Sheraton Kauai Resort Announces Third Annual Kauai’s Best Bartender Competition

Sheraton Kauai Resort Announces Third Annual
Kaua‘i’s Best Bartender Competition

15-Week Competition to be held at RumFire Po‘ipū Beach and Presented by Kōloa Rum

RumFire Po‘ipū Beach at Sheraton Kauai Resort and Kōloa Rum Company are once again on the hunt for Kaua‘i’s Best Bartender. In the contest’s third year, the island’s food and beverage industry professionals have been challenged to showcase original Kōloa Rum-based cocktails for the chance to earn the title and the $4,000 grand prize. The runner-up will receive a $1,000 prize; both cash prizes are courtesy of Kōloa Rum. Over the 15 weeks of the single-elimination tournament, contestants will go head-to-head by creating an original cocktail featuring a mystery ingredient or theme chosen the prior week. A winner will be named Kaua‘i’s Best Bartender in the final round on Friday, Nov. 17.

Every Friday evening beginning Aug. 11, patrons of RumFire Poipu Beach will have the opportunity to cast their votes between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM to determine the winner of each round, along with a judges’ panel with a weighted vote. Participants can enjoy an 8-ounce portion of each contestant’s Kōloa Rum-based cocktail for $16. The RumFire culinary team will create a weekly appetizer special featuring the mystery ingredient or theme as an optional pairing for patrons.

Kōloa Rum’s award-winning rums are carefully and skillfully handcrafted from the finest sugarcane and the pure, abundant water sources on Kaua‘i. Each of the six flavors are twice distilled in single batches. From the dry and crisp Kaua‘i White Rum to the bold and rich notes of Kaua‘i Coffee Rum, Kōloa Rum offers an array of premium rums to inspire the contestants and enhance their cocktail creations.

Located oceanfront at Sheraton Kauai Resort, RumFire Poipu Beach is the south shore’s hotspot for modern Kaua‘i dining. Featuring locally sourced cuisine with global influences and an inventive beverage menu to ignite your palate, each memorable meal is enjoyed with 180-degree oceanfront views from all of the signature restaurant’s 240 seats. RumFire is also home to the Table 53 charity program, which has raised more than $185,000 for Kaua‘i-based non-profit organizations to date.

In the 2016 Kaua‘i’s Best Bartender competition, more than 6,000 Kōloa-Rum-based cocktails were served over the course of the competition. Jennifer Bryant of The Club at Kukui‘ula was named the 2016 winner with her original “Mālie” cocktail, featuring Kōloa Coconut Rum, kaffir lime leaves, fresh Hawaiian guava juice and essence of lemon. Nilo Badua was the inaugural champion in 2015 with his Plantation Mai Tai, a twist on the classic mai tai enhanced with fresh lime juice, homemade lavender falernum, sugarcane juice, lemongrass simple syrup and seasonal ingredients. Versions of the past winning cocktails are currently featured on RumFire’s menu.

For more information about RumFire Po‘ipū Beach and Kaua‘i’s Best Bartender competition, visit rumfirekauai.com or call 808 742 4786 (4RUM).

About Sheraton Kauai Resort
Sheraton Kauai Resort, nestled on 20 acres along world-renowned Po‘ipū Beach, features 391 rooms and 11 suites. A full complement of guest services and facilities enhances this oceanfront location, including two swimming pools, an open-air Ocean Courtyard with conversational seating areas and fire pits, two restaurants, RumFire Po‘ipū Beach and Lava’s on Po‘ipū Beach, a host of beach activities and beautiful locations for weddings and special functions. For more information about Sheraton Kauai Resort, please call 808 742 1661 or visit sheraton-kauai.com.

About Kōloa Rum Company
Kōloa Rum Company, on the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, produces artisanal, single-batch Hawaiian rum and ready-to-drink cocktails at its distillery in Kalaheo, Kaua‘i and operates Kaua‘i’s first and only distilled spirits Tasting Room & Company Store on the grounds of Kilohana Plantation, near Līhue. The company’s award-winning portfolio includes its premium Kaua‘i White, Gold, Dark, Spice, Coconut and Coffee Rums in 750ml and 50ml bottles. The firm also produces Kōloa Ready-to-Drink Mai Tai, Rum Punch and Pineapple Passion cocktails. For more information about Kōloa Rum Company, please visit koloarum.com.

About Vistana Signature Experiences
Vistana™ Signature Experiences, Inc., an operating business of ILG (Nasdaq: ILG), is the exclusive provider of vacation ownership for the Sheraton® and Westin® brands under license from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC, and is an authorized partner of the SPG® program. More than 220,000 families own at the company’s 21 villa resorts in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean, which operate under the Sheraton and Westin brands. Vistana offers a flexible vacation lifestyle, giving Owners and Members the ability to vacation within a collection of villa-style resorts in the best locations within the most sought-after destinations. Customers also enjoy privileged access to trade their ownership for stays at more than 1,300 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries through Starwood Preferred Guest®, one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades, and flights, with no blackout dates. Headquartered in Orlando, FL, Vistana continues to build on its more-than-35-year history of excellence in vacation ownership and leisure travel. For more information, please visit vistana.com.