February 2020 – Page 3 – The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai

February 9, 2020February 9, 2020

Don’t buy this

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I bought this to see how it was and to continue the Orgeat comparisons (see #umtshootout). But I smelled it and tasted it and it’s garbage. No almond at all. I don’t even know what this tastes like but it isn’t worth ruining even crappy rum. Poured down the drain. #orgeat #maitai #1944maitai #cocktails #craftcocktails

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 9, 2020 at 3:04pm PST

February 8, 2020May 29, 2020

Disco Banana

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Disco Banana If you’ve been following for a while you know how much I love this cocktail originally developed by @jeanie.with.a.bottle and on the opening day menu at @thezombievillage. It’s also in the @minimalisttiki book by @cocktailwonk. So I was super pleased to see this on the menu at @hanahoutikilounge during last nights’s impromptu visit. And boy was this Disco Banana delicious. Mahalo @midcenturytiki @mrs_bravo. #hometikibar #tiki #tikibar #cocktails #craftcocktails #rum #rhum #tropicaldrinks #blendedcocktails

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 8, 2020 at 8:44am PST

February 7, 2020February 7, 2020

Three Dots and a Dash

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Three Dots and a Dash I took another run at this Don the Beachcomber original, rediscovered by @official_beachbumberry for the Sippin’ Safari book. The glass from @tikikon pays homage to the Beachcomber. This cocktail uses Martinique Rhum Agricole and I’ve been enjoy this style of rum more than I have in the past so this was a good time to give it a try. I used @rhumclement VSOP which I liked recently in a Mai Tai. The verdict? Well, this was still too far in the grassy flavor direction for my taste. Glad I tried it again though. Keep challenging your assumptions and preferences. #tiki #tikidrinks #cocktails #craftcocktails #tikiculture #donthebeachcomber #rum #rhum #martiniquerhum

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 7, 2020 at 9:14am PST

February 6, 2020February 6, 2020

Foursquare 2004

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If you like it, buy it That’s the sage advice I heard on the Digitiki podcast, applied to supporting musical artists. But today it also applies to rum. I had this Foursquare 2004 as part of the rum list at @thekontikioakland. I had been meaning to return to it, but the last drop of it was gone as of last week. Luckily, the internet can be your friend, and I found a place selling this at a reasonable price with reasonable shipping. This is such as superb rum. Very flavorful and full-bodied, and you can taste the tropical aging with every sip. The only question is whether I dare put this into a Mai Tai or not? What do you think? #tiki #tikibar #tikidrinks #tikiculture #tropicaldrinks #cocktails #craftcocktails #rum #rhum #maitai #1944maitai @foursquare_rum_distillery @foursquarerumusa

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 6, 2020 at 7:31pm PST

February 5, 2020February 14, 2020

Profile on Tiki with Ray Blog

Head on over to the Tiki with Ray Blog to learn more about our backstory and journey, thanks to the “Tiki Blogging” profile and interview.

Tiki Blogging #10 – The Search for The Ultimate Mai Tai (Kevin Crossman)

Ray has been a really important part of my reintroduction into the tiki scene over the past few years, starting with his blog and later his YouTube channel. Ray seems to know everyone, and they’re often featured on his blog.

In my day job I have had the opportunity to travel to the Seattle area a few times over the past few years and I’ve met up with Ray and some of the other Seattle Ohana. We have had some great adventures in the Seattle/Tacoma area!

It’s always fun when Ray rolls into town for visit. The photo below is from last year’s meetup at Forbidden Island in Alameda. There’s nobody in this world who makes me laugh as much as Ray does. It was also my pleasure to help Ray out by monitoring the camera for two Tiki with Ray Live episodes in late 2019.

Ray gave me the opportunity to do several guest blog posts on his blog, covering tiki bars in the Bay Area. And I guested on his YouTube show a couple times. So, it’s truly an honor to be featured on Ray’s blog, one of the seminal resources in the Third Wave of Tiki.

February 5, 2020February 5, 2020

Dark Rum Mai Tai

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Dark Rum Mai Tai I took inspiration from @adunni66 who posted recently about having a Mai Tai with Lemon Hart 151 and Koloa Dark. I used to have the Koloa quite frequently but it’s been a while so this was a good excuse. And it was a pretty good Mai Tai – definitely on the sweet side though. A little of the Koloa goes a long way, though I suppose that’s true of the Lemon Hart as well. Glassware by @skullandcrowntradingco, an island neighbor of Koloa Rum. #rum #cocktails #craftcocktails #maitai #1944maitai #tiki #tikidrinks #tikiculture

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 5, 2020 at 9:01pm PST

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020

New Site Feature: Top 5 Mai Tais

We’ve added a new page with our current list of best Mai Tais. These are Mai Tais made without any rum or ingredient substitutions (which could yield a better Mai Tai of course). If you just walk in and order the house Mai Tai, these are the best.

Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29
Rumba
House without a Key, Halekulani Hotel
Lono
Hale Pele

The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai: Top 5 Mai Tais

The Latitude 29 Mai Tai is Ranked Number One by the Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai

February 2, 2020February 2, 2020

Voyager’s Mainbrace

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Finally caught up to the Voyager’s Mainbrace at The Kon-Tiki This has been a drink special for a while and made it to the third version of the menu released in the fall. I liked it good enough, and it was a nice change of pace from the usual rum drinks. Voyager’s Mainbrace 1 Jigger Ford’s Gin 1 Pony Guava Sherbert 1 Pony Cream of Coconut 1 Tablespoon Lime 1 Tablespoon Falernum 1 Dash Simple Syrup Garnish with mint. For full effect, serve in The Kon-Tiki glass or other glass celebrating Oakland. @thekontikioakland #tiki #tikibar #tikidrinks #tikiculture #tropicaldrinks #cocktails #craftcocktails #gin #oakland

A post shared by Search for Ultimate Mai Tai (@ultimatemaitai) on Feb 2, 2020 at 8:14pm PST

February 1, 2020February 1, 2020

Mai Tai in Pop Culture: “Mai Tai” by Les Baxter

This is track number 6 (closing Side A) from Les Baxter’s 1963 album Soul of the Drums. This albums was one of Baxter’s last in the exotica genre and is pretty good overall.

Unfortunately, “Mai Tai” is maybe the least exotic song on the album, and was described by Ambient Exotica (reprinted in The Les Baxter Companion, 2018) as a “stupefying silkened string panorama.” Since this album was Baxter’s first on Reprise it also means that none of its tracks made it onto the otherwise excellent Capitol Records compilations from the 1990s.