You could forgive the owners, management and staff of the Mai-Kai for taking a deep breath and resting on their laurels in early 2026 after a spectacular 2025, the first full year back in business after a four-year hiatus and $20 million restoration of the historic South Florida restaurant. Luckily for fans of the 69-year-old Polynesian palace, that’s not the case. Not by a long shot.
More than a year after reopening, the Mai-Kai’s lush landscaping is thriving. The signature cannibal carvings bid guests farewell. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, February 2026)
Business is booming as the Mai-Kai remains laser-focused on improving the cocktails, food and entire guest experience. Last year ended with a bang, culminating with a memorable anniversary celebration featuring more than 20 past on-stage performers from the Mai-Kai Islanders. This came on the heels of an elaborate themed overlay and creative cocktail menu for the Christmas holidays.
• 2025 Mai-Kai recaps: Exclusive ongoing coverage | Bar and cocktail news
The new year brought a new selection of modern tropical drinks, plus some creative takes on old classics. Also in January, the Mai-Kai launched a weekly schedule of themed specials, including In the Biz Mondays, Tiki Tuesdays, Wahine Wednesdays, and Karaoke Night on Thursdays. Live bands continue to entertain Molokai Bar guests on Fridays, and more activities for kids are part of the early Sunday festivities (along with a monthly meet-up for classic car owners.)
Skinny Jimmy Stingray and his band perform in the Molokai on Feb. 27. They return to rock the bar on March 20. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
A new food menu was introduced in February, updated with a half-dozen new dishes from chef Justin Sherrer. The Mai-Kai hosted several high-profile events, starting with a Miami Rum Congress pre-party featuring multiple rum brands and special tastings. During the nationally acclaimed South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Sherrer participated in Miami while general manager and beverage director Cory Starr hosted a sold-out Tiki cocktail master class in the Bora Bora Bar.
Bartender Justin Rivera leads guests in creating cocktails during a master class hosted by the Mai-Kai as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival on Feb. 21. Students created their own garnish. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
This story will cover all of the above while also offering a preview of upcoming events, plus more. Stay tuned for stories on other major projects around the Mai-Kai property, including the restoration of a 60-year-old tiki icon and construction of a new event center and back-of-house facilities.
Following years of tumultuous news, it was somewhat of a relief to enjoy a year free from extreme upheaval or drama. Sure, 2025 was also devoid of blockbuster good news, but there’s something to be said for a calm normalcy, especially when it comes to Tiki. That’s not to say that nothing happened last year. There were plenty of headlines and stories that evolved over time. But unlike past years, no one or two stories rose above the rest.
If there were any common themes, the first would be a continued reverence for the past, a foundational element for the modern Tiki scene. The other that seems to be evolving is Tiki culture’s slow growth into new territory and addition of new fans. Whether it’s through film, new bars and events, or the continued influence of the torch-bearers, this natural evolution can’t be denied.
Rather than rank these stories by importance, like past years, we present the top seven stories in no particular order. All are significant and deserve equal recognition. Bonus cocktail recipe:A tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Christmas Barrel
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ALOHA NEW TIKI BARS: Openings continue in 2025
The proliferation of new Tiki and Tiki-adjacent bars every year should no longer be a big surprise. We’ve been documenting this trend in our top news stories every year since 2020, even in the grip of the COVID pandemic. That in and of itself makes it a big story in 2025, reflecting what should be recognized as a legitimate and permanent feature of the modern bar and restaurant industry, not just a trend or “craze.” What’s crazy is Tiki bars are often still not recognized on the same level as other craft cocktail bars. What’s clear, happily, is there appears to be no end in sight to the growth of new bars and restaurants.
Dirty Birds Tiki Bar & Grill in Cocoa Beach features authentic design and Tiki decor by “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller (right) and Scott “Flounder” Scheidly, who did much of the work on the Mai-Kai restoration. (Photos by Rob Ripley, Andrew Turner / October, November 2025)
If we missed any, please let us know and we’ll add them to the list. In 2026, be sure to support all local Tiki bars, new and established. The MyTiki.Life website offers a robust database of commercial bars.
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IN MEMORIUM: Remembering those we lost.
Unlike some past years, the losses suffered in 2025 were not as frequent or earth-shattering. But no matter how large or small, they do need to be recognized and remembered.
