Updated March 24, 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 joins spirits festival, welcomes brands for cocktail and rum tasting events NEW
More Atomic Grog coverage
• Okole Maluna Society – The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
See also: Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive
Official sites and social media
• MaiKai.com | Facebook page | Instagram
Facebook group: Join more than 23,000 Friends of the Mai-Kai
• Instagram: Classics of the Mai-Kai
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Jump to more news below
• 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
Mai-Kai joins spirits festival, welcomes brands for cocktail and rum tasting events
Posted March 24, 2025
The Mai-Kai and new beverage director Cory Starr stepped up their efforts to being spirits and cocktail education to the masses in March with an appearance at a local festival, two nights of special drinks in the outdoor Bora Bora Bar, plus a rum tasting for staff and guests in the main showroom.
Previous coverage: Photos & video: Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress festivities
Tropical Spirits Festival and after-party at Mai-Kai
We ran into Starr and bartender Joey Sunshine at the first Tropical Spirits Festival, held deep inside the historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens near Fort Lauderdale Beach. The event was organized by Robin and Robert A. Burr, whose pioneering Miami Rum Renaissance festival has been a mainstay on the spirits festival circuit since 2009.
Before the Mai-Kai reopened in November, Starr and manager Kern Mattei joined the Atomic Grog for a special presentation at the 15th annual event in Coral Gables. Rather than just concentrate on rum, this new event celebrated “all things tropical” and featured brands and cocktails that also spotlighted tequila, gin, brandy, vodka and more.
The setting was perfect. The Bonnet House estate dates back to 1920 and features historic buildings and natural areas that showcase South Florida’s lush surroundings. Hundreds of attendees enjoyed dozens of booths featuring samples of spirits and cocktails.
Starr and Sunshine served up two Mai-Kai cocktails (one classic and one new) plus one Hawaiian standard. This allowed them to feature rum (Planter’s Punch), tequila (Tahitian Drum), and gin (Royal Hawaiian). The Planter’s Punch has been on the Mai-Kai menu since 1956, while the Tahitian Drum is a Starr creation added to the new menu for the November launch.
The Royal Hawaiian, created in 1948 at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki Beach, exceeded our expectations. It was perhaps the best sip of the day, a perfectly balanced tropical delight featuring fantastic house-made orgeat by lead bartender Michael DeMahy.
Later that evening, Starr and the Mai-Kai hosted Adrienne Stoner, community rum liaison for Maison Ferrand, for the Topical Spirits Festival after-party. The French company’s rums and some of its other spirits were featured in an expansive booth at the festival.
At the Mai-Kai, Starr took advantage of this bounty of products to craft a menu of five drinks – three Mai-Kai classics and two unique twists on famous standards. They were available exclusively during the 7-10 p.m. event. We were lucky enough to taste four of the five and gave them all high marks. Here’s the lineup:
• Moonkist Coconut – From the 1956 menu, this creamy classic was elevated with the use of Planteray Cut & Dry coconut rum and Monymusk Overproof Rum. Our favorite sip of the night.
• Mariano’s Mai Tai – This longtime house favorite was introduced by original mixologist Mariano Licudine in the early 1970s. Replacing the rums (mostly Appleton from Jamaica) with Planteray O.F.T.D., Planteray Barbados 5-year-old, and Monymusk Overproof creates a much drier (and potent) version that we really enjoyed, ranking it second. Featuring two rums clocking in at 69 and 63 percent ABV, this could be dangerous for guests expecting the standard Mai Tai.
• O.F.T.D. Swizzle – The Mai-Kai’s 151 Swizzle is a benchmark version of the Don the Beachcomber original, brought to new heights by Licudine in 1956. It gets a slightly different spin, and slightly less intensity, by featuring Planteray’s 138-proof multi-island blend. We prefer the original, but this was still outstanding and our third favorite.
• Kingston Negroni and Saturn/Negroni – Planteray Xaymaca rum from Jamaica was employed in Starr’s version of the common riff on the gin-based Negroni. We skipped it, instead opting for the Saturn/Negroni, which took that same cocktail and combined it with the gin-based Saturn in a wildly creative combo that we enjoyed almost as much as the Mai-Kai rum drinks. Starr originally created this drink with the bar team at Three Dots & a Dash, circa 2018. The Negroni is floated atop the Saturn (in a Pearl Diver glass), resulting in a surprisingly balanced drink.
