Author: Kevin Crossman

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Stray Pirate is Las Vegas’ Latest Immersive Experience Bar

We missed the opening of Stray Pirate by a week on our last visit and were glad we made it this time. This is a tiki-inspired bar with a stray dog/pirate theme. The dogs are pirates and you are in the hold of the ship, a fun variant of the nautical themed bars that seem to be popping up everywhere lately. Technically no tikis but you probably won’t miss them even if you’re a fan of the tiki bar genre.



There are plenty of spaces to hang out, thanks to the large bar one side, large tables on the other, and small tables running through the middle. A couple immersive booths are at one end and a photo spot on the other end near the restrooms. The decor includes “underwater” screens and lots of thematic paintings of pirate dogs. We loved the vibe inside and totally felt relaxed. The location in Vegas’ Arts District means you can browse eclectic shops before or after your visit and even do some bar hopping if that’s your thing.



The Stray Pirate cocktail menu is very small but I’m pleased to report their Mai Tai with Jamaica and Martinique rums is fantastic. The rums aren’t aged much, if at all, but the flavor of the Mai Tai is full bodied with a long finish. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Get It Kraken was a fantastic blend of Cachaca and coconut, and they have a respectable selection of premium rums and other spirits.

Stray Pirate is a fun bar with an immersive theme and great cocktails. It’s another great destination in Las Vegas.

Get It Kraken
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Island Time Floats Tiki Bar is Closed in Las Vegas

This “tiki bar” in front of Horseshoe (ex-Bally’s) is seemingly permanently closed.



Second photo was in November 2021 when I had a mediocre off-menu Mai Tai. That’s right, a tiki bar didn’t have the Mai Tai on the menu — and now it’s closed. Coincidence? I think not.

Thankfully Vegas has a lot better cocktail and tiki bar options than this.

Happier times?
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Brunch at Las Vegas’ Popular Golden Tiki Bar

We were in Vegas with tiki newbies and they wanted to try a tiki bar. My initial opinion was backed up by an overwhelming result on an IG Stories poll so we went to The Golden Tiki. We had checked the day before and they had reservations free for seemingly every time slot but when we arrived we were told it was standing room only at the bar. This seemed disappointing and with a little pleading we got seated because I’m guessing someone missed their noon reservation. It does appear that reservations should be strongly considered for any visit here with a group of more than two.



There are some nice brunch items, including waffles and several really great breakfast burritos. Our server was great at working with our entire party.

Drinks were better than last time. My Blue Lagoon was pretty good and I found the Mai Tai to be better than last time too; I really wish they’d switch from Giffard Orgeat, which I find somewhat unpleasant. I also had a nice side of Smith & Cross rum and when our friend asked for a 151 shot to float it was a Demerara 151, better than something like Cruzan 151. Our cocktails were all prepared well.

The venue is a feast for the eyes and our friends loved all the little touches (including the risqué ones in the restroom). A DJ was playing Yacht Rock and even took a couple requests.   A good time was had by all.

Trial by Fire
Instagram Poll
Blue Lagoon and Rum
Mai Tai
Coconut Shrimp
Breakfast Burrito
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Expanded Seating at Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport

The seating areas at Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport have been expanded in the last couple weeks, providing airport passengers with an easier to see option to enjoy Mai Tais and all of Trader Vic’s offerings.



We hear Trader Vic’s is doing very well at the airport, and you don’t expand seating if business is struggling. There’s also a Trader Vic’s coming in 2024 to the Oakland Airport, according to recent news reports.



My 7:24 am Mai Tai was pretty great and paired well with coffee that also tasted just fine.

Remember that you can also get drinks to-go at the airport, and remember to finish any drinks with alcohol before leaving the airport or boarding a plane.