In April, Kapu Bar closed after two years in Petaluma, Calif. One online report says the building owner sold the property and the bar owners may relocate. … In May, The Sorrow Drowner in Wilmington, N.C., closed after three years of presenting a unique “Tiki-noir” bar experience in an immersive space decorated by “Trader Brandon” Kleyla, who also worked on Disney’s Enchanted Tiki bars on both coasts. The owners are reportedly planning a move to the west coast, so stay tuned. … Marama Room, closed abruptly at the end of May after opening in April in Huntington Beach, Calif. An Instagram post said the owners were “fervently working with potential investors and inquiring about new locations in the Huntington Beach/Orange County area.”
Marty Reyes (left) and Jen Ann Tonic with their crew from Swizzle at The Hukilau in June 2024. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
In July, Swizzle closed its Greenville Avenue location in Dallas after five years, but owners Marty Reyes and Jen Ann Tonic are keeping the brand alive with pop-ups and catering events. … The tropical bar and restaurant Laki Kane closed its Upper Street Islington location in London after seven years of operation to move into a “new chapter.” The venue went out with a bang, featuring a month of farewell events leading up to the Sept. 1 closing. The Laki Kane proprietors announced that this may be goodbye for now, but their “story isn’t over”. A small, temporary Laki Kane lounge opened in October in the Covent Garden restaurant in London and continues to operate in early 2026.
The Mai-Kai is embracing the season to be jolly like never before with a Christmas overlay featuring extensive decor, a limited-edition mug, and a new menu of 12 creative cocktails that celebrate spirits and flavors from around the world. RELATED:Mai-Kai legends return to the stage for 69th anniversary celebration
The Mai-Kai’s holiday lights and theming immerse guests from the beginning to the end of their journey to the Polynesian wonderland. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, December 2025)
The minute you arrive at the historic South Florida restaurant, you’re swept away to a tropical winter wonderland, surrounded by giant wreaths and swaths of palm trees clad in holiday lights. Santa hats adorn the signature cannibal carvings under the banyan trees, and a large wreath hangs from the signature water feature, the bubbling caldera in the center of the vehicle roundabout.
The Bora Bora Bar and main entrance are awash with lights and festive touches, including the outdoor space’s own Christmas tree looming above the bartenders. Presents surround another tree high above the front doors under the restored porte-cochère.
Chelsea and Avery welcome you to the Molokai Mistletoe Lounge, where the servers clad in their holiday sarongs treat guests to the Twelve Drinks of Christmas. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Dec. 7, 2025)
Inside, the Molokai Bar is ground zero for the holiday cheer, nearly every available space covered in lights, ornaments, and lots of mistletoe. It’s over the top but tastefully done. The “Molokai Mistletoe Lounge” servers have joined the fun with their cheery new outfits. Just don’t try to catch one of the sarong-clad servers under a mistletoe … they move fast. More below:Photos, video of the Mai-Kai’s holiday theming
Just as robust as the decorations, the events calendar started Dec. 1 with the launch of the new “Twelve Drinks of Christmas Around the World” menu. The new craft cocktails (plus a Christmas Mystery Bowl), take center stage on the main cocktail menu, available in both bars plus the dining rooms.
The good cheer extends to the late-night hours in both bars, which host special happy hours from 9 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday throughout December. Like the regular happy hour, which runs seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m., most signature cocktails (including the 12 Christmas drinks) are 50 percent off the regular price. There’s also a special late-night food menu. Check the reviews and photos below as we taste our way through the cocktails. Christmas cocktail guide: Analysis, ratings, insights from bar manager Michael DeMahyUPDATED
Mai-Kai fans and collectors received an early Christmas treat on Wednesday, Dec. 3, when a limited Christmas Rum Barrel mug was released at a special event attended by Florida artist John Mulder. His merry holiday version of the Mai-Kai’s signature mug, limited to 250 numbered pieces, sold out by mid-December.
The grand reopening year at the Mai-Kai reached a fitting, frightfully fun climax on Halloween night with the Polynesian palace’s signature Hulaween party. Hundreds of revelers, many in creative costumes, enjoyed the event’s 13th edition, the first held inside the restaurant since 2019.
South Florida rockabilly favorites Slip and the Spinouts made their 10th Hulaween appearance, jamming all night in the Molokai Bar. Meanwhile, DJ Banzai Bill played an eclectic mix of tunes outside in the Bora Bora Bar, where the highlight was a costume contest with dozens competing for the $1,000 grand prize.
