5 Cool Things About FOOD FIGHT!, The Street’s Epic Cocktail Battle
(Sponsored) Michael Mina’s boozy competition took place Thursday, Nov. 30 at Queen’s Court in the International Market Place.
Photos: Greg Yamamoto
Last Thursday, two of Michael Mina’s best Waikīkī mixologists met up for some friendly competition in an epic rum cocktail battle hosted by The Street: A Michael Mina Social House. The Street’s Andrew Woodley went head-to-head with STRIPSTEAK’s Mundo Delgado, each crafting three drinks with the overall winner chosen by a panel of judges: HONOLULU’s own editor at large, Robbie Dingeman; radio presence Jimmy Da Geek; and Jason Genegabus of Honolulu Star-Advertiser, who covers the Island’s food and drink scene. Here’s a recap of the drama, the drinks and the results.
1. The Mynah Bird Tiki Bar
We stopped by one of The Street’s three resident bars before FOOD FIGHT! The Mynah Bird serves fun-focused, tropical-inspired cocktails in fun ways—which sometimes includes pink elephant glasses and fire. Needless to say, it made quite an impression.
2. The Street’s Andrew Woodley
Andrew Woodley started his career at age 18 behind the bar at The Black Lion in Leighton Buzzard, Great Britain. After joining the Mina Group in 2014, he moved to Honolulu where he helped open and curate the cocktail menu at STRIPSTEAK. Now, he serves as lead bartender for The Street.
3. STRIPSTEAK’s Mundo Delgado
Driven by passion and curiosity for the fine-dining world, Raymundo “Mundo” Delgado first started as a dishwasher and moved up the chain as his experience grew. After a career at Postrio SF, he joined Michael Mina which gave him even more opportunities to grow and expand his knowledge.
4. The Winner
For the third and final round, Woodley and Delgado both opted to create their own versions of an old fashioned. While it was a tough call, Delgado’s fig fashioned, made with rum and fig bitters, won him the judges’ favor.
5. Audience Choice
After the battle, everyone who attended the event was invited back to STRIPSTEAK to sample each mixologists’ best cocktails and vote for their favorite. The winner? Woodley’s mynah bird, a fun, sunrise-hued cocktail garnished with hibiscus, which, he says, represents what the tiki bar is all about.
For more information on International Market Place, visit shopinternationalmarketplace.com. For more information on STRIPSTEAK, visit michaelmina.net. For more information on The Street: A Michael Mina Social House, visit thestreetsocialhouse.com.