Spiribam rum tasting and happy hour in the Bora Bora Bar
Just three days after the Topical Spirits Festival, Starr and his bar team took things up a notch when managing director Ben Jones of Spiribam paid a visit to showcase his company’s diverse portfolio of products. These include the Clement and Rhum J.M brands from Martinique, and all of the rums produced at their St. Lucie Distillers (Chariman’s Reserve, Admiral Rodney, Bounty).
Jones was on a goodwill mission to Florida for a series of events presented by the Florida Rum Society, which is spotlighting Rhum Clement all month. Events featuring the brand continue through March 25.
Jones was returning to the Mai-Kai for the first time since 2018, when he and his company hosted a regional competition in the ambitious Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai Challenge. The winner earned a trip to the finals in St. Lucia, but the runners-up are worth noting here in how they connect to the current Mai-Kai. Michael DeMahy completed as a bartender from Delray Beach’s Death or Glory, and Starr attended the event to support his two co-workers from Three Dots & a Dash in Chicago. [See our previous coverage of the event]
At the March 12 event, staff and guests gathered in the showroom before the restaurant opened to learn about the wide range of Spiribam rums. While Jones presented an information-packed talk and slideshow on stage, we enjoyed four rums from Martinique and four from St. Lucia. We learned a lot about geographic indications (GIs) and how they apply to both islands. These technical specifications spell out how spirits from a specific location can legally be made in that defined territory and labeled for sale around the world. The French government’s “rhum agricole” designation is the most commonly known GI in the rum world.
For example, the distillate is required to be 65-75 percent ABV coming out of the still. Because of this requirement, Jones said, “you can taste the natural flavor that’s coming from the soil, the natural flavor.” Among the excellent rums we tasted were Rhum Clement VSOP, which Jones called the No. 1 Martinique rhum in the world; and Rhum J.M Terroir Volcanique, a complex woody expression intended to capture the terroir of the volcano.
In discussing Chairman’s Reserve, Jones praised the late Laurie Barnard, the last founding family to lead St. Lucia Distillers and an innovator who was ahead of his time. “He had a passion to resurrect the rum culture in St. Lucia” when he took over the distillery, Jones said, leading to the addition of pot stills and native yeast to the production process. He also introduced cash finishes to aged rums decades before it became trendy. The current Chairman’s Reserve Legacy blend is a tribute to Barnard, who died in 2012.
Coinciding with the Mai-Kai’s 4-7 p.m. happy hour, Spiribam cocktails took over the Bora Bora Bar outside under the porte-cochère. Priced at just $12 each, the five creations by Starr (with help from DeMahy) would put many craft cocktail bars to shame. We enjoyed three elevated versions of Mai-Kai staples, a reinvented tropical standard, plus a Don the Beachcomber drink that also paid tribute to Starr’s former workplace.
All five featured inventive use of rums and/or sophisticated techniques and unique flavors, the top two being absolutely spectacular. We’d give them 4.5 out of 5 stars, with the other three easily earning 4 stars. In this order, they were:
• Deep Sea Diver in a Banana Hammock – An inventive riff on the creamy Mai-Kai cocktail featuring Bounty Dark rum, Clement Bana Canne liqueur, and a banana-infused version of the traditional Gardenia Mix (aka Bananadenia). The banana notes mix wonderfully and don’t overwhelm, enhancing all the other perfectly-balanced flavors. Decadently delicious.
• Stirred Painkiller – A clarified craft cocktail that elevates the simple Caribbean drink with coconut fat washed Rhum J.M 110, Clement Creole Shrubb, Clement Mahina Coco liqueur, and pineapple-infused Lillet. Kudos to Starr and DeMahy for this collaboration that pushes the envelope, turning what can be a cloying creamy drink into an intensely flavorful, spirit-forward sipper served over a large rock.
• Three Dots and a Dash – Look closely at the bottom left of the menu, and you’ll find the secret cocktail that should be very familiar to Starr from his years in Chicago. We tasted multiple versions, one featuring the rare J.M Atelier Epices Creoles Rhum, the other a blend of J.M 110 and The Forgotten Casks of Chairman’s Reserve. Both were outstanding, not just for the rum selection but for the potent flavors enhanced by signature Mai-Kai syrups and juices.