Slip and the Spinouts kick off Hulaween 2025 on Oct. 31 while the Molokai mermaids prepare to serve thirsty guests. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, the Mai-Kai)
Oct. 31 was the highlight of a month filled with Hulaween-themed events, including Wicked Bingo, the Blue Hawaii Elvis Show with Dan Cunningham, a ’70s disco night, and a party for kids. This monthlong celebration was a first for the Mai-Kai, featuring elaborate decor throughout the grounds continually updated in the lead-up to Halloween night.
The two artists responsible for the highly themed artwork – Tom Fowner and LuRu – got into the spirit of the event, both earning a spot in the costume contest finals with their significant others.
The six finalists lined up under the porte-cochère in the new Bora Bora Bar, competing not only with their inventive creations but also joining an impromptu dance-off when Michael Jackson’s classic Thriller blasted out of the speakers before the winners were announced. If was definitely a scene to behold, one of the few times of the year when the Mai-Kai sets aside decorum and lets loose with abandon.
No doubt, the shenanigans were well-deserved and long-anticipated. It was the first Hulaween bash in five years, when a drive-in movie party was held in the parking lot on Oct. 30, 2020, amid the COVID pandemic and just days after the restaurant’s closing. Caused by a catastrophic roof collapse over the kitchen, this disaster was as scary as any horror movie. But, luckily, it has a happy ending.
An ominous sea monster and Tiki deity welcome you to Hulaween at the Mai-Kai in October 2025. (Official photo)
A sale to new ownership in 2021 led to a $20 million restoration and reimagination that consumed 2022, 2023 and much of 2024. But, like a classic creature that can’t be stopped, the Mai-Kai emerged bigger and better than ever last November. Hulaween 2025 fittingly served as a celebration of the Mai-Kai’s first year back from the brink of disaster.
The immersive decor and elaborate story only added to the anticipation of the Halloween night finale. In an alternate tale of the Mutiny on the Bounty, the Mai-Kai became ground zero of a battle between skeleton pirates and a giant sea monster. The scenes played out all along the entry driveway, the bubbling caldera, the walkway and Bora Bora Bar, the Molokai Bar and its new front deck, plus the sprawling rear tiki gardens.
Fowner estimated that the artistic team installed 60 pirate and 10 mermaid skeletons, plus 40 kraken tentacles containing 2,100 suckers. As he explains in a video walk-though we filmed three days before Halloween, you never see the actual monster, just the tentacles. Which is even scarier because it means its so enormous, you can’t see it all. “He’s everywhere,” Fowner warned.
Tom Fowner and LuRu are responsible for the elaborately themed decor during Hulaween 2025.
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.
Guests can now watch Mai-Kai bartenders hard at work in the main service bar (aka the Okole Maluna Bar) via a new window in the gift shop. The large photo behind the bar features original owners Bob and Jack Thornton flanking mixologist Mariano Licudine in the 1960s. (Photo by Jim Neumayer / Jan. 7, 2025)
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.
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.
The Mystery Drink (serves four) is an iconic cocktail at the Mai-Kai, which now features male dancers performing the ceremonial service in addition to the classic Mystery Girl. (Official photo)
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]
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.
Updated Jan. 3, 2026 We hope this running story, compiled throughout 2025, helps quench your thirst for detailed information, photos and deep dives into the cocktails served at the Mai-Kai restaurant in South Florida, est. 1956. Below you’ll find reports by journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward along with news and official updates passed along by beverage director Cory Starr as he resurrected the storied bar program, originally developed by legendary mixologist Mariano Licudine. This page served as a supplement to our Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide as we enjoyed the the Mai-Kai’s grand reopening. In 2026, get ready for all new reviews and recipes at the link above, or MaiKaiCocktailGuide.com. If you’re looking for more on the restaurant’s restoration and reopening in 2024-2025, along with anything beyond the cocktails and bar program, check out this related story. • Jump straight to the news archive below
Zula #1 (left) and Last Rites, two classic cocktails from the Mai-Kai’s 1956 menu served at the 69th anniversary event on Dec. 28. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
Vintage cocktails return for 69th anniversary, more news
Posted Jan. 3
The icing on the cake at the 69th anniversary celebration was a special menu of three historic cocktails, available in both the Bora Bora and Molokai bars. They were priced at $19.56 in honor of the Mai-Kai’s original opening date, but happy hour prices were in effect from 4 to 7 p.m., and we made sure to try all three. Photos, video:Mai-Kai legends return to the stage for 69th anniversary celebration
Two of the drinks date back to the original 1956 menu. One of them, Zula #1, was only recently retired when the Mai-Kai reopened in November 2024. It was one of two classics dropped from the reopening day menu.
