Planteray Rum Archives - The Atomic Grog

February 24, 2025April 29, 2025

UPDATES: Mai-Kai bar and cocktail news, reviews and exclusive insights

Updated April 29, 2025
Let us quench your thirst for the most detailed information, photos and deep dives into the cocktails served at the Mai-Kai restaurant in South Florida, est. 1956. This page will include reports by journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward along with news and official updates passed along by beverage director Cory Starr as he resurrects the storied bar program, originally developed by legendary mixologist Mariano Licudine. This blog post will serve as a supplement to our Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide, which will soon be updated with new reviews and recipes. If you’re looking for updates on the restaurant’s restoration and reopening, along with anything beyond the cocktails and bar program, be sure to follow this story:
• Exclusive ongoing coverage of the Mai-Kai reopening

LATEST NEWS BELOW: Mai-Kai cocktails at events near and far, new menus coming soon

More Atomic Grog coverage
• Okole Maluna Society – The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
See also: Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive

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LATEST EVENTS

Best of both worlds at The Hukilau 2025: Beachfront resort with full Mai-Kai experience NEW
For the first time, the 23rd Tiki weekender will take place at both the oceanfront Beachcomber Resort and the historic Mai-Kai restaurant, restoring the event to its pre-2020 format. Special features include an exclusive showing of The Donn of Tiki film, a two-day Tiki bar-building class, multiple Mai-Kai events, plus more.
EVENT PREVIEW: Detailed info on all of the performing bands and Tiki Treasures Bazaar
Direct links to more info: Tickets | Entertainment | Full list of vendors | The Mai-Kai | The Beachcomber
Previous coverage: Mai-Kai set to host multiple events during The Hukilau

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Jump to more news below
• Mai-Kai joins spirits festival, welcomes brands for cocktail and rum tasting events
• New Bora Bora Bar menu just a taste things to come
• Beverage director Cory Starr interviewed on Shift Drink Podcast
• Photos & video: Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress festivities
• Is it 1956 or 2024? Forward-thinking Mai-Kai menus sport retro flair
• Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist

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Mai-Kai bartender Michael DeMahy describes the special cocktails he created for the event featuring California artist Mcbiff on April 11-12. Displayed in Mcbiff's new glassware are the Mcbiff Mai Tai (left), Mod Art Punch and Mcbiff's Magic. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward) — Mai-Kai bartender Michael DeMahy describes the special cocktails he created for the event featuring California artist Mcbiff on April 11-12. Displayed in Mcbiff’s new glassware are the Mcbiff Mai Tai (left), Mod Art Punch and Mcbiff’s Magic. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

Mai-Kai cocktails at events near and far, new menus coming soon

Posted April 20, 2025

The first two weeks of April featured a flurry of events for the Mai-Kai bar team, a precursor of more to come this spring. On top of all this activity, beverage director Cory Starr is planning the launch of two new permanent menus.

Starr and his bartenders hit the road in early April for events in south and central Florida, then paid tribute to Mcbiff with a special pop-up menu during the artist’s print-signing event. In May, Starr will be one of the featured bartenders at an inaugural Tiki event in Italy. In June, enthusiasts from around the world will descend on South Florida and the Mai-Kai for The Hukilau, the long-running Tiki weekender hosted at a nearby beachfront resort.

Mai-Kai managers welcome Mcbiff to his print release party with a toast in the Bora Bora Bar on April 11. From left: Hurricane Hayward, beverage director Cory Starr, managing partner Bill Fuller, public relations director Pia Dahlquist, Mcbiff, general manager Kern Mattei. (Mai-Kai photo)

Following is a rundown on all the events, past and future. After that are details on the new after-dinner and bar menus in the works.

Starr and the Mai-Kai participated in the Pinko de Mayo charity event on Thursday, April 3, at Cielo Farms in Southwest Ranches, a Broward County town about 25 miles to the southwest. The event raises money for the foundation that supports women through breast cancer, survivorship, surveillance and prevention. The Mai-Kai served three cocktails, Starr said, including several featuring sponsor spirits.

