The search for the World’s Best Mai Tai comes to Hawai‘i Island this summer as Kings’ Shops hosts the state’s official qualifying round Tuesday, June 17.

Festivities begin at 2 p.m. at the Kings’ Shops center stage with Kuleana Rum Works pop-up bar serving handcrafted cocktails and island-inspired bites. At 2:30 p.m., 18 of Hawai‘i’s top bartenders will compete head-to-head in a fast-paced cocktail competition.

Each competitor will have just seven minutes to prepare three Mai Tai-inspired cocktails using Kuleana Rum as their base alongside Myers’s dark rum and their own creative ingredients. Entries will be evaluated on presentation, creativity, technique and storytelling by a panel of industry professionals, including special surprise judges.

The winning bartender will receive a $1,000 cash prize, a Kuleana Rum swag bag and a round-trip ticket to Las Vegas to compete in the World’s Best Mai Tai finals, where the grand prize is $15,000.

Hosted by Kuleana Rum Works and Kings’ Shops and presented by Myers’s Rum, the event is free and open to the public.