• Cold Brew Kona Coffee Grog – A great reinvention of the Mai-Kai’s famous flaming drink, served chilled with a large ice cube. It featured Chairman’s Reserve Original rum, Bounty Spiced rum, and Clement Creole Shrubb, perfectly augmenting the foundational coffee and cream components.
• Mariano’s Mai Tai – In nearly any other circumstances, this version of the house classic would be near the top of any list. The other drinks were that good. The Forgotten Casks and Rhum J.M 110 gave the familiar fruit and spice notes an unexpectedly potent but balanced rummy punch.
Another pleasant surprise came when all the cocktails were served on new retro-inspired coasters (see photos above), which are available as souvenirs while they last. These are the first new coasters since the reopening, featuring the signature cannibal trio and the words “Polynesian Perfection / Where ‘Mai-Kai’ truly means ‘the finest’.”
Look for more educational events and happy hours involving spirits brands in the coming months. The Hukilau event (June 5-8) will also include activities at the Mai-Kai with guest bartenders and sponsor brands.
You can also catch Starr on April 4 and 5 mixing up cocktails at the second annual Tiki-a-Go-Go in Orlando.
• Event preview: Tiki-a-Go-Go enhances immersive Tiki weekender for a new generation
RELATED: New sign connects Bora Bora and Moloklai back stories NEW
New Mcbiff glassware, event in April
During the Spiribam event, we picked up new glassware from Mcbiff, a hot new item in the Mai-Kai Trading Company gift shop. The highball glass features artwork that pays tribute to the historic gardens, while the Mai-Kai’s first-ever branded Zombie glass honors the Tahiti and Tonga dining rooms.
The California artist will visit the Mai-Kai on April 11-12 for a special merchandise signing in the gift shop. He created many special items for the reopening, including prints, aloha shirts, tote bags and other glassware that sold very quickly. A few items remain, so pick them up while you can. We’re excited to see what’s coming in April! A new mug – designed by a noted Tiki pioneer – is also in the works, we’re told.
Despite all this activity, plus some new management duties, Starr has been working on the new Bora Bora Bar menu (details below) plus the long-awaited after-dinner drinks menu. He also expressed hope that the new Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 will be available for its first grand tasting in time for The Huikilau in June.
To wrap up this month’s update, here’s a cool detail you might not be aware of. The next time you’re in the gift shop, watching the bartenders in action through the window into the back bar, take note of the soldiers standing sentry:
They were originally decor for the old Bangkok dining room, where they stood on pedestals before the space was turned into the Mai-Kai Trading Company. According to creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller, they’ve been “hiding in the warehouse for the past 40 years.” They were returned to their former home during the restoration.
Bora Bora Bar menu just a taste things to come
Posted Feb. 24, 2025
Among the many challenges new beverage director Cory Starr faced when he took over the historic Mai-Kai program in September is the new Bora Bora Bar, located outside under the porte-cochère. Enveloping the space where guests were traditionally dropped off to enter the restaurant, the highly immersive seating area has become even more popular than imagined since the national historic landmark reopened in November.
Originally envisioned as an adjunct to the Molokai Bar with a simple design and minimal menu, the outdoor bar was intended to serve guests waiting for dinner reservations and handle overflow on busy nights. Named for the nearby Bora Bora Room, which was removed to make way for the reimagination of the entry driveway, the bar became much more grandiose by the time creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and his design team were through with it. (Look for a future story on the build-out of the bar and how its back-story links it to the vintage Molokai Bar nearby.)
It was clear immediately that this picturesque space would become much more than simply a waiting area. It was a hit during sneak previews of the bars that began Nov. 15, featuring musicians and dancers from the Polynesian Islander Revue. On Nov. 21, the showrooms returned after a grand reopening ceremony in the Bora Bora Bar led by cultural arts & entertainment director Teuruhei Kalaniu’i Buchin and managing partner Bill Fuller. Also speaking to the assembled crowd enjoying cocktails and apps in the bar were Florida state Rep. Chip LaMarca and Oakland Park Mayor Tim Lonergan.
