Month: January 2020

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Kon-Tiki Expedition Summary

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Kon-Tiki Expedition Summary 100 rums in 28 visits. 3.57 per visit* First rum December 12, 2018 Last rum December 4, 2019 (357 days) First rum: Appleton 12 Last rum: Plantation OFTD Two of my favorites! Standout Rums: Banks Five Island, Cadenhead’s Classic, Clarin Vaval, Denizen Merchant’s Reserve, Doctor Bird Jamaican, El Dorado 8, English Harbour 5 yr, Foursquare 2004 Bourbon Cask Finish, Hamilton Demerara 86, Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black, Hamilton New York Blend (West Indies 1670 Blend), Hamilton St. Lucia 7 yr, Island Distillers Okelehao, Novo Fogo Tanager Cachaca, Old Harbor Barrelflag Navy Strength, Pampero Anniversario, Plantation Jamaica 2002, Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple, Pusser’s Gunpowder Strength, Real McCoy 5 year, Rhum JM XO, Richland Georgia, Rum Fire, Saint Benevolence 5 yr, Skipper, Smith & Cross. And three wildcard rums: Veller Hampden 2011, Velier Worthy Park, Cane Land/Three Rolls White Rum. This is actually a fairly wide list of rums, with an obvious lean to the English-style rum countries (Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana). I did come to appreciate the Agricole style more over the course of the Expedition, though it’s still not my favorite. Note (*): there were a few visits that coincided with rum producers offering tastings (Hamilton Rum, pictured). So, I was able to check a bunch off in one night (for free!) without having to consume the full 1.5 oz pour. For completing the Expedition, you get a custom glaze of Kon-Tiki’s fanciful and incredibly large mug, designed by Woody Miller. This brown glaze was the first choice of both myself and Mrs. Mai Tai. You also get a plaque with your name. This turned out great for this particular Mai Tai enthusiast. It’s now on display. I’d encourage anyone interested in learning more about rum to take the Kon-Tiki Expedition. A great selection and no super expensive pours on the list. The Kon-Tiki bartenders were quite helpful throughout the process as well, indicating where certain rums were best to be tasted neat vs. in a daiquiri, and helping with some wildcard picks. #tiki #tikibar #tikidrinks #tikiculture #tropicaldrinks #craftcocktails #rum #rhum #maitai #1944maitai #oakland

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More Yacht-Rock Menu Cocktails

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Fun times at Kon-Tiki

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New Site Feature: Orgeat

Orgeat is one of the cornerstone ingredients in a Mai Tai, so we’ve added a page that talks about what it is, how it’s used in a Mai Tai, how to make your own, or the best brands to purchase.

View the page: Orgeat

BG Reynolds Orgeat and Latitude 29 Formula Orgeat
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Fab Drinks in San Jose

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New Site Feature: Tiki Travels – San Francisco Bay Area

We’ve added a new page to the Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai website: Tiki Travels – San Francisco Bay Area.

Home to the largest concentration of tiki bars anywhere in the world, our Tiki Travels page covers all 20 tiki bars in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have location info, touring tips, and photos. We also rate these destinations on a number of categories, so you can choose which ones to prioritize on your visits to the area.

View the page:
Tiki Travels – San Francisco Bay Area

Kevin Crossman at Trader Vic's
Having a Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville
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Mai Tai in Pop Culture: “Mai Tai Break” by L’Exotighost

We discovered a new exotica band from Spain called L’Exotighost who put out an EP last year called La Ola Oculta. There are a number of interesting songs here, including “Cha Cha Challoween” that includes the classic theme from the movie Halloween.

Here’s a list of the band members: Theremin & Güiro (Javier Díez Ena), Drums & congas (Ricardo Moreno), Marimba (María Arranz Fernández y Vera Garrido), Bass Ukulele (Juan Pérez Marina) Audio manipularion of birds and theremin sound (Jav Álvarez). 

The La Ola Oculta EP is available in a number of services including the music streaming services and also iTunes.

The band put together an entertaining video for their single, “Mai Tai Break.” This song has the Theremin as the lead instrument, and it’s quite effective on this track. We’ll also note that they’re being served a traditional 1944 Mai Tai made with Appleton Rum, so somebody really knows what they’re doing.