Don’s Own Grog, a rare cocktail available at the Mai-Kai’s 69th anniversary event on Dec. 28. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
The other was Last Rites, another Mai-Kai classic that can be traced back to one of the groundbreaking tropical drinks created by Don the Beachcomber in the 1930s and ’40s. This is a personal favorite of beverage director Cory Starr, who brought it back at several special events over the past year. We last tried it at The Hukilau finale at the Mai-Kai in June.
Last Rites was our favorite, better than the previous versions made with premium rums. Rum No. 1 seems to bring perfect balance to this classic that agricole rums don’t. Not far behind was Don’s Own Grog, another great spotlight for the rum featuring bold cinnamon (perhaps Angostura bitters), lime and blackberry notes. Zula was very solid, but it veered a bit from the original with an overly boozy profile that obscured the distinctive pineapple and anise flavors. Starr told us later that he and bar manager Michael DeMahy had a challenge getting the rum blend correct, but I’m sure they’ll figure it out in time for its next appearance.
Mai-Kai beverage director Cory Starr (left) and bar manager Michael DeMahy host a special event featuring Spiribam products in the Bora Bora Bar on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
Starr and DeMahy have lots of plans for the cocktail program in 2026, including a new menu for the Molokai Bar with more of a craft cocktail focus. But unlike the Bora Bora Bar, which has featured more modern-style cocktails, the older bar will take more of a classic Mai-Kai approach in keeping with its vintage theming.
DeMahy said they want to take “the classic Mariano, Trader Vic, Don the Beachcomber style cocktails and re-envision them as if they were alive today.” He said it will be “more of a modern twist, but paying homage to the history and the style.”
“You have to reset your mind and say, ‘I’m paying homage to these classics,’ but how would they think if they lived here today with the products that are now available versus what was available back then,” DeMahy added. “I’m very excited to start working on it.” The menu is still in the very early stages of development, however, with tentative plans for a release no earlier than the third quarter of the year.
Importer Ed Hamilton has announced the arrival of a new Hamilton Rum blend bottled for the Florida Rum Society, soon to be available in retail locations across the Sunshine State. Plans call for the rum, a blend of Jamaican and Guyanese rums, to be distributed in 2021 to other states as well.
The first shipment arrived in Orlando on Friday (Dec. 4) from Hamilton’s New York bottling facility, he announced during a Zoom happy hour event that evening. On Thursday, he teased Florida rum lovers with an Instagram post containing the label, announcing that the rum was “on I-75 on the way to Florida.”
The quick arrival pleased the longtime rum connoisseur, author and owner of his own boutique label and import company, Caribbean Spirits. The new rum will be part of Hamilton’s Ministry of Rum Private Collection, containing a similar label but more limited-edition bottlings than his standard Ministry of Rum releases. These include a variety of rum blends sourced from Jamaica, Guyana, St. Lucia and other islands.
He also imports a selections of acclaimed rums from Martinique, including the Neisson, La Favorite and Duquesne labels. Ministry of Rum refers to the website and message board Hamilton launched in the late 1990s that remains an essential reference tool for researching and learning about all rum.
Ed Hamilton spars with rum ambassador Ian Burrell at thefirst Miami Rum Congress in February 2019. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
For the Florida Rum Society blend, Hamilton said he went with a modified version of his popular Navy Strength blend, a powerful 114-proof combination of 60 percent Guyana rum and 40 percent Jamaican rum. The new blend is more accessible, clocking in a 45 percent alcohol by volume, or 90 proof. Hamilton said the blend is 65 percent from Demerara Distillers in Guyana and 35 percent from Worthy Park Estate in Jamaica.
