A beloved bar and restaurant in Birmingham has received national acclaim for its version of a classic cocktail: the Mai Tai.
Punch, a publication devoted to spirits and drinking culture, asked nine bartenders from around the country to submit recipes for their renditions of the Mai Tai, a classic cocktail crafted from four base ingredients: rum, lime juice, orgeat syrup and Curaçao orange liqueur.
Josh Schaff, the general manager of Cayo Coco Rum Bar & Restaurant in Birmingham, received second place for his version of the cocktail (Schaff was in good company with spirits luminaries from around the country. First and third place went to two esteemed New York bartenders: Garret Richard of Sunken Harbor Club and Will Pasternak, who crafted beverages behind the sticks at the former Blacktail cocktail bar)…