puerto Rican rum brand will be represented by its global ambassador, Alexx Mouzouris, at the Pouring Sponsor station Thursday through Saturday at the Tiki Treasures Bazaar. Don Q rums will also be featured at the Tiki Tower Takeover on Thursday at Pier 66. And the white rum (Cristal) will be used all five days of The Hukilau in the Barrel O’ Rum at The Mai-Kai. Don Q will also be featured in a cocktail at the “Mai-Kai: History, Mystery, and Adventure” symposium on Friday.
* Atomic Grog review, cocktail: Don Q Cristal
Rhum Clèment – Taste the distinctive agricole rhums from Martinique in the Rum Shack in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday. You’ll also find Clèment used in the Tiki Tower Takeover, and as the sponsor of the Thursday night After Party at Kreepy Tiki Lounge. The brand is sponsoring the welcome drink at Shag’s symposium on Friday, and will also be featured in one of the “lost cocktails” at The Mai-Kai on Sunday.
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktails: V.S.O.P. | Select Barrel
Tanduay Asian rum – The newest sponsor is one of the world’s top-selling rums, though it has been promoted to the U.S. market for only a few years. But it’s massively popular in the Philippines, where it’s distilled and bottled. Tanduay will be featured in a Pouring Sponsor booth Thursday through Saturday at the Tiki Treasures Bazaar. It will also be used in a cocktail at the “First Person Tiki” symposium on Saturday.
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktails: Tanduay silver and gold
Gubba Rum – The Massachusetts brand featuring craft rums distilled in Colorado returns to The Hukilau with its own booth in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
* Atomic Grog review, cocktail: Gubba Silver and Gold
Koloa – Check out the Hawaiian rum label’s Pouring Sponsor booth in the Atrium outside the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Thursday through Saturday.
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktails: Gold | Dark | Coconut
Appleton – The storied rums from Jamaica’s J. Wray & Nephew distillery will be featured in the Tiki Road Trip Pool Party, plus the sponsor cocktail at the “Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture” symposium on Saturday. There will also be a special presentation and tasting of Appleton rums in the Rum Shack in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Saturday by noted rum collector and expert Steve Remsberg. He’ll also be presenting a private tasting Friday at 6 p.m. to the first 50 people who sign up.
* Atomic Grog reviews, cocktails: Appleton Estate 12 | Signature Blend
Santeria Rum – The revolutionary Navy-style rum from Bryan Davis of the Lost Spirits and Rational Spirits distillery will be featured in the Rum Shack and Tiki Road Trip Pool Party on Friday.
* Atomic Grog cocktail recipe:
Santero’s Elixir at The Mai-Kai
Florida Mermaid Rum – The new 100-proof gold rum from the Wild Buck Whiskey distillery in Weeki Wachee is sponsoring Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s sold-out Polynesian-themed swimshow at 2 p.m. Saturday in The Wreck Bar. It will also be featured Saturday in the Rum Shack in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar.
Richland Rum – The distinctive rums made in Georgia from pure, unrefined cane syrup and natural water will be available for tasting in the Rum Shack in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on all three days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday).
Gunroom Navy Rum – This high-octane 130-proof craft spirit, blended from rums sourced from across the Caribbean, will be showcased in the Rum Shack on Friday. It’s produced by Sweden’s Integrity Spirits, which has a foothold in the U.S. with a Miami office.
Also, Ed Hamilton of the Ministry of Rum will host a sold-out tasting of rums from Caribbean Spirits at 7 p.m. Friday at Pier 66.
