Author: Kevin Crossman

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Island Glider at Trader Vic’s

Had a nice visit to the bar at Trader Vic’s Emeryville on the way to pick up Mrs. Mai Tai at the airport, where coincidentally my exploration of the vast cocktail menu led me to a new drink called the Island Glider. This is a Paper Plane variant developed by Mika who was actually my bartender for the evening.

The Island Glider features dark rum, Aperol, and Pineapple Amaro and is served up. This is a dry leaning but still flavorful cocktail and a good option for those looking for spirit-forward options, though the use of the Trader Vic’s Dark Rum means that the rum doesn’t quite hold up to the other ingredients as much as you’d want. I appreciate what Mika was trying to do here, and the constraints to use Trader Vic’s branded rums, but this is a case where a bolder rum really would have benefitted this cocktail. The garnish includes nods to hang gliders and is a really nice touch.

Later, Mika demonstrated how the Vic’s bartenders keep up with all those Mai Tai orders by building eleven Mai Tais at one time and keeping them on hand for orders so that all they need to do is add ice, shake, and garnish.

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Leisuremann’s Mai Tai Cocktail Mix

When procuring an actual ready to drink cocktail isn’t feasible, there’s a new option to consider when all you have is rum. Leisuremann’s produces a number of cocktail mixes, so when I saw that there’s a Leisuremann’s Mai Tai my interest was piqued. We give thanks to Mai Tai fan Jeff Ross for sending me a packet to try.

Let’s not pretend this isn’t what it is; it is a powdered Mai Tai that makes one drink by adding 2 oz of water, 1 oz of rum, and ice. The packet specifically states to use ½ oz each of a “White Rum” and a “Dark Rum”, which rum aficionados know is a not a precise direction. I used Denizen Light rum and our Ultimate Mai Tai rum blend for the two stated rums, but couldn’t really taste the rum in the completed cocktail so in practice you’ll want to increase the rum to a full two ounces.

Compared to ready to drink Mai Tai cocktails or Mai Tai mixes, you could do far worse than Leisuremann’s Mai Tai mix. In fact, I thought this wasn’t half bad and way better than I expected. There is a bit too much orange in the flavor profile but there is some tangy lime and almond flavor in there as well. But that added Coruba rum float certainly improved the overall character of the cocktail.

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Myers’s Rum Signature Origin Collection Guyana Blend

Though Myers’s Rum will likely forever be known for the signature Dark Jamaican expression, in the past decades this blending brand did issue bottles featuring rum from different regions. The brand’s current owners, Sazerac, went so far as to issue this Guyana variant a couple years back though to date this seems to be a one and done release. The rum is 41.5% ABV and is a blend of rums from Guyana with no age statement.

I was gifted a bottle of this rare rum from Jason Craig and am so grateful to be able to enjoy this fine expression. Tasting neat, it does strike me as similar to El Dorado 5 which I’ve tried several times and compares very favorably to the 40% Pusser’s 15 yr that I have in my collection. Rich toffee, nut, and banana notes mostly, and not too much oak. The lower ABV means that rum nerds likely won’t flock to it, but this is something you could impress a rum newbie with.

The Guyana Blend really shines in a Mai Tai, providing a ton of rummy flavor that pairs really well with the rest of the ingredients. Even at 83 proof, this rum is not buried in the cocktail, and I really enjoyed this Myers’s rum as a Mai Tai.

There still seem to be some bottles of Myers’s Rum Signature Origin Collection Guyana Blend out there for purchase, usually in the $45-$50 range. This interesting expression is worth seeking out and I hope Sazerac does more of these kind of releases.

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Frozen Mai Tai at Bahama Breeze

After my conference in Redmond was over around Noon, I had a few hours to kill before heading to SeaTac airport for the trip home. After a few twists and turns I found myself in Tukwilla at the Westfield Southcenter, at which point I realized there was a Bahama Breeze restaurant in the back parking lot.

Entering Bahama Breeze was a tropical respite from the cold Seattle rain, and I found a table in the bar and free WiFi to actually do a little work before my flight. The place was pretty busy for a Friday afternoon with several large groups and a bunch of people meeting up in the bar as well.

Scanning the menu I spotted the Ultra Chill Mai Tai in the frozen section, featuring Appleton Signature rum, orgeat, pineapple, passion fruit, and lime juice – plus an Appleton floater. This seemed like an elevated version of what you might expect at a place like this and I’m pleased to report this frozen Mai Tai was pretty damn great. It tasted like a Mai Tai and there was plenty of booze in there, too. The Ultra Chill Mai Tai is highly recommended.

For a second drink I noticed they had Appleton Estate 8 on the list of premium rums, so I asked for their “Ultimate Margarita” but to sub the Appleton 8 for the tequila. The result was pretty close to a 1944 Mai Tai and plenty of flavor (should have asked no salt on the rim, though). The server was super fast and responsive and the island vibe inside was inspired.

