Sazerac House Tour: Great Free Tourist Option in New Orleans

We had a great time on the complimentary tour of the Sazerac House on Canal Street in New Orleans. There are a couple cocktail tasting tour packages but we chose the free experience that does include little tastes of three cocktails based on the history of the Sazerac company and New Orleans traditions. Reservations for time slots can be made online, though I think that walk-ins are unlikely to need to wait long.

The House tour covers three floors and includes historical displays and artifacts covering Peychaud’s Bitters and some of Sazerac’s spirits including Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Sazerac Rye. Production and cocktail recipes are well covered in this facility that was acquired and completely renovated in the last ten years, so everything looks fresh and includes some modern high-tech displays. The best of these are some stations where you have a bartender on screen in front of you making one of New Orleans’ many classic cocktails, such as Ramos Gin Fizz or Sazerac.

The cocktail samples included the Sazerac cocktail, made now with Sazerac Rye rather than cognac that was used in the original cocktail. There were also rum and bourbon-based cocktail samples provided. Pretty informative and enjoyable to spend an hour or so.

There’s a small distillery on the first floor making Rye, plus a well stocked and very reasonably priced souvenir shop. You can pick up basically anything in the Sazerac portfolio, including Myers’s Rum and Jung & Wulff luxury rums Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados. I picked up a nice little bottle of Herbsaint.

Sazerac House is a fine option in the tourist corridor of New Orleans and is far from a tourist trap. Be sure to check it next time you’re in NOLA.

October 27, 2024November 1, 2024

Pat O’Brien’s – Great Fun but Skip the Hurricane

After lunch we decided to see if the hype was worth it by visiting New Orleans institution Pat O’Brien’s. This place is famous for popularizing the Hurricane in the 1940s (a Ronrico Rum recipe predates it, though) and features a main bar, piano bar, and a large courtyard with bar. The place was packed and we sought refuge in the quiet piano bar room only to find we were a few minutes early for the 1 pm show start, and the room was quickly packed.

The older lady played to the crowd and opened with a Taylor Swift song but soon stated taking requests. Some of these were really fun, but others were kind of ruined by a bad arrangement and an unfamiliar pace. Later a young man joined and the two took turns, but I thought his shtick was wildly uneven and he kind of had a “I hate my job” expression. A mixed bag but fun if you’re in the mood.

Does the Hurricane live up to the hype? No, it’s actually pretty terrible no thanks to the artificial Hurricane mix, though David and Amy seemed to enjoy theirs. I had a much better time with the Mint Julep, made with fresh mint and very refreshing. Service here was pretty friendly, including the outdoor bar and wait service inside the piano bars. It’s nice to visit these historic places and see them still pulling in the crowds.

October 1, 2024October 2, 2024

Oakland Resolution Officially Designates the Mai Tai as the Official Cocktail of the City

History was made today, October 1st 2024, when Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan put forth a resolution to designate the Mai Tai as Oakland’s official city cocktail. The measure appeared to be non-controversial and passed unanimously, including two absent members, after two citizens spoke tangentially about the topic during public comment.

A memo from Kaplan stated the rationale by saying “Oakland is a thriving, diverse, and creative community that deserves recognition as the Birthplace of the Mai Tai. As the Oakland City Council Member At-large, I wish to honor its creation, and the history of innovation and hospitality in Oakland, and designate it the cocktail of the City of Oakland.” The ceremonial item passed through the Rules Committee on September 19.

Kaplan was involved with the 2009 effort led by Michael Thanos from Conga Lounge/Forbidden Island to officially designate the cocktail. That measure didn’t pass but Kaplan was able to declare August 30, 2009 as Mai Tai Day in the City of Oakland, a date that was subsequently picked up by Trader Vic’s and other tiki bars as a day to celebrate the cocktail.

The Mai Tai was created at the original Trader Vic’s location at 65th and San Pablo Ave in the summer of 1944. That location closed in 1972, replaced by the restaurant group’s current flagship location in Emeryville. Oakland currently has two tiki bars that pay homage to the city being the birthplace of the cocktail. The Kon-Tiki on 14th and Webster currently features a standard Mai Tai as well as a $44 version with rare Caribbean rum. The Kona Club on Piedmont Ave recently added a 1944 Mai Tai to their cocktail menu that also includes the venue’s long-standing Kona Mai Tai.

September 19, 2024September 19, 2024

Trader Vic’s Royal Amber Rum Through the Years

Trader Vic’s Royal Amber Rum is the expression that Trader Vic’s uses in the Mai Tai and other cocktails at locations that use Trader Vic’s branded rums, distilled in Puerto Rico and distributed by Phillips Distilling. Royal Amber was introduced around 15 years ago in conjunction with World Spirits, ltd and stated to be a product of France. Royal Amber is supposed to be a combination of the Trader Vic’s Gold and Dark rums, which is to say that it is aged for a few years and does contain coloring and is issued at 40% ABV.

I’ve had this rum for some time and find it fights above its weight when used in a Mai Tai, even for a self-professed Jamaica rum snob like me.

