Story posted June 2025 / Last updated March 2026
I first discovered the depth and breadth of the cocktails at South Florida’s beloved Mai-Kai restaurant during my early years at The Hukilau, learning the history from authors Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and Tim “Swanky” Glazner as I made my way through the entire menu. The result was the first Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide, launched in June 2011 just after the creation of this blog.
2026 UPDATE: Mai-Kai kicks off 2026 with new food and drink menus, special events
The historic South Florida restaurant remains laser-focused on improving the cocktails, food and guest experience.
• Cocktail menu: Modern tropics added, classics enhanced | New drink ratings
Dubbed the Okole Maluna Society, this detailed guide explores the back stories, historic recipes and my own tributes with pages dedicated to all 50+ drinks on the current menu, plus many that had been retired over the years. Over the years, this section became easily the most popular feature of the blog.
It inspired home and professional bartenders to create fantastic versions of their own, and it paved the way for the return of some of those lost classics. And it started me on another journey, presenting my research in symposiums at special events starting with The Hukilau 2017. I reminisce more about these days in a story honoring the blog’s 10th anniversary in 2021.
FULL COVERAGE: Okole Maluna Society – The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
When the pandemic arrived and a roof collapse caused the Mai-Kai to close in October 2020 for what turned out to be 5 years, we gathered online to share our passion for rum and cocktails. The Mai-Kai soldiered on, filling the void during those years with takeout quarts and gallons, plus special event appearances. Since it was not possible to visit the Mai-Kai and sample all the drinks on the menu, I decided to put the Okole Maluna Society on hold, freezing all the ratings as they were before the closing.
To everyone’s delight, the Mai-Kai returned spectacularly in November 2024, documented in great detail elsewhere on this blog. Along with the reimagination that paid tribute to the past, the Mai-Kai also brought in a new beverage director who is dedicated to honoring the storied bar program while also pushing it forward.
Cory Starr is the perfect man for the job considering his history as a leader and key member of top bar teams across the country, including Tiki Tatsu-Ya (Austin, Texas) and Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago). Starr revived the classic menu and added some new twists of his own, which we documented in a story in December 2024.
Since then, we’ve worked our way through the entire menu and put every cocktail to the test. We’re now getting ready for the launch of the Okole Maluna Society 2.0, which will come soon after the introduction of the the long-awaited Mai-Kai Rum No. 1, shipped to Florida this summer from Barbados after being blended by master distiller Don Benn at the West Indies Rum Distillery. This potent 100-proof rum (also featuring rum from the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica) will be featured in classic recipes that were created by the Mai-Kai’s legendary mixologist Mariano Licudine using such iconic blends as Dagger Punch and Appleton Punch. [More on the rums of the Mai-Kai]
MORE ON THE MAI-KAI: Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive
Starr is just the fifth head mixologist since Licudine retired in 1979, and we’re confident he’ll put the new rum to good use in the dozens of recipes that call for it, elevating those cocktails to heights not seen since those golden days. When the rum is fully in use, we’ll roll out a full cocktail guide featuring all new reviews, many revised and new recipes, and maybe a few surprises.
As more cocktails are released, we’ll be sure to review and rate them immediately. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your time at the Mai-Kai. If you need help figuring out what to drink next, let us be your guide …
MAI-KAI COCKTAIL RATINGS
By Hurricane Hayward / The Atomic Grog
Current menus as of December 2025
2026 UPDATE: Modern tropics added added to cocktail menu, classics enhanced
• New drink ratings
NOTE: A quick primer on ordering cocktails and bar logistics at the Mai-Kai. You should be able to order most (if not all) of the drinks listed below at both bars, the main showroom, and any non-showroom dining areas. The main cocktail menu above is the standard. However, guests in the Bora Bora bar also have a special menu for the outdoor seating area that can be made to order in the small bar. If you’re in a hurry, or want to get a rare glimpse of Mai-Kai cocktails being made, this is the way to go. You can still order from the main menu, but it takes a little longer for the drinks to come from the main back-of-house bar that services all the dining rooms (take a peek via a window in the gift shop). The Molokai bartenders (also hidden in a back-of-house area) make most of the drinks served in that bar. Confused? Don’t be. Just order a delicious drink and you’ll be fine.
If you want to explore the back stories and try out the ancestor, authentic and tribute recipes we posted before the reopening, check out the links below. Updated and new recipes coming soon!
