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Get ready for the 9th annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival! The festival will take place from October 5 – 27, and HI Now host Jobeth Devera is getting a sneak peek at some of the delicious food and cocktails taking center stage at the Crazy Rich Cocktails event on October 24 at Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. Alohilani’s Executive Chef David Lukela and Dave Newman, owner and operator of Pint + Jigger and Harry’s Hardware Emporium, are in the HI Now kitchen with a taste of what to expect.

The Crazy Rich Cocktails event is inspired by the milestone film Crazy Rich Asians (2018), in which food and cocktails play starring roles. The craft cocktail-themed event brings together expert chefs in Asian flavors and Hawaii Food & Wine Festival master mixologists atop Alohilani Resort’s pool deck for an evening of daring beverages and lavish bites.

It is the first time that Alohilani will be partnering with the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. It plans to bring the event to life with Asian-inspired décor, live exhibits, food by 20 international chef experts in Asian flavors, and of course, craft cocktails.

Chef Lukela is preparing a cold, smoked kampachi, a similar dish to what he’ll be creating at Crazy Rich Cocktails. Chef Lukela and Newman previously worked together during their time at Nobu.

“It’s always great to reconnect with old coworkers,” Chef Lukela says. “Of course, the food and beverage industry in Honolulu is pretty small, so the festival is a good time for us to work alongside friends and colleagues. We all enjoy coming together each fall.”

Tickets for the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival’s Crazy Rich Cocktails event are on sale now. Past events have sold out, so don’t miss out!

You can also enter to win a one night stay at Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach and two grand tasting tickets to Crazy Rich Cocktails! One lucky winner will ride the Alohilani elevator home after enjoying food and cocktails at this Hawaii Food & Wine Festival event. Enter here: http://hine.ws/hfwf

For more information: hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com, Facebook: @hawaiifoodandwinefestival, or on Twitter and Instagram: @HIFoodWineFest