Public Invited to Judge Nationwide Cocktail Competition

Organizers note that the Ultimate Ocean Showdown features the top six final cocktails, which have been culled from hundreds of entries. 

Each finalist is paired with a celebrity chef as well as a Maui-based non-profit organization.  

Event attendees (that could be you!), along with a panel of judges, will be asked to vote for their favorite cocktail as well as “best food pairing”. 

Following the theme of Table to Farm, each chef will create a dish to pair with the finalist cocktail.  The winning cocktail recipe will be named Ultimate Ocean Cocktail and will be featured on the menus of Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa for one year, with a portion of proceeds from the sale of the cocktail being donated to the paired Maui-based non-profit organization.

Celebrity chefs participating in the event include Lee Ann Wong from Koko Head Cafe in Kaimuki Oahu; Shawn Gavin from the St. Regis Princeville in Kauai; Sheldon Simeon from Migrant in Wailea; Hank Adaniya from Hank’s Haute Dogs in Kaka‘ako, Oahu; Will Chen From HiFresh Box in Manoa, Oahu; and Andrew Le from The Pig and the Lady in Honolulu.

Victor Mendoza’s Napili Tini. Courtesy image

Entertainment for the evening will include a performance by CrazyFingers and event ticket holders will have free entry to the Afterparty at Black Rock Lounge.

Held from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Sheraton’s Ocean Lawn, tickets are on sale now for $40 per person ($45 day of) when purchased online or by calling (808) 550-8457. 

$25 of each ticket sale – plus, as previously mentioned, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the cocktail over the next year – will be donated to six Maui based non-profit organizations including Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua, Women Helping Women, Make A Wish Foundation, Grow Some Good, Imua Family Services and Whale Trust.