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Camazotz Oaxacan Rum at The Kon-Tiki

Known locally as Aguardiente de Caña, Camazotz Mexican rum is made from sugar cane juice, fermented with wild yeast, and distilled in a copper pot still. The liquid is then transported by mules 5 km up a mountainside for collection. This is an unaged spirit and bottled at 48% ABV, so it is plenty flavorful. Flavors lean toward olive notes rather than grassy notes, though the vegetal flavors inherent with sugar cane juice-based spirits is certainly present. It’s fantastic.

The Kon-Tiki remains a leader in rum selection in the East Bay, offering neat pours alongside putting these interesting and often rare rums in cocktails like Daiquris or Mai Tai’s.

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Tiki Tuesday at Dr. Funk Was Pretty Great

Dr. Funk, Downtown San Jose’s excellent tiki bar, has been trying to make Tiki Tuesday a thing for the past year with DJs offering a variety of vintage styles on Tuesdays from 7 – 10 pm. I am not sure how much this has been actually pulling in the tiki people (more on that later) or even locals, but they’re continuing this program in 2024. We ventured down to see DJ Ship Rex who is assigned the rare “5th Tuesday of the month” slot.

The first bit of good news is that Dr. Funk is now doing Happy Hour all day on Tuesday. This is a big improvement since under the old set-up, the Happy Hour would end at 7:00 when the DJs started playing. So, having the better priced $12 Dr. Funk Mai Tai and some other drink specials is a nice update. I think tiki people would prefer drink specials like a nightly special cocktail more than a DJ (no offense to the DJs) but at least Happy Hour pricing is a plus.

Unfortunately there was a technical snafu and DJ Ship Rex got “ship wrecked” and couldn’t play tonight. Nonetheless, it was fun to hang out with Rex and a number of other tiki folks who came out. Be sure to check out Rex on his next gig.

The place was actually nicely full through most of our visit, perhaps due to the Sharks Night specials where there are some special cocktails such as the Shark’s Tooth that Mrs. Mai Tai tried in lieu of some of her favorites. The Blue Hawaii riff includes high-quality Probitas rum and was a great deal on the Sharks menu. She also tried the Shipwreck cocktail, a fruity cocktail that’s very nice.

I’m pleased to report both of my cocktails were made well, including the Mai Tai. I also tried the “Myers Storm” which is a Dark ‘n Stormy riff made with Myers’s Single Barrel – I asked them to go easy on the ginger beer and it was made correctly even if it wasn’t spelled correctly.

How do you spell Myers’s Rum?
Shark’s Tooth
Shipwreck
Mai Tai
Myers Storm
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Mai Tais Monday

These are the different Mai Tais I’ve had this month at The Kon-Tiki in Oakland. I’m working on their Expedition rum list and trying some of the rums in Mai Tais.

Real McCoy 5
I enjoy traditional Barbados rum, including those from the Real McCoy brand produced at the Foursquare Distillery. The blend of heavy pot still and lighter column still distillate means that the rum is more delicate than rums from other locations. This Mai Tai didn’t hit me with the usual punch I’m used to, a much lighter style and leaning more on the lime juice for overall flavor. A tad more orgeat would have improved this.

R.L. Seale’s
Another Barbados rum produced by Foursquare and with better but similar results as Real McCoy. Again, not terrible but the rum is mostly lost in the cocktail.

Hampden Estate 8 YO
This is more like it. A bold Jamaica rum aged for 8 years and issued at a reasonable 46% ABV, this Hampden is just what I’m looking for in a Mai Tai. The rum is bold enough to punch through but the other ingredients do support the rum and make it more palatable than drinking neat.

Hamilton Pot Still Blond
My favorite of the Hamilton Jamaica Pot Still rums, this Worthy Park distillate is absolutely fantastic in a cocktail. It’s very smooth, but with long and lingering flavors that make every sip a treat. I’m in love.

The Kon-Tiki’s rum selection is vast and there’s something for everyone. They have a nice printed list with prices to help you decide and the bartenders are knowledgeable and always able to offer suggestions depending on what you’re looking for.