The Ultimate Takeaway
Every destination has an ultimate souvenir, whether kitschy or a complete find. We’ll tell you where to get it, be it a Caribbean hot sauce, a beauty product made from fresh local ingredients, a luscious shawl woven by local artisans, or a reputable shop that carries indigenous antiques. It beats snow globes... unless you love snow globes.
Mahalo Kauai!
Relax. Yes, there is a way to recreate those memorable Mai Tai’s when you’re back from your splendid days spent on Kauai, Hawaii’s own self-described “garden island.” OK I admit, I had relegated Mai Tai’s to Elvis in Blue Hawaii and the land of Hawaii of 5-0 but with the series’ much talked about re-release this month it’s a cinch you’ll be invited to Hawaii themed parties and virtual luaus in the coming months. Enter Koloa Rums.
Koloa rums are not your run of the mill Hawaiian cocktail staple and the Mai Tai is not your average cocktail. I found this out in a little undercover work of my own in the many glamorous (and otherwise) watering holes of our own Pacific paradise known as Hawaii. The name translates from the Tahitian to mean “out of this world” and in fact you’ll be exactly that after downing a few. The Mai Tai, which originated at Trader Vic’s in the early 1940’s, is a “layered” drink and features the best rum you can get your hands on disguised under and above layers of fruit juice. As the rum is the primary ingredient, without the best, quite honestly you’re sunk. The layering takes a little practice but hey, it’s all about light to dark (think the opposite of chiaroscuro and you’ll be there). Using a combination of lime and pineapple juices accented by a whisper of orange Curacao and simple syrup, the layering begins with gold rum and then is crowned with dark.
Koloa Rums proudly uses pure Kauai grown raw crystal sugar from the last plantation on Kauai and pure mountain rainwater from Mt. Waialeale in their distilling, the first in history on the island. Their gold rum offers a lovely golden oak color, perfect to begin your creation, and their dark rum with its rich coffee hue and powdery sweetness is the perfect floater to send your guests to, well, another world of course. Take my word, have a large Hawaiian pu pu platter on hand to save unsuspecting participants as the cocktail hour comes to a close.
For wise and crafty bartenders with a need for expediency, shorten the lengthy prep time with an authentic Mai Tai Mix brought to us by those crafty folks at Hawaiian Kukui. The custom blended, small batch mix is handcrafted on Kauai from the sweetest pure cane sugar, fresh mountain waters and a special blend of natural flavors precisely mixed to reach the exact combination of sweet and tart to complement those killer Koloa rums. Leverage your new social status as a descendant of the original creator, Don the Beachcomber. A perfect Mai Tai? Who knew?
Detroit’s nicknames – Motown and the MotorCity – used to capture the energy of the city. But now that Barry Gordy’s recording studio (Hittsville USA) has become a museum and the auto industry is taking a beating, one would think Detroit would have lost its voice. Instead, the crumbling neighborhoods are juxtaposed with new construction and community garden projects. Detroiters are re-investing in their city, part of a state-wide push to attract new visitors to Michigan and combat the sluggish economy that threatens to shut down the state.
Take a walk through Detroit’s Eastern Market and you’ll see for yourself that the city is anything but dead. Neighborhood artists and local farmers host over 20,000 shoppers every Saturday as they display their goods in three re-vamped pavilions.
The Eastern Market now has a separate wing devoted to MI-made products, a theme echoed in the surrounding shops.
The best way to browse the stalls is with a carton of locally grown strawberries or cherries (Michigan is the top producer of cherries and you can buy almost anything with cherries in it). Be sure to stop in at R.J. Holt, Rocky Peanut Co., and Germack Nut Company – all located around the main parking area. If you are still hungry grab a table at one of the nearby restaurants and order a Vernor’s (Michigan-made ginger ale) with your meal. The pro-Detroit, pro-Michigan energy is a local flavor that you can taste all the way back home.
Read More on Detroit From Gritty to Green
A Gardener’s Tale
Want to savor your last vacation in Puerto Vallarta? Lucky are the guests of the Marriott CasaMagna Resort and Spa who can literally taste their trip back home. One of the few resorts in the world with its own brand of tequila, CasaMagna grows its blue agave plants in the hotel’s cactus garden. The first Puerto Vallarta resort to win the Agave de Oro—Golden Agave Award—from the Mexican Tequila Regulatory Council, CasaMagna features Blanco, Reposado and Añejo (White, Rested and Aged) tequila varieties. According to Mexican law, tequila must rest in an oak barrel; the aging time designates the type of tequila. Want to know more? CasaMagna boasts its own on-site tequila sommelier to guide you through the process. Bottles are exclusively available at the resort starting at $38. So skip duty free—no point carrying tequila you can buy at your local liquor store—and bring home a taste of Mexico that is unique to your stay at the Marriott CasaMagna Resort and Spa.
Cubist Cocktails
With the sun setting over South Beach, I ambled into Wish in The Hotel, where a certain energy was in the air. Shaded by canopies, the happy hour crowd of glamorous locals and tourists were buzzing about the day’s decadent details - enviable shopping sprees, spa treatments, and the discovery of Miami’s charming Little Havana neighborhood. Feeling drained and tense from a bumpy flight, I had a lot of catching up to do.
If upon departing from your next trip out of Miami International Airport, you realize you bought one too few "Sunshine State" visors, or decide the "Miami Beach Bum" t-shirt may not be appropriate for Aunt Myrtle after all, stop by La Carreta restaurant, located by Gates D37 and D21 to pick up a tasty souvenir of pasteles de guayaba.
Strolling in the French Quarter a few months back, I had my eye out for an object that would serve as the ultimate takeaway from a trip to New Orleans. What sort of item would sum up this spirited city? I didn’t have anything specific in mind, but shopping for a takeaway is kind of like shopping for a new home – you can’t always verbalize exactly what you want, but you definitely sense it’s right when you see it.
Ville Lahtinen Santatie 2
Welcome to our first installment of one of Travel Squire’s new columns – The Ultimate Takeaway. Each month, we will find the best takeaway from a different destination. Whether it’s a bottle of hot sauce you can only find in Mexico, the perfect vintage purse from Paris, or where to get your macadamia nuts in Hawaii, the Squire will share it here.
