Michael DeMahy Archives - The Atomic Grog

February 24, 2025March 27, 2025

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

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

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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

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The Mai-Kai's beverage director, Cory Starr (left), served up cocktails with bartender Joey Sunshine during the Tropical Spirits Festival at Fort Lauderdale's Bonnet House Museum & Gardens on March 9. — The Mai-Kai’s beverage director, Cory Starr (left), served up cocktails with bartender Joey Sunshine during the Tropical Spirits Festival at Fort Lauderdale’s Bonnet House Museum & Gardens on March 9.

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

Cocktails presented by the Mai-Kai at the Tropical Spirits Festival in Fort Lauderdale included the Tahitian Drum (left) and Royal Hawaiian. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward /March 9, 2025)

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.

After the Tropical Spirits Festival, the Mai-Kai welcomed Adrienne Stoner of Maison Ferrand and Planteray Rum (right) for an after-party in the Bora Bora Bar attended by enthusiasts such as Emily Driscoll from Tiki-a-Go-Go and The Hukilau. Click for a larger view of the menu. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / March 9, 2025)

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:

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

October 30, 2024March 27, 2025

UPDATES: Latest news and full coverage of The Mai-Kai reopening

Updated March 25, 2025
This blog post will feature continually updated information from official sources at the historic Mai-Kai restaurant in South Florida. It will also include in-depth coverage and photos from journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, along with information gathered from other reliable sources. Bookmark and return for the most accurate and complete guide to the reopening of the Tiki landmark, est. 1956.
• Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive
UPDATES: Mai-Kai bar and cocktail news, reviews and exclusive insights

LATEST NEWS BELOW: February-March 2025 update: Artists continue working on Mai-Kai design projects NEW

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LATEST EVENTS

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Jump to more news below
• Inuhele event recap: Paradise Reimagined: Deep Inside the Mai-Kai Restoration
• Videos: A moment of zen
• Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress festivities
• January 2025 update: Tiki gardens and new dining options open as Mai-Kai menus get a refresh
• Mai-Kai timeline, 1956-2024: Iconic restaurant marks 68 years of Polynesian Pop history
• Is it 1956 or 2024? Forward-thinking Mai-Kai menus sport retro flair
• Mai-Kai grand reopening: Answers to frequently asked questions
• Mai-Kai celebrates grand reopening, return of signature dinner shows
• Mai-Kai hosts preview of bars in advance of grand reopening
• Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist

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Mai-Kai beverage director Cory Starr (left) with creative director "Typhoon Tommy" Allsmiller in the Bora Bora Bar on Feb. 27. Tom Fowner (right) is joined by fellow South Florida artist Todd Ashbaugh on March 14. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, the Mai-Kai) — Mai-Kai beverage director Cory Starr (left) with creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller in the Bora Bora Bar on Feb. 27. Tom Fowner (right) is joined by fellow South Florida artist Todd Ashbaugh on March 14. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, the Mai-Kai)

February-March 2025 update: Artists continue working on Mai-Kai design projects, upgrading vintage look and feel

Posted March 24, 2025

There has been a lot of activity at the Mai-Kai since our last full update in January, from the completion of the restoration of the waterfalls in front of the iconic A-frame, to the addition of vintage tikis in the outdoor gardens, to the pending installation of new carvings across the property, to a new signature Bora Bora Bar sign and its fascinating back story. This story will cover all those topics and more, hitting all the high points since our presentation at Inuhele in Atlanta (see full story). Also remember to check our separate blog post that covers all the latest Mai-Kai bar and cocktail news, updated with coverage of two special events in March.
RELATED: Mai-Kai joins spirits festival, welcomes brands for cocktail and rum tasting events NEW

Here are the highlights of the continuing renovations and restoration of the restaurant, including new videos and photos.

Historic water features running, new front deck completed

The return of the water features in front of the Mai-Kai completes the restoration of the iconic facade of the South Florida restaurant. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / March 7, 2025)

If you thought that the extensive restoration and renovation of the Mai-Kai was nearly complete at the end of 2024, think again. We watched the progress throughout early 2025, culminating with the long-awaited return of the waterfalls that cascade through the rock work in front of the 40-foot A-frame.

The elaborate water features in front of the building along Federal Highway, which date back to the early days of the 68-year-old restaurant, were finally operational by the second week in March. Waterfalls now also envelope guests who walk out onto the new deck added to the front of the Molokai Bar during the restoration.

Bringing the water system back to life was a long, involved process. The system is vintage (aka very old), but the Mai-Kai has been able to restore it with the help of an expert who specializes in keeping such legacy systems running. In addition to separate pump systems in front to the left and right of the entry bridge, there are classic water features surrounding the banyan tree next to the Bora Bora Bar, and also throughout the walking paths in the back Tiki gardens.

The restored water features next to the 1960s era carving by Barney West at the north end of the Mai-Kai property along Federal Highway date back to 1960. Note the banyan trees and Bora Bora Bar in the background. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Feb. 27, 2025)

Because the Mai-Kai is a local and national historic landmark, tearing out and replacing the vintage systems was not an option. As part of the reimagination, new rock work and waterfalls were added in front of the new outdoor bar. The most ambitious new water feature is the faux volcanic caldera and its water jets at the end of the entry driveway.

Manager Kern Mattei said they had to reboot, then typically replace, multiple aging pumps that had been shut down since 2020. Many hadn’t been working for years prior. Then crews had to inspect and debug every inch of pipe to make sure all the lines were working. They’re still plagued by leaks, but they’re finally all working correctly.

While this work was going on, “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller completed the conversion of the outdoor area in front of the Molokai Bar into a small Tiki garden, surrounded by flowing waterfalls. We got our first inkling that something special was coming in the summer of 2023 when Allsmiller restored the beam extensions on front of the bar.

The front deck of the Molokai bar is now complete, offering guests an additional outdoor garden area. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / March 12, 2025)

Over the next year, the new deck was built and the outdoor area in front of the bar became a public space for guests for the first time. When the Mai-Kai reopened in November after 5 years and $20 million in improvements, the former fire door became a public exit, but more work was still left to be done.

By late February, the woodwork on the front of the building had been painted, temporary barriers removed, and new bamboo planted to block the sights and sounds of busy Federal Highway. “You can’t see the street anymore,” Mattei said, noting the guests inside the bar are now totally cut off from the real world, as intended. With a few exceptions, you’ll have this same experience throughout the restaurant. This immersion is key to the original design and carried through the restoration.

Continue reading “UPDATES: Latest news and full coverage of The Mai-Kai reopening”