With the closing of our beloved Kon-Tiki Oakland, it is finally time to amend our list of the Top 10 Mai Tais in the World. This list is all about what’s in the glass, not the surrounding decor or atmosphere, and is based on the standard-issue Mai Tai at the venue.
In considering which Mai Tai replace it with, there were several that came to mind.
- The Ultimate Mai Tai at Tiki Tom’s (Walnut Creek): I’m biased in saying it but I think they do a great job and the last time I had it there I even impressed myself by how much I loved it.
- Cane & Table Mai Tai at Cane & Table (New Orleans): a rich and chewy Mai Tai with a blend of pungent rums including rich sugar cane juice distillate.
- Terry’s Mai Tai at the Copper Room (Yucca Valley): a vintage bar on a dusty road next to a tiny airport in the middle of nowhere has one of the finely balanced Mai Tais? Yes, friends.
- Off Menu Mai Tai at The Beachcomber (London): a really fantastic Agricole Mai Tai, speciality of the bar.
- Mai Tai at Maitiki (Vienna): Saint James plus Smith & Cross/Appleton 12 means this rum blend is superb.
- Strong Water Anaheim: consistently good featuring Jamaica and Demerara rums plus zesty lime, expertly garnished.
In making the decision, I eliminated Cane & Table due to the ever-evolving nature of their rum blend, and not being a local I can’t make a call on whether the quality is keeping up. As much as I want the overall list to expand beyond the United States, I thought the more local contenders were better, and I decided that nepotism of sorts wasn’t good for designating Tiki Tom’s either. Someday Strong Water might boot one of the existing Top 10, but I went with the Mai Tai loved even more.
Which leaves us with Terry’s Mai Tai at The Copper Room.
Terry’s Mai Tai is the brainchild of Terry Six, former bartender/manager at The Kon-Tiki, so there’s more than a little symmetry in choosing this to replace The Kon-Tiki. The transcendent drink is made with a “secret blend of four rums” and homemade orgeat, offering rich flavors and an amazing mouthfeel that is great to the last drop. Based on Six’s pedigree, I had the highest of expectations coming into this and it topped it in every way.