It is too bad there aren’t any Bahama Breeze locations near me, but I’ll never skip this place on the way back to SeaTac.

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Completing Dr. Funk’s Rum Asylum Level I

I finally completed the first level of Dr. Funk’s rum club list, the Rum Asylum. I’d have finished back on March 11 had they not run out of my last rum, Real McCoy 12 year from Barbados, and finally returned after a couple weeks of heavy travel.

Level I is a very good overview of the various styles of rum, including unaged expressions all the way to heavily aged ones, plus distillate from more than a dozen different countries and regions. There’s a little bit for everyone, from those who like it sweet and light to those who like boozy funk bombs. I love Jamaica rum above all others, but best of all there’s not a dud in the bunch.

Dr. Funk Rum Asylum: Level I

1-3. Rum Flight (incl. Planteray Pineapple, Paranubes, Appleton 12)
4. Bacardi 8 Ocho
5. Barbancourt 8 yr
6. Planteray Xaymaca
7. Rhum JM VSOP
8. Santa Teresa 1796
9. Myers’s Single Barrel Select
10. Privateer Queen’s Share
11. Real McCoy 12 Yr
12. Lemon Hart 151
13. Wray & Nephew Overproof
14. Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
15. Kō Hana Kea
16. Chairman’s Reserve Spiced
17. Appleton 21
18. Denizen White 5 yr
19. Pusser’s British Navy
20. Worthy Park 109

When you complete level I there’s a small pin awarded, plus the list for Level II and the goal of future rewards. Thanks to Justin for initiating me and letting me ring the bell.

The best way to celebrate the completion of the list? A fantastic Dr. Funk Mai Tai, of course.

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Mai Tai Shakeup at Inside Passage and Rumba

Ray suggested checking out Seattle’s “almost tiki bar” Inside Passage, so we popped in around 9:00 on Thursday to find a few spots at the bar and a couple open tables. As I scanned the menu I saw they have Kiki’s Premier Mai Tai, made with a 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. This premier Mai Tai has a premium price, $26, though the quality and price of the rums used means this is still a great value.

Rumba and Inside Passage Mai Tais

Having previously loved the Rumba Mai Tai that’s in the same venue as Inside Passage, I was looking forward to trying this monster and it exceeded my expectations in every way. So rich and flavorful, a Mai Tai that’s worth savoring every sip. I was very impressed.

I decided to order a Rumba Mai Tai to do a head-to-head comparison and the sister cocktail was delivered in short order. The richness of the Premier wasn’t present in the Rumba Mai Tai that really leaned into Martinique Agricole as the predominant flavor. The menu says this includes aged Rhum JM and a house barrel aged Wray & Nephew, but I didn’t taste oak or Jamaican notes as I would have expected. The overall mouthfeel wasn’t as great as I remember and I kind of ended up being disappointed with the Rumba Mai Tai.

Commitment to the bit

So, sadly, we’re going to remove the Rumba Mai Tai from our list of Top Mai Tais in the world – to be replaced by the Inside Passage’s Premier Mai Tai! Sometimes you have to pay a little extra to get a lot better Mai Tai and Inside Passage really delivered.

Inside Passage remains impressive on the eyes, with nods to Seattle landmarks such as the World’s Fair and the old Trader Vic’s, even though it technically isn’t a tiki bar. Lots of fun and nice to see you might not absolutely require a reservation.

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Power Outage at Nui Nui / North Shore Lagoon

Thursday was a night out with Tiki with Ray and wanted to visit again the McMenamins Anderson School location in Bothell, where there’s a tiki bar now called Nui Nui that sits over the North Shore Lagoon indoor pool. Once again I was so impressed by the quality and quantity of the Polynesian artwork, and the overall bamboo-heavy decor. We took a table by a window overlooking the busy pool.

Mai Tai

Shorty after receiving our first round of drinks, the power went out in the entire building – with some skylights, emergency lighting, and candles being the only thing illuminating the venue. The staff did an exemplary job reassuring customers and stated that while no new food orders would be taken they were still ready for additional drink orders. Turns out someone hit a telephone pole right outside the venue, toppling the pole and sending wires to the ground. The pool remained busy for a while and then was shut down a little while later.

I very much enjoyed the Mai Thai Steak Salad and paired it with a pretty reasonable Mai Tai made with light leaning McMenamins’ North Shore Lagoon rum blend and house orgeat. I followed that with Fashionably Tiki, an excellent and satisfying Old Fashioned riff made with the same rum, house Falernum, tiki bitters, and an orange peel. I really enjoyed both cocktails.

By the time we left it was well past sundown and some portions of the venue were extremely dark, a bummer for me because I couldn’t appreciate the vast artwork as well. Nonetheless, the patrons seemed to be in great spirits and once again we have to salute the staff for making the situation comfortable in the darkest of dark tiki bars.

The pool after the power outage
Emergency Lighting