Maui Craft Session Gratifies Many a Vice
By Vanessa Wolf
One bourbon
One scotch
One beer
Three petit fours
Some more scotch
One vodka cocktail
A fistful of cigars
Another beer
If this sounds like your kind of Saturday night, then second Annual Maui Craft Session may be just what the doctor ordered… errr… warned you about.
Held this Saturday, July 12, on the Sheraton Maui’s Ocean Lawn, the event is a celebration of food, spirits, beer and cigars.
“The Maui Craft Session 2014 will give aficionados and enthusiasts an opportunity to taste spirit and beer styles that have been created through time honored traditions for ages, and taste them head- to-head with those that are produced with techniques and methods of the present day,” stated Brandon Maeda, Director of Food & Beverage at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.
“The event will allow our guests to re-discover and explore ‘Old World vs. New World’, coupled with the enjoyment of fine cigars and a fantastic spread of appetizers put together by our culinary team. This evening is about bringing together our industry’s bests in their respective crafts encompassing ‘crate, cask and barrel’.” Maeda continued.
If you’re looking for specifics, Southern Wine & Spirits will feature whiskeys and whiskys from around the world. Anticipate:
- Ibiki, a 12 year-old Japanese blend containing bourbon-aged malt from Hakushu, sherry casks from Yamazaki and grain whisky from the company’s Chita distillery.
- Michter’s Single Barrel Rye. Established in the 1700’s by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer who settled his family in Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain Valley, this American rye is made from select American rye grain that is sheared to enable the saturation of more flavor during fermentation.
- Redbreast, a 12-year old whiskey named ‘Overall Irish Whiskey of the Year’ at the 2013 Irish Whiskey Awards.
- Ardbeg Uigeadail, a Scottish whisky named by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible as ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for its “utter silky brilliance”and “complexity on a level only a handful of distilleries in the world can even dream of reaching.”
Meanwhile, Maui Brewing Co. will offer tastings of craft brews specifically chosen to compliment and contrast with the aforementioned spirits, such as:
- Mana Wheat, an unfiltered freshly handcrafted American-style wheat ale infused with local Maui Gold pineapple juice.
- “Lost at Sea” India Pale Ale, which is aged on rye whiskey barrels for two years, then dry hopped with whole leaf El Dorado hops to freshen the aroma.
- Father Damien Abbey Ale, featuring complex fruit flavors such as plum, fig, and cherry that originate from a special Belgian yeast blend that mingle with a wide range of malt flavors and a touch of spicy hops for balance.
- Pahoeheo Peppered Porter, a robust porter brewed with six varieties of malted barley and aged on lightly toasted comapeno peppers; a rare Mexican hot chile pepper from the highlands of central Veracruz.
If that’s not enough, Ocean Vodka will make its first appearance at the Maui Craft Session as the key ingredient of the evening’s welcome cocktail.
The distillery’s “Asian Fusion” is made with lemonade, ginger, lemongrass and – predictably – Ocean vodka.
Feeling a little tipsy just thinking about all this?
There will also be appetizers to help keep it all in line in the form of:
- Roasted macadamia nut-truffle crusted lamb with a Hamakua mushroom red wine sauce.
- Assorted artisan cheese with house-made lavash.
- Crostinis, crackers, dried fruits, artichoke pesto, and macadamia nut hummus
- Upcountry farm vegetables with basil-lemon aioli, kimchi aioli and avocado-wasabi tobiko dip.
- Assorted petit fours
Last but not least, Cigar Bar Hawaii will also be on hand and providing the following stogies:
- Macanudo
- Punch Champion
- La Gloria Cubana Series R. No. 4
- Hoyo de Monterey
- CAO Moontrance
- CAO Bella Vanilla
The event starts at and a limited number of tickets are available at $89. Reserve yours by calling 808-921-4600.
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