• See video of the reopening celebration (YouTube)
It was ground zero during the Dec. 28 anniversary celebration and subsequent New Year’s Eve party, both featuring live music by the Mai-Kai Island Serenaders. The bar remains a hub of activity, especially during South Florida’s mild winter weather, as many guests choose to make it a destination, not just a pre-or post-dinner option.
This has alleviated the pressure on the indoor Molokai Bar, which was originally added to the front of the building in 1958 (and expanded in 1970) to serve the crush of customers who come for the dinner shows, which can accommodate around 300 people up to three times a night. The daily happy hour, which runs from opening until 7 p.m., is also a big draw for both bars since guests can enjoy almost every cocktail on the extensive menu for half price. The Bora Bora and Molokai bars share the same food menu, and the full dining room menu can also be requested.
The 150-capacity Molokai lounge is self-sufficient, featuring a behind-the-scenes service bar that can prepare all of the 54 cocktails on the massive menu that was introduced for the grand reopening. The main service bar adjacent to the back-of-house kitchen is even larger, designed to handle 400+ guests in all of the dining areas – from the showrooms to the outdoor Lanai. A new window in the gift shop affords us a peek into this historic space, but it’s still a service bar with no guest interaction with the staff.
The Bora Bora Bar is therefore unique, featuring the Mai-Kai’s very first guest-facing bartenders in its 68-year history. This introduced another complexity for Starr to figure out. How do you maintain the traditional air of mystery surrounding the historic cocktails, which have always been made away from the prying eyes of guests? Many of the recipes are closely guarded secrets, created by founding mixologist Mariano Licudine (1907–1980) based on drinks he learned working for Tiki cocktail pioneer Don the Beachcomber from 1939 to 1955.
The bar has evolved over the past three months. Starr is now poised to take a big step forward with the introduction of a unique menu and cocktails that will be served exclusively in the outdoor space, which can handle more than 100 guests. He took the first step with an initial Bora Bora Bar menu that has been available since Feb. 13. But there’s a lot more to come.
As originally designed, the bar featured equipment that would allow for five popular drinks to be prepped and spirits added. For example: The Barrel O’ Rum (with rum, vodka, bourbon or tequila) and the Mara-Amu (with either rum or tequila, aka the Mexican Mara-Amu). All of the other cocktails originally came out of the expansive main service bar. This posed logistical challenges during busy times, not to mention the puzzled guests who weren’t familiar with Mai-Kai history and wondered why the bartenders in front of them weren’t making their cocktails.
But Starr, a master at running a high-volume bar following his years at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, has streamlined Mai-Kai cocktail production across the board. He introduced a system of micro-batching to simplify production greatly on a menu that includes many cocktails with six, nine or even 12 ingredients. There are rum and juice batches for specific drinks, or sets of drinks. Most of the bottles handled by bartenders are cryptically labeled (such as “Jet Fuel” for one of the main ingredients in the high-octane Jet Pilot).
This has allowed bartenders working in the Bora Bora Bar to begin making cocktails in front of guests, which has evolved over time from a small selection to the current menu’s expanded list. Some of the elements of the cocktails still come out of the five barrel taps in larger batches, but nothing is simply topped with a spirit.
You’ll often find Starr outside helping the team, along with lead bartender Michael DeMahy. The bar proved its mettle on Jan. 30, when it hosted more than a hundred thirsty rum enthusiasts during the Miami Rum Congress Kickoff Happy Hour. Organized by the the Florida Rum Society, the event featured a special menu of four cocktails spotlighting sponsor Holmes Cay Rum, created and served by Starr and DeMahy. [See full coverage below]
This was just the first of many special events to come, Starr promises. He said he’d like to offer regular “consumer education” opportunities, including special happy hours with brands. It’s also the perfect place to spotlight guest bartenders and events such as The Hukilau (upcoming June 5-8), he said. Following is a breakdown of the initial Bora Bora menu, plus a tease to what’s coming soon.
The menu features a dozen tropical drinks that can be made at the bar, including eight strong and four medium strength. The strong cocktails include seven classics (Barrel O’ Rum, Mai Tai, Jet Pilot, K.O. Cooler, Mutiny, Bora Bora, Zombie) and Starr’s new Paniolo Old Fashioned. Among the medium drinks are the two versions of the Mara-Amu, plus Starr’s new Hula Girl Martini and one exclusive new addition.