Besides the proof and percentages, there’s a slight variation the age of the rum, Hamilton said. The Jamaican component is a 1-year-old rum while the Navy blend contains unaged distillate. The Guyanese rum is the same blend of 2- to 5-year-old rums that Hamilton uses in the Navy Strength bottling, as well as the Hamilton 86 and 151 Guyana rums that are well-known and loved at Tiki bars across the country. Check our in-depth look at Hamilton’s journey in bringing these rums to market, and their use at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale.
The Florida Rum Society blend promises to be more versatile and just as tasty as the Navy blend, its lower proof and added aging making it more assessable as a sipper and all-purpose mixer. It’s also a higher proof than the similar New York Blend, an 84-proof version of the Navy blend. At 65 percent Demerara, it could also make a fine substitute for Hamilton 86 in cocktails. During the Zoom meeting, Hamilton sipped on one of his favorite easy-to-make highballs, a blend of Hamilton 86, Hamilton Jamaican Pimento Dram, and orange juice. I tried a mix of 1 part dram, 3 parts rum and 6 parts juice, and it was delicious.
The flagship Hamilton rums from Guyana are available at Total Wine stores in Florida. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, August 2016)
The new rum should also work well in classic Tiki cocktails that call for a roughly equal blend of non-overproof Demerara and Jamaican rums, such as the Navy Grog (and Beachbum Berry’s The Ancient Mariner), Pearl Diver’s Punch, and Sidewinder’s Fang. The extra 5 percent ABV will give the drink a boost to help it hew closer to the original rums. In the mid-century heyday, it was not unusual for standard mixing rums to be higher than 80 proof, especially those from Guyana and Jamaica. During the Zoom meeting, I enjoyed a Navy Grog featuring three of Hamilton’s signature rums (see recipe below).
Follow the Florida Rum Society on Facebook and Instagram for updates on distribution. Hamilton confirmed that the main retail location will be the Sarasota Liquor Locker. The rum society boasts a robust online store with quick delivery across the state featuring rums stocked by the Sarasota store.
UPDATE: Sarasota Liquor Locker and the rum society’s online shop were the first get the rum. Soon after, it was on its way to Five Star Liquor & Wine in Orlando, Primo Liquors in Broward County (multiple ocations), Big Game Liquors in Miami, and Beach Liquors in the Panhandle (multiple ocations).
Hamilton said he expects retail outlets across the state to carry the rum. Part of the goal of the partnership with the Florida Rum Society, he said, is to leverage the group’s influence to persuade more retailers to carry the Hamilton (and Caribbean Spirits) product line. The bottling includes 112 cases, he said, though he didn’t rule out another batch in the future depending on demand. If the store you frequent in Florida doesn’t carry Hamilton rums, or you’d like to request the new blend, ask them to contact the distributor: Progress Wine Group from Opa Locka, (321) 230-4682.
UPDATE: The Florida Rum Society announced an online cocktail contest featuring the new blend, with the winner earning “a hoard” of Hamilton rums. The group has quickly ramped up its activities after forming only in mid-2019. Members began holding in-person gatherings before the pandemic and have continued them online, with Hamilton and other high-profile rum industry veterans, such as Privateer Rum’s Maggie Campbell, joining in.
The Hamilton blend is not the society’s first special bottling. Just last week, a Plantation 2008 single cask rum from Guyana featuring a Florida Rum Society label landed in Orlando. This label release is extremely limited (just 140 bottles) and available at Five Star. There are also a few bottles remaining at Five Star from the exclusive (214 bottles) release in August of a 109.2 proof New England rum from Privateer dubbed Rumdemic. The release marked the return of Privateer’s single barrel program (now known as the Letter of Marque series).
If that’s not enough for Florida rum fanciers, another exclusive release is coming in 2021. The Florida Rum Society Masters Selection from Chairman’s Reserve and St. Lucia Distillers is available for pre-sale at Jensen’s Liquors in Miami. This 115.6 proof blend is expected around April. Shipping and pick-up are both available.
For more on the Florida Rum Society, check out the interview with founder Jay Cocorullo on the Rumcast podcast, episode 14.
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15 things you need to know about Ed Hamilton and Hamilton Rum
As part of the inaugural Miami Rum Congress in February 2019, the “Minister of Rum” (he actually prefers to be called “Administer of Rum”) hosted his first-ever master class at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale on his Hamilton Rum product line, including a discussion of his journey from Caribbean sailboat adventurer to rum importer and label owner.
