Drink Your Dinner at Makena’s Liquid Chef Event

By Maui Now Staff

Master Mixologist Chandra Lucariello. Courtesy image.

This Thursday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m., The Makena Beach & Golf Resort continues its new Liquid Chef series, this time featuring Ocean Vodka.

Held in the resort’s Molokini Bar and Grill, the event will include four hand-crafted cocktails utilizing Ocean Vodka and highlighting local ingredients.

Guided by Master Mixologist Chandra Lucariello, guests will be able to learn how to make an Ocean Collins, a fizzy concoction incorporating fresh cucumber, lychee, lime juice, simple syrup and a dash of club soda.

Next up is a Pineapple Basil Martini in which Ocean Vodka is muddled with basil, simple syrup and sweet pineapple.

The Kula Lavender Martini features fresh lemon juice and a Maui vanilla lavender simple syrup.

The last cocktail of the night balances Hawaiian chili-infused Ocean Vodka and ginger and lemongrass syrups, aptly called the Yin and Yang.

Various appetizer pairings for each cocktail will also be prepared by the resort’s culinary staff.

Ocean Vodka’s CEO, Shay Smith will be in attendance as well.

A Seabury High School and business degree graduate, Smith joins the event to provide insight into the distilling process and Ocean Vodka’s sustainable and socially conscious approach to business.

“Ever looking to support local business, we are proud to showcase Maui’s own Ocean Vodka, for the January edition of our Liquid Chef Series,” said Leo Mallari, food & beverage director for the Makena Beach & Golf Resort.

Ocean Vodka’s Shay Smith.

Created in 2005, Ocean Vodka is a family-owned and operated Maui-based business producing high-end vodka. Developed by the Smith family, the mission of Ocean Vodka is to create a superior organic, value-added agricultural creation from Hawaii that supports the local economy, competes globally based on quality, and raises awareness for ocean conservation.

Southern Wine and Spirits of Hawaii’s Director of Mixology Chandra Lucariello has been a member of Hawaii’s restaurant and bar industry for 18 years.

Lucariello has consulted for various prestigious hotel chains in Hawaii and hopes to inspire bartenders to focus on fresh ingredients, to use the best luxury spirits available and to think of themselves as artists.

Offered at $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity, seating is limited and reservations are recommended.