The Mai-Kai has never featured the Painkiller, a 1970s era Caribbean classic, on any of its previous menus. We enjoyed the distinctive coconut, pineapple and orange flavor profile, with just a hint of rum and a dusting of nutmeg. Starr said it’s one of the most-requested off-menu drinks, so it made sense to add it to the new offerings.
It’s still a test, however, and Starr said he wasn’t sure if it will remain, adding: “We’ll see if it fits.” If you really want to try it, now’s your chance. It’s also available inside the restaurant, Starr said.
Remember, you can still order any of the other cocktails from the main menu, which is always offered at the Bora Bora Bar. The new menu, displayed in two-sided stands across the bar, also touts eight beers and six wines by the glass. A new menu is in the works, Starr said, hopefully to be introduced in March to coincide with a new early Sunday performance of the Polynesian Islander Revue on the indoor stage.
Replacing the small stand-up menu will be a full-sized Bora Bora menu with an additional 10 cocktails from the main menu, plus 10 new originals that will be unique to the outdoor bar. The new drinks will include a variety of spirits, Starr said, and will be toward the medium and mild end of the strength spectrum. He said they’re designed as “something refreshing you can sip outside” and “nothing too crazy.”
In addition to the new Bora Bora menu, Starr is putting the final touches on a new menu for the after-dinner cocktails that he also hopes to launch at the same time. Currently, these drinks (such as the iconic Kona Coffee Grog) aren’t listed on the main cocktail menu, but that hasn’t stopped many guests from ordering them. [See video | Previous after-dinner menu]
After the release of both new menus and the upcoming addition of the new Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 (release date TBA), we’ll revisit our long-standing list of cocktail ratings and recipes. In the meantime, check back here for news, information and updates on all the cocktails, both new and old.
One last menu is also in the works, though it’s further down the road, Starr said. A full-blown premium sipping menu will offer not just 100 or so rums, but also a smaller selection (around five to 10 each) of other spirits. Along with Rum No. 1, this lineup will be featured on special shelves in the back service bar that guests can peruse via the special window in the Mai-Kai Trading Company gift shop.
Beverage director Cory Starr interviewed on Shift Drink Podcast
Posted Feb. 24, 2025
Cory Starr took time out from his busy schedule as beverage director of the Mai-Kai in January to chat with podcaster Ed Rudisell about rebooting the historic cocktail program, which he called “easily the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” You can listen to the audio on apps such as Apple Podcast or click here to listen directly at ShiftDrinkPocast.com.
Rudisell is a veteran restaurateur and co-owner of The Inferno Room, an acclaimed Tiki bar, in Indianapolis. He has shared his enthusiasm for rum and cocktails, along with pointed barbs at the trials and tribulations of the hospitality industry, on the podcast since 2016. Starr previously appeared on the show in 2018 along with Kevin Beary and the crew from Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago.
(Note that the references to the Mai-Kai closing in 2020 due to a fire are incorrect. Much of the damage that led to the back-of-house roof collapse was caused by a malfunctioning fire sprinkler system. But it was triggered by a freak storm, not a fire. [Original report on the damage]
The introduction to the interview, however, is spot-on: “Cory Starr has helmed some of the most well-respected cocktail programs in the country. But a few months ago, he took his biggest job yet. He is now running the show at the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale.”
The 64-minute chat offered some insights and a lot of details about Starr’s approach and execution of this massive endeavor. Here are a few of the highlights:
• Starr got hooked on Tiki cocktails when he worked in Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai starting at around age 25. He was introduced to the classics not at his job, but at the tiny Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. He said the bar (which closed in 2012) had a loyalty program in which guests drank every cocktail on the menu, which he completed several times. He then took his knowledge back to his job at the Four Seasons, introducing a special menu. The Mai-Kai had a similar program in its early years, ironically called the Okole Maluna Society. Starr’s main service bar now sports that name, “which ties my whole life into a full circle at this point,” he said.
