I’ve been doing the Top 10 Mai Tais of the Year list for a few years now, and some years there aren’t a lot of close calls. But in 2023 we had so many great Mai Tais that many of them would have been deep into the top 10 in past years and this year couldn’t crack the list. But they’re nonetheless worth noting and we thank the bartenders and bar owners for making these stellar Mai Tais.
For this list the rating is solely about what’s in the glass and does not factor in other elements such as ambiance, food, service, or decor. Each location only gets one Mai Tai on the list, exceptions for guest cocktails such as the Oaxaca Mai Tai at The Kon Tiki.
Some of the Mai Tais involve rum substitutions from what the bar would normally serve, such as subbing the rum at the Tangaroa Terrance from Bacardi/Coruba to El Dorado 8. This presents the reader with more to consider when visiting these places, but highlights that making spirit substitutions is often what changes a good Mai Tai into a great one.
Check the links for additional info about most of these entries.
11. 4/10 Tangaroa Terrace w/El Dorado 8
12. 4/11 Strong Water Anaheim w/Lost Voyage Rum
13. 8/19 Hale Kalekona Mai Tai (Oakhana Summer Swizzle)
14. 9/9 Zombie Village
15. 8/16 Oaxaca Mai Tai by Vatos Who Tiki at Kon-Tiki
16. 4/8 Formosa Cafe
17. 10/9 Starboard Tack
18. 8/27 Heyday 1944 Mai Tai
19. 10/7 Rum Sub Mai Tai at Rhumbar Vegas
20. 10/28 Tipsy Terrier Lounge (Home Tiki Bar)
21. 1/21 Red Dwarf w/Appleton 8
22. 12/2 Forbidden Island w/Smith & Cross
23. 4/13 High Roller Tiki Lounge
24. 8/30 Trader Vic’s Emeryville w/Appleton 12
25. 10/27 Voodoo Lounge SJ (Home Tiki Bar)
Honorable mentions: The Cannibal’s Eye (Home Tiki Bar), Skull & Crown Trading Co., Jammyland, Hala Kahiki Derby (Home Tiki Bar), The Fink, The Tonga Room