Hawaii Cocktail Week Roundup
Hawaii Cocktail Week was a blast, with so many great events all week. Here’s where we hit:
Grey Goose & St. Germain tasting (Feb. 23)
Come by! the writeup said. Try a flight of three cocktails featuring Grey Goose and St. Germain and complimentary food.
Really? At Brasserie du Vin, for $20? On this last day of an intense and heady Cocktail Week, we were so there.
Grey Goose & St. Germain tasting
Cocktail pairing at town (Feb. 20)
This sold-out event Wednesday was a favorite with foodies at their favorite foodie spot: town. Ed Kenney created a unique menu reminiscent of his wine down events, and bartender Jordan Edwards came up with some wild (okay, and a couple of mild) cocktails to shake up the palate with each dish.
Cocktail pairing at town
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In true town style, owner/chef Ed Kenny pulled up a stool at the bar and stood on it to greet the crowd. Here, he’s introducing Bryan Hansen, left, of Jim Beam; and Jordan Edwards, the bar manager at town. As it turns out, Edwards worked at Aziza in San Francisco with Vintage Cave’s Chris Kajioka, and may have been there when I ate there.
Hendricks Gin deconstruction workshop (Feb. 22)
People may like to drink Hendricks, but do they really appreciate what goes into it? Brand Ambassador Mark Stoddard led a workshop at the Manifest to deconstruct the spirit, having participants taste the individual ingredients that go into it while he explained the distillation process.
Hendricks Gin deconstruction workshop
Reverse Pairing @ the Moana (Feb. 21)
Create the cocktail first, let the food follow. In this reverse pairing, Southern Wine and Spirits mixologist Chandra Lam Lucariello led the way with three creations. Each was paired with appetizers crafted specially by Moana Surfrider chef William Chen for the intensity and flavors of each cocktail.
Reverse Cocktail Pairing
Sailor Jerry rum showcase at Manifest (Feb. 21)
Another day of Hawaii Cocktail Week comes to a close at Manifest, featuring cocktails showcasing Sailor Jerry spiced rum. The rum brand, named after famed tattoo artist Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins hosted a screening of the “Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry” documentary on Collins’s life earlier in the evening at R&D. After the screening, guest mixologists were ready to serve at Manifest, which is located around the corner from Collins’s former shop on Smith Street. Some of the the tasty cocktails available last night were Jerry’s Mule, and my favorite of the night, the Smith St. Old Fashioneo.
Sailor Jerry rum showcase
Takayuki Suzuki seminar
Earlier this week, Japanese bartender — or bar master, as some have referred to him — Takayuki Suzuki led a seminar on Japanese bartending and took that art to a new level. After educating us on Japanese whisky, he made four drinks, each with precision and purpose.
Hawaii Cocktail Week: Eastern Eden
Pint + Jigger cocktail dinner (Feb. 19)
Hawaii Cocktail Week festivities continued Tuesday evening with a cocktail pairing dinner at Pint + Jigger. The sold-out dinner consisted of a sextet of diverse cocktails paired with some of the Makiki pub’s popular menu items. Here’s a look at the libations and food that brought everyone out.
Pint + Jigger cocktail pairing
Hendricks Showcase @ Manifest (Feb. 19)
On Tuesday, Manifest offered $3 Hendricks cocktails as part of Hawaii Cocktail Week 2013. Cocktails were mixed by house bartender and Manifest owner Justin Park, winner of both the 2012 World Mai Tai Festival and 2012 GQ Bombay Sapphire’s Most Inspired Bartender Hawaii Qualifier. Special appearance made by David Piper, the man in the tweed suit and Hendricks Global Ambassador.
Sous vide seminar (Feb. 19)
To paraphrase Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” to sous vide or not to sous vide? That’s the question posed by mixologist Dave Newman during his Hawaii Cocktail Week seminar held at Pint + Jigger.
Sous vide cocktails
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During the seminar, Newman explained how “cooking” cocktails sealed in airtight mason jars with toasted wood chips could replicate the effect of barrel aging.
Newman found that the sous vide process can reduce the aging time from weeks to days or even hours.
Photo by Ed Morita
Cocktail Week launch party (Feb. 16)
We were there for the launch party of the first ever Hawaii Cocktail Week! One of the many parties-within-a-party at Saturday’s Honolulu Night Market, Hawaii Cocktail Week started with an event hosted by Hawaii Bitters at Coxist Studio. Master mixologist Joey Gottesman, kept the party going with cocktails highlighting the much anticipated Hawaii Bitters, which had three flavors available to sample – Lilikoi, Kona Coffee & Macadamia Nut and Manoa Chocolate & Ginger.
