Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
t HOT PROPERTY he Waikiki Edition is developer mastermind Ian Schrager’s latest boutique hotel brainchild. Edition, the nouveau hotel chain concept conceived by Schrager and corporate giant Bill Marriott, made its official debut in Oahu, Hawaii, boasting not only innovative design and cutting-edge décor but also four fabulously unique bar venues with cocktail programs headed by Tobin Ellis, founder of Las Vegas’s BarMagic. From creative sips to hotel structure, the Waikiki Edition is the epitome of authentic beach chic. The Power Team Ellis led the Edition’s consulting and opening team comprised of John Lermayer from the Florida Room, Alex Straus of Hemingway’s in Los Angeles, Sam Treadway from Boston’s Drink and mixologist Christian Self from Oahu art and music venue Thirtynine Hotel. The power team provided drink development, staff training, spirits education, systems and operations installation and all-around opening support via launch event pro- motional appearances as well as continued program innovation. Tobin Ellis, founder of Las Vegas’s BarMagic, heads up the cocktail programs at the new Waikiki Edition hotel on Oahu. On the day of our photo shoot, Ellis was in town both co-hosting cocktail-laden parties and training the Hawaii-based staff on the art and delivery of clas- sic cocktails, a course we had the pleasure of sitting and sipping in on. For a near eight-hour day, bar staff stirred, muddled, mixed and poured the classics a few times over: Negronis, Mojitos, Hemingway Daiquiris, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and more, while Ellis taste-tested and measured techniques until he was sure Edition bartenders got it right. “But at the same time, no matter how intense the cocktail program, I always just try to get them to remember to relax, smile and have fun behind the bar,” says Ellis. “At this point, I feel like part of the family.” Cocktail Culture, Hawaii Style The stellar group behind the bars worked for weeks on end to get it right by bringing the Edition brand to life through bar culture, combining fashionable nightlife with the personable service of fresh classic and contemporary drinks tailored to Hawaii. “We didn’t want the same old rum and pineapple juice with the tiny umbrella,” opines Ellis. The program is instead tailored to the savvy traveler who’s accustomed to stylish hotels, modern cuisine and cocktail culture. “In the land of the Blue Hawaiis and Lava Flows, we’re serving Juleps, Cobblers and Caipirinhas. We’re also pouring pisco, gin and mezcal versus value rum and vodka.” For local cocktail connoisseurs this is no doubt refreshing, and the risky defiance of the norm seems to be working; all of the Edition bar venues are continually jam-packed, with drinks flowing. The non-tiki approach opts for a more sophisticated program chock full of fresh, locally-sourced island ingredients like red lychee, lilikoi, shiso, li hing mui and Maui gold pineapple. You can order poolside pitchers of Pimm’s Cups, foam-friendly deconstructed Mai Tais at sunset and house-made Horchatas. Bars and More Bars There’s a bar and respective cocktail menu ideal for every time of the day and for every mood guests are in. The Lobby Bar is dimly lit and sexy; the Private Bar at Sunset Beach boasts one of the most beautiful views found in Waikiki; the Bar at Sunrise Pool is South Beach calling; and the CrazyBox Nightclub’s bar is . . . well, kind of crazy. And just like the cocktail program’s ethos, the design of each venue gracefully defies the artificial Hawaiian theme for a fresher, more modern take. Ellis recently returned to his Vegas base from another week of more advanced skill training, hosting guest brand ambassadors and stirring up more events. “More mixology events and ongoing training are in the pipeline right now,” says Ellis. “Plus, I’m hooked on surfing and body-boarding, despite thrashing my knee on the reef at Edition’s home break, Kaiser Bowls.” Ellis is hooked on Hawaii and that tells me he’ll make sure to keep the program up-to-date and fresh without ever neglecting to serve up heavy doses of aloha spirit. www.editionhotels.com january–february 201 1 / the tasting panel / 89