RON SWARNER: SEA GRILL LOVE >>>

Evoking visions of hot summer nights in pre-revolution Havana, the mango mojito â€" sipped regularly by Ernest Hemingway, or so legend has it â€" is the perfect drink to transport me out of this cold weather. And the rum-soaked concoction is front and center this afternoon during the Orchid Party at Sea Grill.

While I don’t expect loud, exuberant Cuban music and dancing in the fancy downtown Tacoma seafood restaurant, I do expect exuberance when the crowd tastes Sea Grill’s cocktail concoctions made with Orchid Liquors from Canada. Created by a chef in Vancouver, B.C., these five purees in a bottle â€" mango, lychee, guava, passion fruit and pomegranate â€" taste like the real deal. Carrying 17 to 19 percent alcohol, I swear the Sea Grill bartenders hid a blender and a pile of fruit behind their circular bar.

Yup, I sampled the Orchid Mango Liqueur in the form of a mojito last night at the Grill. Fantastic. There’s nothing as lovely as this apricot-colored drink. Made with white rum, Orchid mango purée, freshly squeezed lime juice, a sprig of soda water and fresh mint, just one mojito can seriously kick your ass, and two could knock you off your bar stool.

The party kicks off at 4 p.m. today and ends when they close the doors. I was told the Grill will be dropping orchid flowers on top of the drinks, too.

And don’t forget the Grill is celebrating Lobsterpalooza through the end of the month. They have a ton of fresh lobster from New England. I sampled the lobster cous cous salad, bitter poached lobster risotto, lobster spaghetti and a lobster tail on a stick with bacon-wrapped green beans riding shotgun. Chef Matt Brandsey, besides being a really cool guy, is a true talent. You have to dine on his lobster creations. He has taken his favorite dishes and added lobster twists. Delicious. And Brandsey has paired Washington white wines for each dish, too.

[Sea Grill, 1498 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.5656]