• In late summer, when he heard the Mai-Kai was actively looking for a new head mixologist, he had some smaller projects he was working on in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But, as he thought about it, he said: “I don’t think anybody else is going to go to the Mai Kai and run it. I know it’s too daunting.” After corresponding with general manager Kern Mattei, he confirmed his interest in the job. “Two days later, I was hired,” Starr said.
• Starr on inheriting Mariano Licudine’s cocktail legacy: “As far as drinks go, all the recipes that I was passed on, basically were the same things that were happening in 1956. I’ve gotten to see a couple of his books – his notebooks and things like that – and kind of sifted through those. And yeah, the recipes are the exactly the same.”
• On the efforts to keep the recipes secret: “We’re doing some secret drinks with secret bottles and secret syrups and stuff like that, to where only the bartenders really know what they are. Instead of doing clear bottles, we’re doing green bottles, so nobody can see what’s inside the bottle.” He said they also use names like “juice No. 1” and “syrup No. 3,” and that “even the bartenders don’t really know what’s in them exactly.”
• Starr was tasked with respecting the past but also elevating the cocktails, while also ensuring consistency. He said he had to ask: “How do we make sure we’re using fresh juice and good rums?” Part of the challenge was “figuring out the ice shell program on all the glassware, something that they kind of had gone away from a little bit.” Starr quickly discovered why: “It’s a pain in the ass is why. You need a lot of freezer space, and you need a lot of man hours dedicated to just making those things.”
• On streamlining the workflow for the bartenders: “Originally I was trying to keep everything how they used to do it. And then I realized that I can cut 15 seconds off making a drink if I just do the things that I need to do to make it work, that I know will work. And it’s not going to affect the drink. If anything, it’s going to make the drink better in the long run.”
• Another priority, he said, is “reintroducing good rums back into the program.” This starts with the launch of Mai-Kai Rum No. 1, a 100-proof blend from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. Once that arrives, he said, “I have to kind of re-tweak the recipes.” [More on Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 below]
• Starr said he was blown away by the work of creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and fellow artists Scott “Flounder” Scheidly and Tom Fowner. He said that when he visited in August, it looked like they had six months worth of work to do. “And they didn’t.” He said he enjoys seeing the great level of detail. “They had to take every light down and redo every light. And we’re talking multiple hundreds of lights. It’s not like a normal Tiki bar with 10-15 fish traps. It’s like 10-15 fish traps every 20 feet.”
• The first weeks of the reopening were “easily the hardest thing I’ve ever done as far as career-wise stuff,” Starr said. “It was definitely not a reopening. It was as much of a regular opening as anything I’ve ever done.”
Past Atomic Grog coverage:
• Mai-Kai timeline, 1956-2024: Iconic restaurant marks 68 years of Polynesian Pop history
• The Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist in advance of grand reopening
Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress festivities
Updated Feb. 18, 2025
The Mai-Kai was once again at ground zero of the rum world as brands, VIPs and enthusiasts flocked to South Florida for the sixth Miami Rum Congress. The restaurant hosted a special event on Jan. 30 and participated in several events Jan. 31 in Miami Beach.
In an unexpected surprise, the Mai-Kai won The Ultimate North America’s Rum Bar 2025 Jury Award during the presentations at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Ultimate Awards recognize “the best of the best” in the rum industry and are awarded annually by organizer Federico Hernandez at Miami Rum Congress.
Following is a chronological recap of all the events.
The Miami Rum Congress Kickoff Happy Hour took over the Bora Bora Bar on Thursday (Jan. 30) from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring a special menu of cocktails spotlighting sponsor Holmes Cay Rum. The event was hosted by the Florida Rum Society and heavily attended by members who packed the outdoor bar and spilled over into the Molokai Lounge.
The four one-night-only cocktails from beverage director Cory Starr and his team included the Mai-Kai’s signature Mai Tai with Holmes Cay Heritage Blend Rum. Our favorite was Smell in the Pacific, an updated take on Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s Hell in the Pacific (from 1998’s Grog Log) that combined Holmes Cay Fiji Blended Rum with lime, maraschino liqueur and pomegranate (likely house-made grenadine). The coup de grace was the spritz of Holmes Cay Reunion Island Grand Arome Rum.