* Atomic Grog review, cocktail: Hamilton 86 (Guyana)
Other spirits – Featured in the sold-out Shag’s Skylounge on Thursday night at Pier 66 will be Hendrick’s Gin from Scotland, Reyka vodka from Iceland, Leyenda del Milagro tequila from Mexico, and Glenfiddich single malt Scotch Whisky from Scotland. High West Whiskey from Utah is sponsoring Kreepy Tiki Lounge’s welcome cocktail at the Tiki Tower Takeover on Thursday. Japan’s oldest beer, Sapporo, will be available throughout The Hukilau free of charge. Also, Orgeat Works from New York City will offer samples of its Latitude 29 Formula Orgeat a Mai Tai in the Rum Shack on Thursday. It will also be featured in Beachbum Berry’s cocktail at the Tiki Tower Takeover on Thursday, plus Berry’s symposium and the High Tide event on Friday. Fee Brothers will provide syrups and bitters for the Beachbum Berry symposium, plus The Hukilau’s cocktails at various Pier 66 bars. On Saturday, look for Coco-Jack demos in the Rum Shack, plus a book signing by Beachbum Berry in the Cocktail Kingdom booth.
While enjoying the many spirits and cocktails during The Hukilau, be sure to raise a toast to the many talented folks behind the scenes who make all the the magic happen. Special mahalo to spirits coordinator Dean Hurst, cocktail coordinator George Jenkins and the rest of The Straw Hat Barmen, plus all the volunteers.
A few non-spirits sponsors will also be featured at The Hukilau:
Martin Cate, owner of acclaimed San Francisco rum and Tiki haven Smuggler’s Cove, will sign copies of his new book, Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki, at The Mai-Kai during the pre-party on Wednesday, June 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The book’s official release date is June 7, so you’ll be among the first to check it out and meet the author. Buy the book now via the link below and pick up your copy at The Hukilau. Cate will also be signing books in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Both signings are open to the public. Written with Cate’s wife and Smuggler’s Cove co-founder, Rebecca, Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki is a much-anticipated opus that celebrates the Tiki revival with a vivid history of the colorful subculture, 105 cocktail recipes (both original and historic), plus a groundbreaking new approach to understanding rum.
* Order online: Amazon | Other retailers
* Martin Cate dishes on his new Tiki bible (Tales of the Cocktail)
On The Atomic Grog: Preview of the book, new cocktail recipe
* More recipes: Pampanito | Henry & John | Mai Tai | 2070 Swizzle
* Smuggler’s Cove: Bar of the Year | Bar of the Month
Indiana’s Royer Corp., a leading producer of custom-designed swizzle sticks since 1970, has created The Hukilau’s official 2016 swizzle. Designed by Shag, the colorful cocktail accompaniment features The Hukilau logo on one one side and the artist’s logo on the other (see photo). Swizzle sticks will be complimentary to passholders (tucked into the swag bags distributed at check-in), with more available for sale in The Hukilau’s merchandise booth in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar.
HAITIAN FROLIC
(By Brian Miller, Tiki Mondays With Miller)
* 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 ounce fresh orange juice
* 1/4 ounce fresh pineapple juice
* 3/4 ounce Derelict Gardenia Mix (see below)
* 2 dashes Angostura bitters
* 2 dashes Absente (absinthe)
* 2 ounces Rhum Barbancourt 5 Star
Shake with ice cubes and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with an orchid and a pineapple frond.
Note: Derelict Gardenia Mix is Miller’s twist on Don’s Gardenia Mix (aka Pearl Diver Mix) using a homemade passion fruit curd instead of butter. The original Don the Beachcomber mix called for 1 ounce honey; 1 ounce softened, unsweetened butter; 1 teaspoon Don’s Spices #4 (aka cinnamon syrup); and 1 teaspoon Don’s Spices #2 (a 1:1 mix of vanilla syrup and allspice dram). Passion fruit curd typically contains passion fruit juice or pulp, eggs, butter and sugar. You can find many recipes online. It’s also sold commercially in gourmet groceries as passion fruit butter or lilikoi butter. You can always scale up to make a large batch, but this simple recipe will yield enough for four drinks:
* 1 ounce honey
* 1 ounce passion fruit curd
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon allspice dram
Miller shared this recipe after serving the cocktail on behalf of sponsor Rhum Barbancourt in February at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. [Full Atomic Grog coverage, photos] In 2015, Miller won the inaugural battle on Miami Beach of some of the country’s top Tiki mixologists. [Photos, full recap]
* TheHukilau.com: See more Rhum Barbancourt and spirits sponsor recipes
The Hukilau merchandise pre-sale: Event mug, pendant on sale now
On sale now: The Hukilau 2016 merchandise by Shag, inspired by The Mai-Kai NEW
The Hukilau’s limited-edition mug and pendant, which both pay tribute to historic Tikis at The Mai-Kai, went on sale during a special pre-sale for passholders on May 31. The mug was created by John Mulder and Eekum Bookum). The pendant was carved by Crazy Al Evans and produced by Perry Drake.
