Today is the Trader’s birthday, and I celebrated with a 1944 Mai Tai while being the guest on the monthly Zoom call for a rum club. So much fun to talk Mai Tais and rum, and even got a few leads on some good Mai Tais.
A toast to the Trader!
Halekulani Mai Tai for Ohana Zoom
I enjoy doing the Zoom social hours, even if I spend all day in video conferences at work. The drinks are better, that’s for sure.
The cocktail is the Halekulani Mai Tai, a unique 1944 style riff featuring a dark rum float that makes this look more like an Island Mai Tai.
House without a Key Mai Tai, Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki
1 ¼ oz Lime Juice
⅓ oz Orgeat
⅓ oz Rock Candy Syrup
⅓ oz Orange Curacao (Cointreau)
¾ oz Bacardi Select/Black Rum
¾ oz Bacardi Gold Rum
Float ½ oz Lemon Hart 151 Rum
Delicious! My favorite Mai Tai on Waikiki.
Glassware by The Kon-Tiki in Oakland
Mai Tai with Homemade Orgeat
Mahalo to the main man Tony Dunnigan for the bottle of homemade Orgeat. This recipe is fantastic! Check out Tony’s recent IG video showing how he makes it.
And it tasted just outstanding in a Mai Tai (¾ oz Orgeat, no sugar syrup).
Smuggler’s Cove Cocktails To Go
Finally made it up to the city to get some to-go cocktails from Smuggler’s Cove. The menu outside the building highlights which cocktails are available, an aid to those walking up. We had done our order via online and ahead a couple days and the reminder text alerts for the order worked great.
This weekend, the Cove was doing a promotion with Pusser’s Rum and the regularly available Painkiller cocktail was made with the higher ABV Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof. This was for Mrs. Mai Tai who said it was delicious and potent. And we got to take home some Pussers swag as well.
I picked up the Fog Cutter, a Trader Vic’s cocktail I’ve gotten into this year. The Cove uses Oloroso Sherry, which is different than the Cream Sherry I have at home. Pretty good cocktail, though now that I’ve tasted both I do prefer to the Cream Sherry.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Mai Tai gave the Smuggler’s Cove “meal option” a rave review. When you order cocktails to go you have to order one of two soups. Julie said that the vegan soup was outstanding, just as good as any she’d expect to get at a good restaurant.
Mai Tai Ornament from B-Rex
I love the Mai Tai design that B-Rex has used with stickers and pins, and now there’s a large holiday ornament for sale. It’s gorgeous, and even features the design from B-Rex’s current run of Mai Tai glasses (still available in white or coral). So clever!
A surefire hit for the holiday season. Go get it now at www.brianrechenmacher.com.
Happy Instagramiversary to Me
The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai was relaunched on Instagram on this day in 2017.
Last year we celebrated by completing the Kon-Tiki Expedition rum list, including a couple of drink specials and breaking out some special rums. This year… well, it will be different.
So, virtual cheers and thanks to so many fellow Mai Tai fans I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with especially over the last year. I appreciate your follows and likes here, and the discussion of very important topics such as the best rum blend for Mai Tai or which Orgeat is best. Let’s keep it going here online and I for one am looking forward to buying drinks for a lot of people when tiki bars open back up and we get back to normal.
Stay safe everyone!
Island Old Fashioned at Kon-Tiki
Excellent rum old fashioned from The Kon-Tiki, featuring Denizen Vatted Dark Rum, house Falernum, and bitters.
Perfect for patio cocktails in downtown Oakland.
