Hundreds of revelers at the ninth annual Hukilau, the most intimate Tiki gathering in the world, were treated to the ultimate trip into the world of tropical drinks, exotic cocktails and otherworldly decor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, June 10.

The Polynesian Pop festival's opening night party gave participants unprecedented hands-on access to the burgeoning world of retro cocktails and interior design. Movers and (cocktail) shakers in the Tiki revivalist movement joined forces on an odyssey to sample libations, enjoy live music and meet friends old and new over the course of the evening's events.

"2010: A Cocktail Odyssey - The Hukilau Room Crawl" took the festivities to another dimension in bacchanalia. This year's theme, inspired by the classic Kubrick film and its sequel, gave room hosts an opportunity to show off their mixology skills along with their interior design abilities by decking out their rooms in their individual interpretations of Atomic/Tiki/Space Age decor.

Room parties took place throughout the evening with hosts vying for the "Best Room Decor" prize and using sponsor rums and ingredients to compete for "Best Cocktail Creation" honors.

The evening culminated with the "Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge," a Food Network-inspired contest featuring secret ingredients, renowned judges and high-octane fanfare as entrants competed for the evening's grand prize. Participants raced the clock to create a unique signature tropical drink using sponsor rums and pre-determined exotic ingredients to determine who has what it takes to be crowned the first "Hukilau Master Mixologist."

Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge

Five competitors, four mystery ingredients, just 20 minutes to make a taste-tempting Tiki drink that will impress our expert judges and earn one winner the title Master Mixologist of Hukilau 2010. This was the challenge thrust upon the contestants in the first annual Master Mixologist Cocktail Challenge.

The contest was the highlight of the opening-night party at Hukilau 2010 in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, June 10. Hundreds gathered at midnight in and around the beachside "Skylounge" penthouse to see this first-of-a-kind competition inspired by such Food Network contest shows as Iron Chef and Chopped.

The Master Mixologist contest - conceived by Jim "Hurricane" Hayward and hosted by longtime Hukilau emcee King Kukulele - proved to be a smashing success. Giving the contest an extra boost was the great lineup of celebrity judges:

The cocktail creations were judged on creativity, originality, taste, balance and presentation. The judges were also on the lookout for the most inventive use of the mystery items, all of which had to be present in the final product. To win the challenge, contestants were required to present a finished drink plus samples to each of the judges when the clock ran out.

Unveiled seconds before the contest started, the mystery ingredients were:

The contestants also had at their disposal a fully stocked kitchen of shared ingredients, including a variety of fruit, juices, syrups, liquors and, of course, rum. All the ingredients featured in the contest were pulled from the many recipes featured in the books of Jeff "Beachbum" Berry - some common, some obscure.

The penthouse's centrally located, sunken kitchen was transformed into a mixology "arena" as spectators gathered on all sides to watch the thrilling competition. The five competitors assembled at their workstations with all the tools they needed to create a memorable exotic drink.

The contestants bravely raced the clock and ignored the surrounding chaos. Hukilau organizers and Tiki celebrities were right on top of them in the crowded kitchen as King Kukulele hovered on the counter above offering his distinctive running commentary and zany comments.

Adding to the revelry and confusion, King had pizzas delivered during the middle of the contest and passed out slices to the judges. But the mixologists were unfazed. All five did an amazing job of completing the drinks and samples before time ran out and they were all received warmly, albeit with some criticism, by the expert panel. They all presented professional, fully garnished cocktails in one of the specialty glasses available to them.

The judges rated the drinks on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Here are the official results, including contestant name, drink name and score.

• Ken MacArthur, "Atomic Rust," 2.7
Ken is a local tikiphile and aspiring mixologist

• Al Nagas, "Aqua Velva," 3.0
According to Señor Al de Negas, he is to the Mai Tai like dice is to Las Vegas

• Samantha Kuras, "Just Drink It," 3.0
Samantha is a professional bartender and a fish-tailed mermaid in Marina the Mermaid's pod

• Ken Kanaka, "Lewa Lumi (A Recipe for Disaster)," 3.3
Ken is a singer-songwriter, ukulele player and rum mixer on the road to stardom without a map

• Grady Johnson, "Hell in a Handbasket," 4.3
Grady has been missing for years on an uncharted island in his mind

We're glad Grady made it to the mainland for The Hukilau, as he brought an uncommon flair to the contest. His complex, flaming concoction, "Hell in a Handbasket," easily edged out the competition to earn him a spot in Hukilau mixology history.

In addition to the glory of being crowned the first Hukilau "Master Mixologist," Grady was awarded several grand prizes: A custom-sculpted, hand-carved muddler by renowned Tiki carver Tom Fowner; and a gift certificate to the Mai-Kai to use during the Hukilau festivities. The winning recipe will also be featured in the program for Hukilau 2011, the 10th anniversary of the Hukilau.

Here are the recipes for the the runner-up and winning drink: