Author: Kevin Crossman

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Bamboo Hut / China Live

Mrs. Mai Tai and I had a great Friday evening in North Beach a couple weeks ago where we caught the late showing of the Magic Cocktail Hour, a funny show with magic and supernatural elements, plus okay cocktails.

We landed in the area by having a drink at nearby Bamboo Club, where at six it was pretty dead until a bachelorette party came in for shots and drinks.

I had the Zombie that leaned on Pernod, but not in a bad way, and found it to be plenty boozy too. Meanwhile Julie had the Rico Guave with coconut rum, cachaca, Aperol, and Guava Rose Syrup and was really tasty and blended well.

Zombie

China Live was our dinner destination and coincidentally was next door to the Magic Cocktail Hour venue. We loved the dim sum including the world famous dumplings that were amazing. Our friendly waiter helped us go through the menu and was otherwise prompt and attentive, so we really enjoyed the meal.

Even with cocktails ahead of me I tried the Mai Tai and was glad I did since it was quite nice with aged Bacardi and Cointreau. We even got to talk a bit to bartender Christian Rivera (ex-Pagan Idol) who seems to be doing a great job with quality control. We’d return here for sure.

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New Label Denizen Merchant’s Reserve vs. Old

Independent bottler Denizen started a rebranding process back in late 2023, changing the label design for their blended rum expressions. This process has been continuing as old stock has been replaced over time with new bottles that feature the new labels.

We previously covered the transition of Denizen Aged White rum, which also included component changes to the blend. Whereas the previous bottle was designated with a prominent number and the text that said “aged 3 years,” the new blend sneakily has a large 5 but subtly says “aged up to 5 years.” Jamaican rum seemed to be removed from the Aged White blend, a noticeable enough change where I could taste the difference and prefer the old “3” version.

Merchant’s Reserve was the first expression from Denizen, a blend of Jamaican and Martinique rums designed to emulate the Second Adjusted Mai Tai formula from Trader Vic’s, circa mid 1950s. The previous label stated “aged 8 years” but the new label says “aged up to 8 years” presumably because the Martinique Grand Arǒme isn’t aged for that long or possibly at all. Moreover, when Merchant’s Reserve was first introduced, an article about the rum from Cocktail Wonk Matt Pietrek indicated that some of the Jamaican rum was aged only four years and some not aged at all. So, I guess the new label is more precise, even as the small print “up to” still feels a little bit deceptive.

ABV remains at 43%, but there is now inclusion of “Caribbean rums” without any country of origin. This is disappointing in that it likely means a reduction in the Jamaican component.

Regardless of the age and components, Merchant Reserve’s stellar reputation as a de facto gold-standard single bottle Mai Tai rum means I needed to check to see if the taste of this blend has changed like it did for Aged White.

I made two Mai Tais with identical ingredients and a shared pool of lime juice and couldn’t taste any difference. A visual comparison indicated no differences with the rum inside a tasting glass, and blind tasting with several pours of each expression also led me to the same conclusion: I can’t taste any difference between the new and old bottle of Denizen Merchant’s Reserve.

There you go, Mai Tai fans. No FOMO about branding changes, at least for what’s most important which is the liquid inside the bottle. Denizen Merchant’s Reserve remains a stellar blended rum and a smart choice for anyone wanting to make a great Mai Tai.

“I can’t taste any difference between the new and old bottle of Denizen Merchant’s Reserve”

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Mission Craft Cocktails Mai Tai

Mission Craft Cocktails bottled Mai Tai comes in at a whopping 25% ABV, more than enough to provide a good base cocktail served over crushed ice, and is priced well at about $13 for a 375 ml bottle that’s equivalent to two or three servings.

Where I’m less enthusiastic about the product is the unusual ingredients, starting with orange liqueur with coconut (really) that is very forward in the end-product. The Caribbean rum is nondescript, something I could have used more of with the orgeat that is described as “locally sourced” and “hand crafted” for some reason. There’s also vanilla and spices, and natural flavors that I assume are the source of the citrusy flavors.