• Reviews of all the Mai-Kai cocktails prior to 2024
• Try 100+ Mai-Kai cocktail recipes
Drinks are ranked in order from top to bottom, even within each star rating category. For instance, we rank the Mutiny slightly above the Black Magic, though both of these classics earn 4 1/2 stars.
CLASSIC COCKTAILS
5 STARS
Zombie (strong)
4 1/2 STARS
Special Planters Punch (strong)
151 Swizzle (strong)
Shark Bite (medium)
Mutiny (strong)
Black Magic (strong)
4 STARS
Barrel O’ Rum (strong)
Sidewinder’s Fang (strong)
Jet Pilot (strong)
Mystery Drink (strong)
Cobra’s Kiss (medium)
Mai Tai (strong)
Yeoman’s Grog (strong)
K.O. Cooler (strong)
3 1/2 STARS
Deep-Sea Diver (medium)
Special Reserve Daiquiri (medium)
Shrunken Skull (strong)
Kona Coffee Grog (after dinner)
Bora Bora (strong)
Mai-Kai Swizzle (mild)
Rum Julep (medium)
The Hukilau (strong)
Moonkist Coconut (medium)
Planters Punch (medium)
S.O.S. (mild)
Oh So Deadly (mild)
Samoan Grog (mild)
Pina Passion (medium)
Derby Daiquiri (mild)
Floridita Daiquiri (mild)
Mara-Amu (medium)
Pina Colada (medium)
Hot Buttered Rum (after dinner)
Hidden Pearl (medium)
Tahitian Breeze (medium)
Malayan Mist (mild)
Wahine Delight (after dinner)
3 STARS
Mai-Kai Special (mild)
Martinique Milk Punch (mild)
Tahitian Coffee (after dinner)
Mai-Kai Cappuccino (after dinner)
Banana Daiquiri (mild)
Strawberry Daiquiri (mild)
Chocolate Snowflake (after dinner)
Mai-Kai Blizzard (after dinner)
NOTE: After-dinner menu is not yet printed.
NEW COCKTAILS
4.5 STARS
Temple of Smoke (Bora Bora Bar /// temporarily on hold)
Secrets of the Pink Lagoon (Bora Bora Bar /// temporarily on hold)
4 STARS
Paniolo Old Fashioned (on hiatus during December)
Tahitian Drum
Tropical Itch (on hiatus during December)
Saturn
The Cannibal
Mexican Mara-Amu (on hiatus during December)
Pinky Gonzalez (on hiatus during December)
3 1/2 STARS
Witchcraft
Strip N Go Naked (on hiatus during December)
The Marquesan (on hiatus during December)
Hala Kahiki (on hiatus during December)
Iced Coffee Grog (Bora Bora Bar /// temporarily on hold)
3 STARS
Hula Girl Martini
Ling-Hi Mui Margarita (on hiatus during December)
Blue-52 (on hiatus during December)
Painkiller
UPDATE: New drink ratings from Janary 2026 menu update
Okole maluna!
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!
SPECIAL VIDEO FEATURES
The Mai-Kai’s beverage director and general manager, Cory Starr, joins Matt “Spike” Marble for peek inside the restaurant’s massive beverage program on Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour on YouTube …
More Mai-Kai videos on Tiki Cocktails with Spike
• Kona Coffee Grog: The most dangerous Tiki cocktail ever
• The lost Mai-Kai cocktail: Mariano Licudine’s Last Rites (1959)
• The Derby Daiquiri: A classic with an unexpected garnish
SPECIAL FEATURES
Answers to frequently asked questions about the Mai-Kai
Check out our handy guide featuring all the basics you need to know to plan your next trip to the Polynesian palace.
• Official information, tips and advice for guests
Photo and video tour: The 16 most iconic photo spots at the Mai-Kai
Learn how to get those classic shots on your next trip to the historic South Florida restaurant. We take you on an adventure via new and historic photos, plus video from Spike’s Breezeway to document the top locations inside and outside.
SEE THE TOP 16: Jump straight to the tour, tips and tricks
FULL MAI-KAI COVERAGE
EXCLUSIVE: 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
Hurricane Hayward reviews and rates the historic restaurant’s current and past tropical drinks, plus reveals a treasure trove of ancestor and exclusive tribute recipes.
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