Despite what you may have heard on television, no dogs or cats were harmed in the making of these two fabulous Mai Tais made with rum from Haiti. The Kon-Tiki in Oakland has a large collection of cane spirits and it took me a while to choose for these two Mai Tais.
Clairin Vaval is a traditional clairin with light grassy notes, and a cocktail that presented these notes in balance with the lime and sweeteners.
Rhum Barbancourt is aged for eight years and has a less-assertive body that many rums aged for this length. The Mai Tai turned out to prominently feature the fresh zest of lime as a focus, not tart at all but certainly the most forward flavor.
They’re still making great Mai Tais at The Kon-Tiki. Quite an energetic crowd for Wednesday’s Ohana night, plus many non-tiki people as well.