The hands-on symposium took place in the historic restaurant’s intimate Samoa dining room and included rum and cocktail samples, plus a heaping helping of Hamilton’s wit and wisdom. Here are a few nuggets we gleaned from the presentation:
After studying chemical and mechanical engineering and getting his college degree, Hamilton worked a job “selling bomb parts” in the mid-1970s. “It really wasn’t something I wanted to base my career on,” he said. When his boss queried him about what he wanted to be doing in five years, he exclaimed: “Go sailing.” Asked how he could make that happen, he replied: “I quit.” He says never spent another day looking for a job after that.
The Mai-Kai specializes in time travel, taking diners back to the mid-century heyday of grand Tiki temples by creating a spectacularly immersive feast of the senses. So it’s no surprise that the Fort Lauderdale restaurant successfully scared up a vintage Halloween party in 2020, transporting hundreds of Hulaween revelers to a vintage drive-in theater in its expansive parking lot for a physically-distanced celebration like no other.
A pineapple jack-o-lantern sets the scene at Hulaween 2020.
The sold-out Hulaweeen Drive-In Movie on Oct. 30 creatively navigated the new pandemic reality, giving the occupants of the 60+ vehicles multiple treats to savor. From the screening of the infamous 1970 B-movie Beast of Blood, to the live costume contest projected onto the 33-foot screen, to the rockin’ pre-movie festivities fueled by classic tropical cocktails, the evening provided a frightening (but safe) good time for all in attendance. Previous story:See the full event preview
Unfortunately, someone apparently played a trick on The Mai-Kai. After successfully navigating the scary new pandemic reality since late May, the historic restaurant faced a scare of its own just days before the 12th annual Hulaween when a massive storm caused damage that will require an extended, temporary closing for repairs and refurbishment.
Just announced: There will be a Virtual Tiki Bingo event to benefit The Mai-Kai employees on Dec. 10. Click here for info and updates.
The sudden closing caused some last-minute scrambling to keep the drive-in movie on track, but The Mai-Kai and the event’s driving force, director of public relations Pia Dahlquist, pulled it off with the usual aplomb. Since guests could not enter the restaurant, drinks were served from a pop-up bar behind the building, and portable restroom facilities were secured. With the kitchen closed, a food truck arrived to fill the need with finger-licking barbecue.
Hurricane Hayward picks up his cocktail quarts as the parking lot fills up.
But all the innovative plans appeared to be in danger all afternoon as dark clouds literally loomed over the event. An afternoon storm blew through The Mai-Kai property on Federal Highway, but miraculously the entire event remained dry. It was a blustery evening, however, and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival staff had their hands full keeping the inflated screen stable. The dark and ominous weather was apropos, but not an issue at the end of the day.
The FLIFF crew was indispensable, not only handling the high-tech rear-projection screen but also guiding all the vehicles into parking spots the old-fashioned way. Some of us brought portable chairs, and my hurricane radio came in handy to tune into the FM frequency that broadcasted the clear and crisp audio.
Considering the weather and makeshift logistics of the entire endeavor, the 90-minute preshow video and 90-minute feature film were both professionally presented and easy to enjoy. The evening concluded, as usual, with a kooky costume contest that was up to the same creative standards of past Hulaween parties.
Guests were welcomed with the same high level of hospitality The Mai-Kai is known for. Quarts of cocktails ordered in advance were delivered to car windows personally by Dahlquist in the porte-cochere. Arriving vehicles also received goodie bags that included Beast of Blood swizzle sticks (courtesy of Drive-In-Sanity Films) and complimentary anti-virus masks provided by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s Broward County chapter. All 60 Beast of Blood 50th anniversary mugs, created by Thor, sold out in advance.
Annubis & Isis arrive and enter the costume contest.
We brought Mai-Kai mugs from home and a bag of ice from Sonic to enjoy the signature Barrel O’ Rum and special Blood Island Green Potion #2 featuring sponsor Appleton Estate Rum. The food from Iron Butt BBQ was delicious, pairing perfectly with The Mai-Kai’s potent cocktails. More traditional drive-in fare (freshly popped popcorn) was also offered by roving Mai-Kai servers. TRIBUTE RECIPE:Scroll down for our take on Blood Island Green Potion #2
The Mai-Kai’s refreshment stand served two other popular cocktails – the Jet Pilot and Mai Tai – along with a selection of beer, wine, soft drinks and water.