Look, there are a ton of really terrible ready-to-drink Mai Tais, and thankfully Mission isn’t one of them. But the coconut and vanilla do send this quite a ways off track and there are better options in the marketplace.

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Top 10 Mai Tais of 2025 So Far

We’re halfway through 2025 and it has been a great Mai Tai year so far, including some interesting new entries to our top tier Mai Tai list. Note that many of these feature custom rum orders compared to the standard-issue at these locations because sometimes you want a Mai Tai with a special rum to elevate the cocktail. If you ask nicely the bartender will typically be able to accommodate the request and this can often lead to outstanding results.

1. Rare Cane Jamaica Pot Still Mai Tai at Devil’s Reef
While there isn’t a strict 1944 Mai Tai on the menu, owner Jason Alexander made this one special for me using some pungent Jamaican rum of his choosing and it was so punchy and flavorful just like we like it.

2. Appleton 17 Mai Tai at Kona Street Market
We had to work with the bartender a bit on this but it was totally worth it and a bargain at only $45 with the exceedingly rare Appleton 17 rum.

3. Smuggler’s Cove
The standard issue Mai Tai at Smuggler’s is always a favorite and one of the best anywhere. On this evening it was basically perfect.

4. Kiki’s Premier Mai Tai at Inside Passage
Even better than Rumba’s next door, featuring symphony of rums including house barrel-aged Rivers Royale, Appleton 15, Chairman’s Reserve 1931, Rhum JM Terroir Volcanique, and Saint James 110 – plus two orange liqueurs. Worth a couple extra bucks.

5. “Xaymaca Mai Tai” at The Cellar
I called for Xaymaca in this off menu item and they also included aged Martinique rhum as well, but I didn’t mind given the stellar results.

6. Appleton 21 at the Make and Drink Studio
Part of a blind test with all of Appleton’s evergreen releases, the barrel notes and orange peel flavors made a great Mai Tai that both Derek and I thought was the best.

7. Dr Funk $8 Mai Tai Monday
It is the same as their world-class standard issue Mai Tai with Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross Jamaican rums but is only $8 all day on Mondays and such a value pick.

8. OG Mai Tai at The Fink
The Fink is Napa’s premier cocktail bar with a wide variety of styles, but their tiki cocktails are exceptional including a fantastic Mai Tai that would make Trader Vic smile.

9. Strong Water Anaheim
An evergreen strong contender in this category featuring rums from Guyana and Jamaica, so complex, chewy, and rich.

10. “Punchy Mai Tai” at Club 33
Given the exclusive nature of this venue you’d expect them to make a great off-menu Mai Tai and they really delivered. It was even better when I asked for a second on that was “more punchy.”

Just Missed the Top 10:
Appleton 17 at Wilfred’s Lounge
Pagan Idol
Okole’ Maluna Mai Tai at Da Tiki Hut
Bitter Mai Tai at Strong Water Anaheim
Boo Loo Lounge
Dublin Tai at Trader Vic’s Emeryville
Passion Tai at Trader Vic’s Emeryville
Rumba

Noteworthy Additions:
Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport
Ultra Chill Mai Tai at Bahama Breeze
China Live
Dave’s Special Mai Tai at Lucky Tiki
Clifton’s Pacific Seas

Honorable Mentions:
District San Jose, Fog Harbor Fish House, The Tonga Room, Luau Lounge 1944 Mai Tai

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High Roller Tiki Lounge with Extended Hours

The last stop on our SoCal trip was an overnight in Solvang where we made sure to visit High Roller Tiki Lounge before dinner. The nice thing about High Roller is that they are open early in the day and stay open as late as Midnight on the weekends, plus they have some great merch and friendly service. They only have a wine and beer license, so the “rum alternative” they use in some of their drinks is a lower ABV variant with additional ingredients.

