Mixologists compete to define a new cocktail for the islands

It was bright and early on Saturday morning — by bartender standards, anyway — when 10 of the best and brightest mixologists from Hawaii and around the country showed up to present their interpretations of a new, classic, Hawaii-inspired cocktail for the 21st century.

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival competition kicked off just after 9 a.m. at the Kahala Hotel & Resort with six bartenders representing Hawaii and another four flying in from the mainland to participate. Some of the visitors, like Tony “The Modern Mixologist” Abou-Ganim, have been a part of the festival since it began in 2011. Others, like New York-based KJ Williams of Brooklyn’s Long Island Bar and Andy Seymour of Liquid Productions, were taking part for the first time.

“I love the idea,” said Abou-Ganim. “Everyone has the same idea in mind of what we’re trying to envision in the glass. Otherwise the drinks would be all over the place. This way, we’re utilizing local ingredients and coming up with something relatively simple to make.”

Representing the 50th State were a number of heavy hitters in the local drinks scene, including Southern Wine and Spirits’ Chandra Lucariello, Pint + Jigger’s Dave Newman, Bevy’s Christian Self, Bar Leather Apron’s Justin Park and Kohana Rum’s Kyle Reutner.

“These are some of the people I grew up idolizing and looking to for inspiration,” Park said. “To be in the same room in a cocktail competition against them is super humbling.”

Competitors were given about 10 minutes to build and present four drinks to the judges, who included chefs Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi, Julie Reiner of the Clover Club in New York and Bacardi brand manager David Cid. Each drink was limited to five ingredients and was expected to be easy enough to make so the recipe could be shared with hotels and restaurants around the islands.

The grand prize — $3,000 cash and a trip to a Bacardi portfolio distillery — went to New York-based mixologist Katie Stipe for a drink she called The Weather Pending, a riff on a traditional mai tai that substituted sherry wine for orgeat syrup. Newman took home $2,000 for his second-place finish, while Park won $1,000 for placing third, plus a gift box and a two-night stay at the Kahala for creating the crowd favorite drink of the day, another mai tai-style cocktail he called “The Voyager.”