Many spirited guests came in full costume, and some bedecked their vehicles with flaming Tiki accouterments. Those who chose to enter the contest were filmed as they arrived. The clips were later edited together, and the resulting video was shown after the movie. A panel of judges picked the top three winners: Dr. Paul Bearer and Dolly, Death By Swizzle, and Annubis & Isis. As usual, the costumes included many movie and TV references (The Witches, What We Do in the Shadows, Spirited Away, The Walking Dead, et al.) as well as just-plain-wacky get-ups. PHOTO GALLERY:Scroll down to see scenes from Hulaween, plus all of the costumes
In honor of National Rum Month, The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale has released a new batch of its first-ever signature rum for guests to enjoy in the restaurant or take home in limited-edition bottles. The Real McCoy 12-year-old Distillers Proof Mai-Kai Blend can be paired with new branded glasses also available for purchase.
The initial batch of the 92-proof rum, aged and blended by Richard Seale at Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, was quickly snapped up during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic in April. But the closing of the historic restaurant for two months forced the release party and seminar by The Real McCoy’s founder to be canceled. That presentation will now be held virtually, and everyone who buys a bottle of the rum is invited.
Thursday, Aug. 13: Rum Runners of the Prohibition Era Virtual Seminar featuring Bailey Pryor of The Real McCoy Rum and hosted by The Mai-Kai. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker and founder of The Real McCoy Rum will discuss the history of rums during Prohibition along with the creation of The Real McCoy 12-year-old Distillers Proof Mai-Kai Blend. Guests can ask questions at the end of the presentation. [Facebook event]
An invitation to the Zoom event will be sent to anyone buying a bottle of the newly released Batch 131. It’s available at the restaurant for $64.20 (including tax). To order and arrange for pick-up, call marketing director Pia Dahlquist at (954) 646-8975 or email [email protected]. Unfortunately, you must pick up the rum in person. Shipping is not available. Those who bought a bottle of Batch 130 in April can also reach out to Pia to attend the event, which will include tastings of the rum.
The limited-edition glassware can be purchased along with the rum. The square shot glass ($10.70, including tax) and double old-fashioned rocks glass ($13.85) are both etched with The Mai-Kai logo and artwork. After picking up the new rum and glasses and enjoying the seminar, guests are invited to The Mai-Kai for National Rum Day on Aug. 16. A updated rum menu is now available featuring 49 different choices from The Mai-Kai’s “cellar,” including The Real McCoy 12-year-old Distillers Proof Mai-Kai Blend. Scroll down for more on the new rum choices.
Bailey Pryor won five Emmy Awards for his documentary The Real McCoy in 2012. His research inspired him to launch The Real McCoy Rum in 2013.
The Mai-Kai’s first branded rum is touted on the menu as a “single-blended Barbados rum, exceptionally smooth with unmistakable notes of toasted pecan, vanilla and wood spice, with a long, elegant finish.” It’s The Real McCoy’s latest partnership with an acclaimed Tiki bar after working with Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco on a similar 92-proof, 12-year-old rum in 2017.
But The Mai-Kai blend, created by Pryor and Foursquare master distiller and blender Seale, is a bit different than that rum as well as The Real McCoy’s flagship 12-year-old rum. The label, launched by Pryor in 2013 after his documentary on pioneering rum-runner Bill McCoy, also features 3-year-old and 5-year-old rums, all from Foursquare..
The Mai-Kai rum is a blend of rums from copper column and pot stills, aged in heavily charred American oak Bourbon barrels. As noted in our May blog post, it was produced at a higher proof than The Real McCoy’s 12-year-old single blended rum (92 vs. 80) and has more pot still rum in the blend. This “heavier” blend is a better fit with flavor profile of the rums used in The Mai-Kai’s signature cocktails, typically higher proof rums from Jamaica and Guyana.
But don’t expect The Mai-Kai blend to be used frequently in cocktails. It’s designed (and priced) as a “super premium” rum like its predecessors and presented that way on The Mai-Kai’s new menu (see below). But it would not be out of line to feature it in a Daiquiri or other simple and elegant cocktail that showcases the rum. We’ve featured a few of these below as well.
Lacking a bottle of The Real McCoy’s standard 12-year-old rum to compare – as our friends at The Rum Traveler blog did [see video] – I took a different approach. My mind jumped immediately to another 12-year-old rum that is highly regarded as both a sipping and mixing rum, a longtime favorite at The Mai-Kai that appears in several highly-regarded cocktails.
