Post #765160 by Hurricane Hayward on Fri, Jun 17, 2016 11:43 AM

I received a new report from The Mai-Kai that they've been told that the outage is temporary, but still no definite date on Kohala Bay's return. In the meantime, they're looking into other options, including their own blend direct from a distillery.

So you may be asking, what does this all mean when I'm ordering a cocktail at The Mai-Kai? As some of you may have noticed at The Hukilau, there are a few drinks that definitely suffer from the loss. There are a few others that are noticeable, and there are others that don't really matter. I've sampled them all at least once, so here's my take ...

The Zombie remains as great as ever.

Kohala Bay is missed: The Barrel O' Rum suffers the most. Using Bacardi Black, it misses the 2-ounce jolt of dark Jamaican rum. Together with the seasonal red grapefruit juice instead of white, the drink is now too fruity and lacks the bite of the classic recipe. The Jet Pilot also misses the heat and flavor from Kohala Bay, though not as much as the Barrel. And the Mutiny also seems a little more mild and fruity, though the flavor profile is not altered as much.

A slight difference: The Black Magic, 151 Swizzle and the Special Planters Punch are all fine, but they suffer a slight loss of flavor. I wouldn't avoid them, but adjust your expectations. A side note: The Swizzle seems to have returned to an older, more classic recipe with much less sweetness, so that helps a lot. Expect an updated review and recipe soon.

Not noticeable: The Zombie, Cobra's Kiss, Yeoman's Grog, Oh So Deadly, Bora Bora, and Tiki Swizzle all seem to be up to the same standards. I had all of them at The Hukilau or shortly before, and didn't really miss the Kohala Bay. Another side note: The Oh So Deadly received a major upgrade with the addition of falernum. I'll update the recipe and review soon.

Stay tuned for more updates.