The vibe inside was very nice with a tiki compilation showing on the TV plus great retro music. The Mai Tai was just fine in this format including a good amount of alcohol and Mrs. Mai Tai’s cocktail with Chai was very good. Had I been feeling a little better we would have stayed for a second round or returned later in the evening, but I was tired at the end of a long trip.

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Captains Quarters at Strong Water Anaheim

It has been a while since our last experience in the back room at Strong Water Anaheim that is called the Captains Quarters and features a separate bartender and a more intimate environment. The section is themed to the inside of a marooned ship, including faux night sky above and Victorian era decor, though the music in this section varied from this strict theme. We included dinner in our experience including some shell-on garlic shrimp, sweet chili salmon, and grilled chicken, all wonderful and a good value given the quality and quantity.

I started the cocktail experience with a Bitter Mai Tai, a riff featuring Campari but still really great. Next, I challenged the bartender with an off-menu order for a Planter’s Punch, a drink that can vary depending on where you get it and how they make in. In this case, it leaned fruity and featured Hamilton 86 Demerara rum and even though it didn’t lean spicy or with Jamaican rum I still loved it.

Tales from the Black Lagoon

Meanwhile Mrs. Mai Tai revisited the complex flavors of the Tales from the Black Lagoon, an outstanding Strong Water original that includes butterscotch and banana notes. Next she tried Velvet Banana that is an inspired riff on the Espresso Martini. Since we were seated at the bar we got to see the cocktail preparation including the smokey Cannon Fire that inspired us to order it ourselves. This Old Fashioned style cocktail has bourbon and allspice, wonderful in this format.

Cannon Fire

We continue to be impressed by the quality of the food and drinks at Strong Water, along with high quality service as well. The Captains Quarters concept is available in other venues but few are executed as completely as it is at Strong Water.

Bitter Mai Tai
Planters Punch
Velvet Banana
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New Menu at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is a Mixed Bag

One of the highlights of any trip to the Disneyland Resort is a visit to Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, one of the best tiki bars anywhere in this writer’s opinion. We love the vibe inside and more often than not do also truly enjoy the cocktails as well, though I will usually request a change from the tourist-friendly rums in the Mai Tai and choose something that’s bolder. Called rum Mai Tais have been deep in the Top 5 of our yearly Mai Tai rankings in several years, thanks to the skills of the bartenders. With fairly high temperatures, having lunch at Trader Sam’s was a welcome place to cool off and we were able to get bar seats indoors after just a short wait.

The menu at Trader Sam’s was recently updated and expanded, keeping most of the longtime favorites and adding several new cocktails that previously were only available on some of the bartender’s original “secret menu” options. The Temple of the Forbidden Rye by Melissa Nickoloff finally moves from cult classic to the spotlight, a twist on the template by pairing traditional tiki spice elements such as ginger and allspice with rye whiskey – and it’s fantastic. I also thought that Kelly Merrell’s Notes of Adventure really elevated the Saturn template through the use of fruit juices and made for a wonderful refresher.

Notes of Adventure

Of most note to me was the change in rums for the HippopatoMai-Tai. Previously this used Bacardi Superior and Coruba, and the new blend continues the light/dark rum combo with Flor de Caña Extra Seco and Planteray Original Dark. I was immediately suspect of this new blend since I have gripes with Original Dark generally since it isn’t actually dark, for one, and also has added sugar – different from the richer flavors of the Coruba it is replacing. The bartender free pouring all the ingredients didn’t do anything for my expectations and the balance for this Mai Tai was off – too sweet and without enough rummy flavors.

HippopatoMai-Tai

I appreciate that the combo of a light rum and a dark Jamaican rum goes back to the Mai Tai that Trader Vic introduced to Waikiki in 1953 – and that as a tourist destination that Disney might want to choose something that is more “approachable” for those tourists. I just wish they’d use a better dark rum and made sure to measure in exact portions.

Still, even a so-so Mai Tai ain’t bad at Trader Sam’s where new guests are amazed as the interior decor, exotic music, and special effects and shenanigans from certain drink orders. It’s always a great time for us and this was no exception.

Other rum options