Essentially, I wanted to know how The Real McCoy 12-year-old Distillers Proof Mai-Kai Blend held up, both neat and in cocktails, against Appleton Estate 12-year-old Rare Blend (soon to be known as Reserve Casks) rum from Jamaica. Both come from well-respected distilleries and acclaimed master blenders in the English-speaking Caribbean’s two islands with the richest history of rum production.
There are distinct differences when you compare Barbados and Jamaican rums more broadly, but these two particular premium rums are closer than you might think. At 86 proof, the masterfully blended juice in the Appleton Estate flagship product is also aged in American oak Bourbon barrels and is a combination of column and pot still rums. After extensive tastings, I have no problem declaring it a virtual tie in my own informal rum ratings (3.7 out of 5). They’re easily distinguishable from each other, but both display the unmistakable characteristics of 12-year-old blended rums made with care and precision.
When The Atomic Grog launched in late April of 2011, the second post was a Tiki cocktail recipe. Now, more than 400 posts and 200 recipes later, we’ve put all those drinks into an alphabetical list for easy access as a treat to all of you who’ve supported the blog for the past eight years.
Click below and bookmark this page, we’ll keep updating as we add new drinks … Atomic Grog Cocktail Recipes, A through Z Among the many tribute recipes you’ll find are The Master Ninja from Beachbum Berry (center), and (from left) The Mai-Kai’s Yeoman’s Grog, Special Reserve Daiquiri, Black Magic, and Deep Sea Diver.
That title is a misnomer, because we’ve included more than just the A-Z list, which currently stands at 210 cocktails. Below that, you’ll find the recipes grouped in nine different categories – from Don the Beachcomber to our own original creations. They’re also organized into six common Tiki drink styles, including Daiquiris and Mai Tais.
Our mission to cover the very best events, music, art, cocktails, and culture in the modern Tiki revival has not changed in eight years. But the blog has come a long way since that Atomic Zombie Cocktail post on April 25, 2011. That recipe remains one of our favorites, however, and a standard The Atomic Grog has tried to maintain.
Hurricane Hayward with The Mai-Kai’s Pia Dahlquist and author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry at the Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai Challenge at The Mai-Kai on Oct. 30, 2018. (Atomic Grog Photo)
Since then, we’ve gone on a deep dive down a rabbit hole that we continue to explore in our most popular feature, The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide, which includes nearly half of the recipes on the site. But there have been many other drinks explored in stories and reviews that we want you to be able to find easily. I hope this new feature accomplishes that.
Mahalos to all!
First and foremost, I’d like to thank the owners and staff of The Mai-Kai, not only a historic landmark, but a place that holds a special place in my heart and the hearts of many. I still get chills walking through the doors for the umpteenth time. It serves as the “mothership” to generations of Tiki mixologists, including yours truly. Owner Dave Levy, manager Kern Mattei, promotions director Pia Dahlquist, and everybody I’ve ever encountered have made it a pleasure to be there.
I’d also like to send out my deepest appreciation to author, Tiki cocktail historian, and Latitude 29 barkeep Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Without his groundbreaking work, you probably wouldn’t be enjoying half the cocktails on our list, and most certainly you would not be reading this blog. He has truly been an inspiration. Also, much appreciation to everyone else whose recipes appear on the list. They’re all enjoyable drinks or they wouldn’t be there.
The Atomic Grog home bar, October 2018. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
I’m also very appreciative and humbled by all the bars across the country who have served our cocktails. Mahalo to Tiki Mondays With Miller, Trader Vic’s, Hale Pele, Hidden Harbor, Forbidden Island, and everyone else who have featured Atomic Grog recipes on their menus over the years.
The most special thanks go to my wife, Susan, not only for agreeing to marry me at The Mai-Kai nine years ago, but also for supporting these crazy endeavors through thick and thin. She also contributed her graphic design talents by creating The Atomic Grog logo, as well as helping photograph, edit and proof many features on the blog.
And last but not least, a huge shout out to all the home bartenders who take the time to mix up our featured cocktails, from The Mai-Kai tributes to the many delicious creations by some of the best bartenders across the country. Like you, I’m just a fan of well-crafted tropical cocktails, looking for the best recipes to make in my home bar. You rule!