Starr and bartender Michael DeMahy also presented two more inventive creations as they and other members of the bar team took center stage in the immersive new space under the historic porte-cochère. Jungle Nerd was a greatly elevated Jungle Bird featuring the grand arome rum, amaro, lime, pineapple and a clarified milk punch. Meanwhile, the Cay Punch spotlighted Holmes Cay Reunion Island Agricole Rum in a Ti’ Punch riff featuring lime and fermented starfruit (and simple but engaging garnish).
• Click here to see the menu
The Bora Bora Bar gives the Mai-Kai bar staff, traditionally hidden in back service spaces, the opportunity to show off their chops in full view of guests. They still go to great care, however, to keep many traditionally secret recipes and ingredients under wraps by using unmarked and cryptically labeled bottles. The happy hour was a big success, paving the way for similar events in the future.
The Mai-Kai was included in the seventh and final presentation during the opening day of Miami Rum Congress at the spacious convention center on Friday (Jan. 31). The other seminars covered such topics as “Rhum Liqueurs: From Tradition to Modernity” and “Give Rum a Shot – Tales from Brand Ambassadors & Trenches.” Guests also enjoyed rum samples and cocktails throughout the day, which culminated with The Ultimate Awards from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Reexamining Golden Era Rums of the Mai Tai, Mai-Kai, and Beyond ran from around 5 to 6 p.m., hosted by Myssi Davis of The Rum Traveler and also featuring Matt Pietrek, aka Rum Wonk. The author of the epic 2022 book Modern Caribbean Rum debunked many long-held assumptions about the classic Jamaican rum (Wray & Nephew 17 ) purportedly used by Trader Vic in his original Mai Tai. He also cleared up confusion over the rhums of Martinque, which weren’t always produced in the currently predominant agricole style.
I was honored to lead the Mai-Kai section of the presentation, joined by Starr, who took over the bar program in September after a decades-long career at some of the country’s top Tiki destinations (Tiki Tatsu-Ya in Austin, Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago). We started off with a discussion of Mai-Kai rum history, including an analysis of the restaurant’s rum purchases during its first year, 1956-57. Pietrek and I have shared this document at previous events, but it’s always worth spotlighting for its historical significance.
By far, the most-used rum during those early years was Dagger, a dark Jamaican blend from the Wray & Nephew distillery. We paid tribute to original mixologist Mariano Lucidine and traced the evolution of this key mixing rum, which later evolved into Appleton Punch in the 1970s and then Kohala Bay 1990s. When the latter went off the market in 2017, the Mai-Kai was forced to improvise with its own in-house blend of several different commercially available bottles.
• Previous coverage: More on the history of Dagger and Kohala Bay
That will soon change. Lucky guests at Miami Rum Congress got a small taste of the upcoming Mai-Kai Rum No. 1, a 100-proof mixing rum sourced from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. It’s now in the final stages of production and will soon be shipped directly from Barbados to Florida, where it will be bottled and used exclusively at the Mai-Kai.
The new rum is years in the making, a collaboration between the Mai-Kai’s new ownership group and Alexandre Gabriel, the master distiller who owns French spirits company Maison Ferrand and Planteray Rum. Gabriel tapped master distiller Don Benn to create the final blend at the West Indies Rum Distillery. It includes rum from historic pot stills, including JAWS – the unique marque of long fermentation and high ester rum from Barbados.
Stay tuned for details on when the new rum will arrive at the Mai-Kai, where it will not only be used in many of the classic cocktails, but also be available exclusively for purchase the gift shop in custom 1-liter bottles packaged in special souvenir box.
• Previous coverage: Rum No. 1 and the Barrel O’ Rum
Starr and DeMahy had to set up for their pop-up appearance later that evening, so they couldn’t attend the award presentation following our seminar. Unbeknown to us, the Mai-Kai was selected by Hernandez and his staff as the winner of the jury award for The Ultimate North American Rum Bar. The people’s choice, based on website voting, went to Swizzle in Dallas. I was thrilled to pick up the award and bring it home to Starr and the Mai-Kai.
Later Friday, throngs of Rum Congress revelers descended on the Rum Friends Social at Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery in Miami Beach, where Starr was featured as guest bartender from 8 p.m. until midnight. The special event, sponsored by the Florida Rum Society and spirits company Spiribam, featured a menu of five special cocktails using the sponsor spirits.
