Leisure life-partners Doug and Maria Christensen (pictured above) moments before their historical entrance to the Couples Cocktail Garnish Contest at the Club Coral Bar & Lounge in Palmetto Bay.
The competition began fierce. With only 2.5 minutes on the clock, the couple quickly sifted through the bar's supplied ingredients to assemble the perfect cocktail garnish. Carefully, Doug laid the foundation with an exquisite assortment of aromatic mint leaves while Maria elegantly transformed a crisp slice of watermelon into a graceful, hand-carved "fruit flamingo."
But hidden in Doug and Maria's travel bag was the coup de grâce — a final touch only to be revealed during the judging ceremony.
Finally, the couple took to the stage and revealed their masterful creation. Maria, with an air of anticipation, doused the fruit flamingo in an ounce of overproof rum. And Doug, with a flair for the dramatic, pulled a matchstick from their travel bag, and set the garnish ablaze in a breathtaking spectacle. In that instant, the "Flaming Flamingo" was born.
The crowd gasped and all 32 judges were captivated by the performance — but unfortunately, the venue's fire alarms were not. Immediately, the sprinkler systems went off, leaving everyone to evacuate the building. And much like the flames of Doug and Maria's garnish, their hopes of securing first place were extinguished.
Despite their defeat, the story of the “Flaming Flamingo Garnish” spread like wildfire through Miami's cocktail community. And although Doug and Maria have since been banned from nearly every bar in Palmetto Bay, their story continues to inspire mixologists and leisurists all across Miami-Dade.