Only mugs and pendants are on sale prior to the event. Passholders received an email alerting them to the online sale. Shipping is not offered with the special pre-sale. Merchandise must be picked up at the event only. The mug is limited to 300 pieces, while there are 200 pendants in three different styles, Tiki Kiliki said. Designed in the style of the giant 20-foot moai carved by Barney West and installed in the early ’60s, the pendants come in three finishes: Original condition, weathered, and painted like it is today.
* Click here to order if you’re a passholder
The mug and pendant will go on sale to the public depending upon how much stock is left after the pre-sale, Tiki Kiliki said. A few mugs and pendants may be held back for event sales, she said. One mug has already sold out: A special, limited-edition Tower Barrel Mug (paying tribute to the Pier 66’s mid-century tower and The Mai-Kai’s Barrel O’ Rum) was offered exclusively to South Seas passholders before all of those passes were snapped up.
The remainder of the merchandise will be available at the event in The Hukilau booth at the Tiki Treasures Bazaar. This includes a wide assortment of Shag designs on glassware (both Mai Tai and Zombie glasses), coasters, T-shirts, bar and beach towels, plus a swizzle stick.
The Hukilau 2016 merchandise sneak preview
(Note: Images may not be the finished product; check TheHukilau.com for updates)
For updates on the merchandise, keep an eye on The Hukilau website and Facebook page. You can also sign up at TheHukilau.com to receive e-mail alerts.
The Hukilau: June 8-12, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring Shag, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Martin Cate, Paul McGee, Brian Miller, St. John Frizell, Jim Stacy, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, King Kukulele, Tikiyaki Orchestra, Jason Lee and the R.I.P. Tides, The Intoxicators, Skinny Jimmy Stingray, The Quiet Villagers, The Disasternauts, Gold Dust Lounge, Slip and the Spinouts, Otto von Stroheim, Paul Roe, Tim “Swanky” Glazner, Humuhumu, Crazy Al Evans, Tom Fowner, Will Anders, Jeff Chouinard, Angie Pontani, Kitten de Ville, Lila Starlet, James Teitelbaum, Stephen Remsberg, plus more.
* TheHukilau.com | Facebook: Page and Group | Twitter | Instagram
* Leave a text or voicemail message: (754) 900-TIKI
The Hukilau 2016 on The Atomic Grog
* Tiki Road Trip announced, Pier 66 and The Mai-Kai sold out, new rum sponsors
* The Hukilau guests to take a Tiki Road Trip; new Shag merchandise in the works
* Raiders of the Lost Tiki Culture symposium, new sponsors, Pier 66 hotel news
* Entertainment, music and symposiums announced, full website launches
* First dinner show full, Shag event and hotel near sellout
* All Tiki Tower Takeover tickets are taken, 5th bartender announced
* The Hukilau: All five-day tickets are sold out
* Tiki Tower Takeover bartenders return, Marina to perform in expanded Wreck Bar
* The Hukilau 2016 passes on sale now at 2015 prices
* Passes, special event tickets and rooms available soon
* Shag to help toast The Hukilau’s 15th anniversary