Guests enjoyed a Mai Tai with Planteray Rum and a Saturn with Citadelle Gin, similar to the drinks featured at the Tropical Spirts Festival after party on March 9. The third was a very untraditional Western Sour that Starr said was more “Jet Pilot-esque with guava.” The result was a pink cocktail that fit the theme, along with the other two. The event also featured the debut of the Mai-Kai’s new portable, traveling bar.

Mai-Kai beverage director Cory Starr works with a Hawaiian shaved ice machine to create a new take on the classic Derby Daiquiri during Tiki-a-Go-Go in Orlando on April 5. (Photos by The Rum Trader, Holmes Cay Rum)

Mai-Kai joins top Florida bars at Tiki-a-Go-Go in Orlando

Quickly becoming one of the must-do events on the Tiki events calendar, Tiki-a-Go-Go is a three-day gathering at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando. The second annual festival – held Thursday-Sunday, April 4-6 – featured symposiums and classes, live music and entertainment, artists and vendors, plus more.
Live coverage: Photos and video from Tiki-a-Go-Go

One of the major attractions is the lineup of cocktail bars and bartenders who serve hundreds of thirsty guests from pop-up bars throughout the weekend. Beverage director Cory Starr was joined by bartenders Michael DeMahy and Joey Sunshine, making their debut as a team at a major Tiki event.

Continue reading “UPDATES: Mai-Kai bar and cocktail news, reviews and exclusive insights”

December 24, 2024December 26, 2024

Cocktail recipe: Set sail for a potent holiday adventure with the Atomic Navy Nog

There’s nothing more ubiquitous during the Christmas season than a traditional eggnog, whether its a non-alcoholic version for the whole family or a boozy variation featuring whiskey, rum and/or brandy. It’s hard to mess up this holiday standard if you know what you’re doing, so we saw no need to weigh in with a unique recipe of our own. Until now.

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry serves up a tasty nog at Sippin' Santa. (Official photo) — Jeff “Beachbum” Berry serves up a tasty nog at Sippin’ Santa. (Official photo)

Over the past decade or so, we’ve tasted some excellent examples of modern nogs at the annual Miracle and Sippin’ Santa pop-up bars. In general, the craft cocktail revival has raised the bar on this formerly cringey classic that was more often served out of a carton.

Esteemed author and barkeep Jeffrey Morgenthaler is widely credited with championing eggnog with a craft cocktail slant, leading to a plethora of modern recipes. The recent explosion of local Christmas pop-ups that followed in Miracle’s wake has made the options even more plentiful.

But even in its most elevated form, eggnog is not typically a showcase for bold and aggressive rums. Kevin Crossman’s Ultimate Egg Nog is solid, but it splits the base with bourbon. Inspired by Derek Cole’s Tiki Eggnog, updated this year on his Make and Drink channel on YouTube, I sought to lean into the Tiki spices but also bring to the table the most flavor-packed (and potent) rum(s) in a classic eggnog format.

Hamilton Beachbum Berry's Navy Grog Blend (114 proof) and Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum (111.4 proof) are robust and flavorful mixing rums. (Official photos) — Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Navy Grog Blend (114 proof) and Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum (111.4 proof) are robust and flavorful mixing rums. (Official photos)

The result is the Atomic Navy Nog, featuring not one but two Navy-style rums that have been calling my name since their release. Both Beachbum Berry’s Navy Grog Blend from Hamilton Rum and Mister Fogg Navy Rum from Planteray are outstanding mixing rums that deserve a lot more use beyond the namesake Navy Grog.

You could easily use one bottle or the other in this recipe if that’s all you have, but the 50/50 blend is surprisingly not too muddled or muted. In the Don the Beachcomber tradition, two rums are indeed better than one, even if they already are complex three- and four-country blends. To complete the link back to Donn Beach, I tried to employ some of his other favorite ingredients (cinnamon syrup, Gardenia Mix) to give the nog some depth of flavor beyond the rum.

