Thanks so much to @melissafuentes777 for having us over to her home bar the Lehi Lanai in Lehi, UT. This is a basement makeover with good bones that was transformed by Melissa along with @woodyworld and @midcenturytiki who both know a thing or two about tiki bar builds (see @thekontikiroom and @birdsofparadiselounge). The decor has that great Woody Miller art design vibe.
It was quite the party with neighbors and Utah Tiki Ohana. Melissa has several cocktails on her house menu, include a delicious Mai Tai. The photo is a Shrunken Skull that was also quite the hit. It was such a great time learning more about what’s happening in Utah and even hearing about some of the local delicacies.
Elko is the largest city in northeastern Nevada and we passed by at lunchtime. We had a couple of fab sandwiches at local favorite Coffee Mug Family Restaurant in downtown Elko.
Across the street the Tiki Hut beaconed. This is obviously not “high tiki” but Mrs Mai Tai indulged me with a quick visit. Outside there is some tiki decor, but inside is what you’d expect. It’s just a pool and dive bar.
A few regulars were seated at the bar as we entered, country music playing on the jukebox. We sat on the bar lined with video poker machines, and the bartender asked what we’d like. I asked if she could make a Mai Tai.
Honesty is usually a good policy, and the bartender stated that she’d try but wasn’t sure what was in a Mai Tai, also mentioning that she just started and was new to making mixed drinks. She asked me to walk her though it, so I mentioned rum, lime, sugar, triple sec and maybe some pineapple. I knew not to ask for Orgeat and personally don’t find Amaretto to be a good sub.
Another guy came over who said he wasn’t a bartender but I’m still not sure if he was a owner or patron. He asked what kind of rum and thankfully there was a nice bottle of Bacardi 8 sitting on the shift right in front of me. He asked what kind of glass and I said a rocks glass with ice. Soon thereafter he was pouring three or four glugs the Bacardi. Definitely a heavy pour.
The Bartender came by with the triple sec and as instructed did two small glugs, followed by some bottled lime juice and then the simple syrup. Quick stir with the straw and serve. “$5.50.”
And you know what. It actually was pretty good.
And then the regulars started the joking. “I want a Hurricane!” “How about a Zombie?” But the regular paid for our drink, with our thanks. I’m sure we’ve given him a story he’ll tell plenty. As will we.
We left a four dollar tip for the bartender and exited Tiki Hut, the only tiki bar between Salt Lake City and Sacramento.
Mrs Mai Tai and I are setting off for a 15 day road trip today. Our first stop was the new Stardust Vintage Emporium in Sacramento. Some great stuff here including a fine tropical section from our friends Birds of Paradise Trading.
Some great eye candy too (the Witco bar isn’t for sale…). We will return!
Pretty much like it was in the old days during our visit last night to The Kon-Tiki.
Bar seating is back! Lounge seating in the palapa is back. Indoors was filled. Rum lists were being worked on again. Burgers were consumed. Plenty of discussions amongst old and new friends. And for Ohana night, the music was classic exotica.
The cocktails were Donnie’s Element and Mrs. Mai Tai’s favorite, the Uma Uma. And then I had a Mai Tai with the Transcontinental Guadeloupe rum. Delicious!
These canned Mai Tais are now available at BevMo stores in California, but with a twist. It’s a tweaked formulation that’s different from the earlier cans sampled at AZ Tiki Oasis and at the event this week at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville.
Most notably, the Mai Tai is much darker compared to the first version (see photo), based on less filtration during production (the product uses Belgian sugar). So dark that it looks exactly like the 1944 Mai Tai at the Trader Vic’s Restaurants. This is a plus for me, and once you add some lime and a mint you’d be hard pressed to be able to pick this out of a lineup of freshly prepared Mai Tais. Though, I am not sure this dark color is a “hearts and minds” win for Mai Tai newbies looking for mass appeal.
In terms of the taste, this is also notably different than the earlier formula. Not quite as bold, but also not so heavy on the coconut hints I was tasting. And perhaps just a touch less sweet, but more of a hint of almond here. There is still no funny aftertaste, which producer @tomi.garibaldi says is due to the omission of preservatives. Nonetheless, our cans say these Mai Tais are still good until 12/31/2022. Not that we’re going to wait that long to finish the four pack. These will go down easy on a hot day!
Overall, the Trader Vic’s Canned Mai Tai is still way better than the Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and half the price of the On the Rocks Mai Tai. Much, much better than the RTD Mai Tai from Koloa. So, a strong entrant into the market.
Retail price is $20 for a four pack at BevMo, priced $5 less if you’re a Club Bev member.
Ready to Drink Cocktails are still popular, so look for these canned Mai Tais from Trader Vic’s coming soon. There are two label designs, featuring iconic Trader Vic’s artwork.
Cocktail snobs know they aren’t the target market for these sort of beverages, and while this does contain rum, lime, cane sugar, and flavors it isn’t really comparable to a freshly made craft cocktail Mai Tai. But, that’s not the point of a canned Mai Tai anyway, which presumably is sometime to bring to a picnic, a cookout, or while camping.
We found these Trader Vic’s canned Mai Tais to be pretty refreshing, especially over ice. There’s a hint of coconut and tropical flavors, but no almond flavor unfortunately. At 10% ABV, these cans will do the job nicely and while we felt the booze the cocktail didn’t really have a boozy taste (this may be a pro or a con, depending on your preference). There is no funny aftertaste.
This is a better canned Mai Tai than the Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai that has wide distribution, though it isn’t as good as the On the Rocks ready to drink bottled Mai Tai that is higher priced and has a different ABV profile. So, compared to the market leader for where this product is aiming, the Trader Vic’s Mai Tai is a good entry to the market.