Four of these were new twists on Mai-Kai classics. The Mai Tai employed Uruapan Charanda Anejo and Single Agricola rums while the retired classic Last Rites featured Grander Cane Harvest Panama Rum.
Things got more inventive with the Kona Cold Brew Coffee Grog, a chilled version of the flaming Kona Coffee Grog featuring Ten to One Five Origin Select Rum and Clement Creole Shrubb. The Moonkist Coconut was elevated with the addition of Worthy Park Overproof and Worthy Park 109 Jamaican rums, Clement Mahina Coco liqueur, and spiced miso coconut milk. Rounding out the menu was an Old Fashioned composed of Rhum J.M Fumee Volcanique, Clement Bana Canne liqueur, and “triple citrus-miso oleo.”
• Click here to see the menu
Overall, the Miami Rum Congress events gave the Mai-Kai great exposure for its esteemed cocktail program, and successfully re-introduced the brand after the restaurant spent the better part of the past 5 years closed and dealing with a $20 million restoration project. It also afforded Starr a platform to show off his mixology mastery, above and beyond his work expertly reviving and expanding the classic Mai-Kai cocktail menu. In the end, guests and attendees reaped the rewards.
MORE PHOTOS & VIDEO: Social media coverage
Is it 1956 or 2024? Forward-thinking Mai-Kai menus sport retro flair
Posted Dec. 5, 2024
This is part 1 in a series exploring the new cocktail and food menus at the historic Mai-Kai. In future stories, we’ll examine the drinks and the food in depth.
Since the Mai-Kai celebrated its grand reopening in mid-November, fans flocking back to 3599 N. Federal Highway in Oakland Park have been dazzled by the renovation and reimagination of the 67-year-old Tiki temple. This includes a painstaking rehabilitation of the Molokai Bar, the massive showroom under the vintage 40-foot A-frame, as well as all the surrounding dining rooms and other guest areas.
Much of the interior looks as good as it has since a 1970 expansion project that marked the last major design overhaul. For this, we can thank creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and his team of artists, including Scott “Flounder” Scheidly, Tom Fowner, and Conrad Teheiura Itchener.
• Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive
But there are a few new additions to this throwback experience that may have escaped notice, right under the noses of many guests. The food and drink menus now boast a vintage look and feel that dates all the way back to the early days of the Mai-Kai. Let’s take a closer look at menus, their links to the past, and some breaking news on what’s coming next.
• Click here for the deep dive into the design and history, plus news on what’s next
Direct links to full coverage
• The cocktail menu: Welcome back to paradise, 1950s style
• The food menus: A modern take with traditions intact
• The cannibal trio: Mai-Kai’s signature iconography
Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist in advance of grand reopening
Updated Nov. 4, 2024
The revered cocktail program at the Mai-Kai is in experienced and enthusiastic hands as the historic restaurant prepares for its grand reopening in November. The new beverage manager and head bartender is Cory Starr, most recently general manager and beverage director at the acclaimed Tiki Tatsu-Ya in Austin, and before that a key member of the team at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago.
While Starr is used to creating unique offerings at his previous gigs, he’s equally excited about the challenge that lies ahead. “I feel a great responsibility for maintaining the standards of the past,” he said in an interview with The Atomic Grog just after his arrival.
Starr worked at Tiki Tatsu-Ya from 2019 until September 2023, creating the cocktail program from the ground-up before the spectacularly immersive restaurant opened in September 2021. Prior to that, he bartended at the Spirited Award-winning Three Dots and a Dash from 2015 to 2019, often joining beverage director Kevin Beary at events across the country.
The Arizona native cut his teeth as a tropical bartender at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii’s Kona Coast from 2011 to 2015. Starr was also invited to compete twice (2018 and 2019) in the prestigious Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival at the Royal Kona Resort (finishing second and third). His time in Hawaii cemented is love for Tiki culture and launched him on a trajectory that has taken him to one of the most legendary Polynesian restaurants of the mid-20th century.
FULL STORY: MEET THE MAI-KAI’S NEW HEAD BARTENDER
• Take 5: Q&A with Cory Starr
• Bonus cocktail recipe: One Way Ticket
More from The Atomic Grog
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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.
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.