The result, I hope, is a spicy and rummy eggnog that retains its classic form but gives rum and Tiki aficionados an extra special treat.

Continue reading “Cocktail recipe: Set sail for a potent holiday adventure with the Atomic Navy Nog”

October 22, 2024November 18, 2024

UPDATE: 15th Miami Rum Renaissance Festival features tastings of elite brands, Mai-Kai seminar, plus more

Updated Nov. 18, 2024

As November approaches and most of the country starts to buckle down for the winter, South Florida’s thoughts turn to … RUM, of course. More specifically, the Miami Rum Festival in Coral Gables, which celebrates the world’s most diverse spirit with three days of seminars and tasting events that target everyone from newbies to high-end enthusiasts, to industry professionals.

Nov. 9-11 – Miami Rum Renaissance Festival at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club and Marriott Courtyard Coral Gables. Educational seminars on Saturday, grand tasting on Sunday, trade day on Monday.
See below: Seminars | Grand tastings | Tickets, venue info
• After party at Tiki speakeasy
NEW: Social media recaps
2023 recap: Photos and highlights of last year’s event
Upcoming: Rum events calendar

It’s not surprising that with its year-round tropical weather and proximity to the Caribbean, the Sunshine State is the fastest growing premium rum market in the United States. The Florida Rum Society is one of the largest and most active social groups dedicated to cane spirits. In 2024, we have been blessed with a plethora of events, from Miami Beach to Key West to Tampa.

But the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is the grand daddy of them all in the hottest of the rum hotbeds, launched in 2009 by longtime rum collectors and enthusiasts Robin and Robert Burr, author of Rob’s Rum Guide. This year’s gathering will be fifth at the historic Coral Gables Woman’s Club and the 15th overall.

Rum giant Bacardi, which has its American headquarters in Miami, regularly sends representatives to the Miami Rum Festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 12, 2023)

“South Florida is the number one rum market in the world and its only fitting that we present Miami Rum Fest as the best rum tasting program in the United States once a year in this location,” Robert Burr is quoted as saying. “Its also a chance for the international rum community to come together, from the islands of the Caribbean and the Americas to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and beyond.”

The participating brands are carefully curated by the Burrs, reflecting both their interests in the global variety but also boutique and local producers who may not yet be major players. The website lists 68 different brands, and you can expect most to bring multiple expressions of their rum to the grand tasting, set for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. If you buy a VIP ticket, you get early entry at 12:30.

If you want to dive deeper into the history and techniques used to create today’s finest rums, be sure to check out the seminars on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Marriott. One ticket allows you access to all three, including Tiki Evolution: The Historic Rums and Iconic Cocktails of The Mai-Kai, which I’ll have the pleasure of presenting along with Kern Mattei and Cory Starr, the longtime manager and new beverage director at the Fort Lauderdale restaurant (est. 1956).

While I’ve attended and covered the festival for the blog nearly every year (see links below), this will be The Atomic Grog’s first seminar and our first time participating since the memorable Zombie Jamboree cocktail competition hosted by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in 2011. We hope to see you there!

Robert and Robin Burr (center) with their staff at the 2019 Rum Renaissance Festival. (Photo by Miles Maximillian Vrahimis)

Following is a rundown on what you can expect at the 2024 festival.

Saturday’s seminars

The Miami Rum Festival has always offered a wide array of seminars and expert master classes for its participants. In recent years, these educational opportunities have been held on the event’s first day at the Marriott Courtyard Coral Gables, less than a mile from the tasting venue at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club.

That’s not to say the seminars don’t involve tasting rums. To the contrary, many of the intimate events have featured numerous samples of rare and exclusive spirits. The all-inclusive ticket ($79) also includes food and refreshments served during the breaks between seminars. Seating is limited, so advance reservations are encouraged. Get your seminar ticket now.

Continue reading “UPDATE: 15th Miami Rum Renaissance Festival features tastings of elite brands, Mai-Kai seminar, plus more”