The Hawaiian-themed Kaona Room is delightfully tropical, kitschy and original, even though it’s a bit hard to find, with a buzzer on the east side of the condo building that holds it. The space feels transported straight from the Big Island, with lots of thatch and glass buoys and a thunder-lightning thing that interrupts the jazz every time somebody orders a drink. Order the Ghost, a clarified zombie, and the Aged Mai Tai, prepared with an almond paste made in-house.
Some take tiki culture quite seriously like it’s an academic study into the bartending masters who turned fruits and spices and booze into an art form. Others just want a fun, fruity drink in a coconut shell to melt away the week’s stress. For both, we dove deep into Miami’s tiki bars, risking hangovers from potent concoctions served under acres of faux thatch roofs. The result is this guide that not only offers a virtual trip to Polynesia but also throws down some highly festive late-night parties.
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