We recently popped by Cosmo Alley / Trader Vic Alley in San Francisco.
This was the location of the then-flagship location of Trader Vic’s when it opened in 1950 and eventually became so famous that the Queen of England dined with President Reagan and had her first meal in any restaurant. This Vic’s location closed in 1994 before I got into tiki, so was never able to visit. The restaurant’s successor Le Colonial closed a while back and recent news indicates there’s a desire to transform the area from a parking lot into an urban park.
This is across the street from the old Tiki Bob’s location, now the Honey Honey cafe. We also noticed there’s a Vic’s Cleaners around the corner and wondered if this business might date from the days when Trader Vic’s was one of the leading restaurants in the city.
With the closing of our beloved Kon-Tiki Oakland, it is finally time to amend our list of the Top 10 Mai Tais in the World. This list is all about what’s in the glass, not the surrounding decor or atmosphere, and is based on the standard-issue Mai Tai at the venue.
In considering which Mai Tai replace it with, there were several that came to mind.
The Ultimate Mai Tai at Tiki Tom’s (Walnut Creek): I’m biased in saying it but I think they do a great job and the last time I had it there I even impressed myself by how much I loved it.
Cane & Table Mai Tai at Cane & Table (New Orleans): a rich and chewy Mai Tai with a blend of pungent rums including rich sugar cane juice distillate.
Terry’s Mai Tai at the Copper Room (Yucca Valley): a vintage bar on a dusty road next to a tiny airport in the middle of nowhere has one of the finely balanced Mai Tais? Yes, friends.
Off Menu Mai Tai at The Beachcomber (London): a really fantastic Agricole Mai Tai, speciality of the bar.
Strong Water Anaheim: consistently good featuring Jamaica and Demerara rums plus zesty lime, expertly garnished.
In making the decision, I eliminated Cane & Table due to the ever-evolving nature of their rum blend, and not being a local I can’t make a call on whether the quality is keeping up. As much as I want the overall list to expand beyond the United States, I thought the more local contenders were better, and I decided that nepotism of sorts wasn’t good for designating Tiki Tom’s either. Someday Strong Water might boot one of the existing Top 10, but I went with the Mai Tai loved even more.
Terry’s Mai Tai is the brainchild of Terry Six, former bartender/manager at The Kon-Tiki, so there’s more than a little symmetry in choosing this to replace The Kon-Tiki. The transcendent drink is made with a “secret blend of four rums” and homemade orgeat, offering rich flavors and an amazing mouthfeel that is great to the last drop. Based on Six’s pedigree, I had the highest of expectations coming into this and it topped it in every way.
As with 2023 we had so many great Mai Tais that many of them would have been deep into the top 10 in past years and this year couldn’t crack the top 10. But they’re nonetheless worth noting and we thank the bartenders and bar owners for making these stellar Mai Tais.
For this list the rating is solely about what’s in the glass and does not factor in other elements such as ambiance, food, service, or decor. Each location only gets one Mai Tai on the list, exceptions for guest cocktails such as the Mister, Might I… at The Kon Tiki.
Some of the Mai Tais involve rum substitutions from what the bar would normally serve, such as custom blend at the Lucky Tiki. This presents the reader with more to consider when visiting these places, but highlights that making spirit substitutions is often what changes a good Mai Tai into a great one.
Just Missed: California Gold, Lost Inferno, The Fink, Trader Vic’s SJC, Frozen Mai Tai at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Trailer Happiness, Equiano Rum Mai Tai at The Shipwreck, Boo Loo Lounge, Kamalatai at Forbidden Island.
Honorable Mentions: Wilfred’s Lounge, Our Big Luauski, Damn Fine Mai Tai by Greg Smith/Becca Morris, Trader Vic’s Munich, The Formosa Cafe, Red Dwarf, Hula Hoops (Lilikoi Tai), Kapu Bar, Golden Tiki
Twenty six hundred and one days ago a man walked into a bar in Oakland and ordered an off menu Mai Tai at a tiki bar during their soft open.
the first Mai Tai
Since then I’ve had probably hundreds of Mai Tai there. Thanks to a stellar rum collection, high quality ingredients, and a professional crew they’ve nearly aways very good, sometimes stellar or mind-blowing. It was the first bar to serve the Ultimate Mai Tai and it is the venue where I’ve had the best Mai Tai of my life.