I gladly was able to trade a modern sample for one from an older bottle from a local rum collector and found them to be pretty similar. The modern one struck me as a having a little bit more of a richer molasses taste, though that might be due to the age of the vintage sample. In either case it is a light-leaning rum with a pleasant flavor that plays well in a cocktail, very approachable for the average Mai Tai drinker at Trader Vic’s. We thank Gil for offering the opportunity to try this.

Pictured: vintage label, circa 2020 label, and modern label.

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024

New Book: P/Fassionola

Fassionola: The Torrid Story of Cocktails’ Most Mysterious Ingredient is a new book from Gregorio Pantoja and Martin S. Lindsay. This passion project is finally reaching Kickstarter backers and is also for sale. The book covers the history of Fassionola syrup, a cocktail ingredient that started as the brand-name Passionola and evolving into a generic ingredient that was issued in Gold, Red, and Green varieties. The syrup was passion fruit-based, but with additional fruit ingredients.

As with Lindsay’s book about San Diego Tiki, there are hundreds of gorgeous photos and historical details about the products, people, cocktails, and bars where they were served. Daniel ‘Doc’ Parks provided additional insight and several of his cocktail recipes are included along with other modern bartenders.

There’s a lot to like here, though the organization does not cohesively track the syrups evolution or plainly state the current state of Fassionola products. There isn’t a clear-cut definition of how Fassionola specifically differs from Passion Fruit Syrup, nor tasting notes about the colored varietals, and important details are buried in the descriptions of cocktails or venues. There’s a recipe for a Red Fassionola on page 252, but that’s not in the recipe index, and disappointingly there are no other Passionola or Fassionola recipes.

The following cheat sheet may help:

The book’s name is technically Fassionola but social media refers to it as P.Fassionola
Passionola was a brand name and is essentially similar to Fassionola
Gold Fassionola is closest to Passion Fruit Syrup
Red Fassionola has cherry or strawberry notes, Green has lime
Jonathan English is the recommended modern Fassionola, but you can only purchase via eBay
The authors have discovered a historical recipe for Passionola and are working to turn it into a retail product, coming soon

This last part potentially explains the lack of syrup recipes and I’ve heard from many folks that this seems like a ploy to generate interest in the retail product. Still, I am still looking forward to it. The book’s narrative structure is challenging but there’s a lot to learn if you are willing to dig a little.

Additional Notes:

Book review from Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, who wrote the the foreword for the book

What is Green Fassionola? And how to make the green Passionola Cooler from Make & Drink on YouTube

September 1, 2024September 10, 2024

Rum Congress at SF Rum Fest

The education-oriented Rum Congress was added to the San Francisco Rum Festival this year, offering deep dives into everyone’s favorite spirit. Rum Fest is returning to SOMArts Cultural Center this year.

Most of the sessions were hosted by a rum brand, with flowing samples provided. Plus, Rums of Puerto Rico had a series of cocktails after each session that featured a variety of Puerto Rican rums. These ranged from simple spritzers to a delicious rum punch.

I presented a session with Rum Wonk Matt Pietrek called Rums of the Mai Tai – Secrets Revealed. This covered the evolution of rums in the Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, with deep dives on the original J. Wray & Nephew 17, the rums of the original Hawaiian Mai Tai, and the 1950s era Martinique rhum. We had a receptive audience that asked detailed follow-up questions, and the Rum Fest staff had a great visual setup for slides. Thanks to Sam for the photos.

Other sessions included Pietrek and Alexander Gabriele discussing some details of Navy Rum and the new Planteray Mister Fogg rum, then both signed copies of their new book on the subject. Gabriele also presented a session about the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. Rum Champion Bryan Inman led a session about French rhum including reps and samples from Rhum Barbancourt. The last session was very loose but still enjoyable as Rum Lab’s Fede Hernandez led a session talking about Puerto Rican rums in tiki cocktails.

This was supposed to be my “dry” day at Rum Fest but it was anything but. It sounds like the team is interested in trying to make Rum Congress an ongoing component of the event. If this kind of event appeals to you, leave a comment with what kind of sessions you’d like to see in the future.

August 30, 2024August 30, 2024

Happy 80th Birthday to the Mai Tai

Happy Mai Tai Day 2024! The Mai Tai was born in Oakland in 1944 and thanks to that city’s proclamation, we celebrate Mai Tai Day every August 30th. From humble beginnings and a few years in relative obscurity, the Mai Tai was Hawaii’s viral sensation in the 1950s. Starting in the 1960s, the Mai Tai evolved to incorporate pineapple juice.

You can learn more about the history of the Mai Tai with our long-form article. The essay covers the early years featuring long-aged Jamaica rums, the unusual rum blend in that original Hawaiian Mai Tai, a bit about the dark years, and the renaissance of cocktail that took place at the same time that premium rums became a market force.

The Mai Tai was created by Trader Vic Bergeron at the original Trader Vic’s, but we also highlight other notable figures in the Mai Tai’s significant contribution to cocktail culture including Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Martin Cate, and Michael Thanos. Plus the bartenders of the craft cocktail revolution who recognized that Vic’s original Mai Tai was a milestone cocktail that deserves to be on the menu at any quality tiki or craft cocktail bar.

So, Mai Tai Nation, today’s the day. Raise a glass as a salute to the Trader and anyone who celebrates the world’s best tropical cocktail. Cheers, friends, long live the Mai Tai.