The Kon-Tiki closed last night but I had to have one final Mai Tai. The circumstances were terrible but the Mai Tai was nearly perfect, a rum forward concoction with sweet and savory notes.
Despite being a supposedly simple drink to make, there are plenty of bars (even good bars) that can’t make a Mai Tai that’s balanced or tasty or without weird flavors. But the Kon-Tiki never let me down and the Mai Tai was unbeaten.
Thank you to every bartender who’s ever shaken one up. Thank you to the Kon-Tiki for ever existing.
The Kon-Tiki Oakland First Mai Tai: Nov. 8, 2017 Last Mai Tai: Dec. 21, 2024
I got word that yesterday was going to be the last night for the Kon-Tiki and made it up to Oakland to snag a table with the family at opening.
Kon-Tiki Closing Night Checklist
_ Complete the DIY cocktail checklist by having the Pantera Rosa (lovely fruity tequila cocktail) and the Ma Kua for two (a bold sharable drink) _ Order a last Uma Uma for Mrs. Mai Tai, her favorite _ Eat the legendary Kon-Tiki Burger for the last time, the best thing in the building that has 200 rums _ Order a Mai Tai _ One last toast with Christ _ Order Kon-Tiki merch (a t-shirt) _ Say thank you to the crew _ Leave an extra generous tip _ Enjoy Yacht Rock in a tiki bar _ Say aloha to the Oakhana _ Enjoy eclectic tunes from the DJ _ Leave with my Expedition plaque _ Take group photo with the family _ One last photo of the neon sign _ Fail at trying not to cry _ Regret not visiting more often
Congratulations to Smuggler’s Cove on 15 years, as it opened today in 2009. One of the finest run and cocktail bars anywhere. We thank owners Rebecca and Martin Cate for keeping up the quality throughout the years, even during the “canned cocktail and soup” era during the pandemic, and of course the Smuggler’s Cove crew who are so talented and gracious to customers.
First visit in 2015
The engaging space tells the story of tiki with nods to Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, and Tiki Bob’s, while the curated menu allows patrons to experience the history of rum and exotic cocktails through the ages. And the team builds on the tradition with their own amazing creations such as my personal favorite The Pampanito or the cult classic Dr. Barca’s Fluffy Banana. It is still home to one of the world’s best Mai Tais, and the best I’ve had there was made with the amazing Appleton 17 year old rum that Martin helped champion.
Mai Tai with Appleton 17
I’m proud to be a member of the Cove’s rum club, the Rumbustion Society. You can see my name on one of the many plaques in the bar and their rum program is so elevated that there are several people who’ve had over 2000 (!) rums here. There are a lot of fantastic benefits of being a member including special events and (shhh) secret stuff, so consider joining the program.
We have enjoyed nights at the Cove as a couple but it is better with friends, even those who are tiki newbies. The Cove continues to amaze first timers and even for veterans there’s always something new to see or discover, or just a new cocktail or rum to try.
One of the most popular Mai Tai riffs of the past decade is the San Francisco Mai Tai, a standard Trader Vic’s Mai Tai with a 151 float. This was inspired by the story that Martin Cate tells in the Smuggler’s Cove book about an elderly man who would ask for a 151 float back when Cate was bartending at the now-shuttered Trader Vic’s in San Francisco. This became known as the “Old Way” Mai Tai because the gentleman was, you know, old.
Never mind that Trader Vic’s in Emeryville used the “Old Way” term to refer to a Mai Tai made with original ingredients and not the Mai Tai concentrate that replaces the sweeteners. But that’s a different story for a different day.
The graphic used on some Trader Vic’s menus for this cocktail clearly shows Lemon Hart 151 being used, though these days you’re much more likely to get a combination of Trader Vic’s 151 rum and Trader Vic’s Dark Rum, both distilled in Puerto Rico and lacking the heavy flavors that Lemon Hart is famous for. I think that this version is a nice upgrade, and you get a lot more booze for an extra dollar, though the Emeryville location dropped this item when they redid the cocktail menu this spring.
It wasn’t busy when I rolled into the bar at Trader Vic’s Emeryville on a Sunday afternoon while Mrs. Mai Tai was at the nearby bead show, so I asked for a Mai Tai with Lemon Hart 151 as a float just to see if the old man knew his cocktails. Expertly prepared, indeed this is an elevated version and those classic smoky flavors really do add something to the cocktail and gives you something to kind of chew on while relaxing with your beverage.
Just like the old timer wanted it. Mai Tai – Roa Ae.
