Category: Mai Tai

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Don’s Spices no. 2 Mai Tai

A little bit of a riff for the Mai Tai tonight. It’s a regular Mai Tai but replaces the Demerara/Rock Candy Syrup with Don’s Spices no. 2. That’s equal parts Vanilla Syrup and Pimento Dram/Allspice Liqueur. I used BG Reynolds Vanilla Syrup and St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram.

I don’t love cocktails that are Allspice forward, but just a little can be really great. This was a wonderful Mai Tai.

Glassware by B-Rex, paired with a B-Rex mug and Disney mementoes. The Mai Tai glass is still available so check out the B-Rex site.

2 oz Denizen Merchants Reserve Rum
½ oz Ferrand Dry Curacao
½ oz Latitude 29 Orgeat
¼ oz Don’s Spices no.2
1 oz Lime juice

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Blood Orange Mai Tai

Apparently blood oranges are in season, so I played around with them. First up is this Mai Tai made with white spirits and topped with some blood orange juice. Seems perfect for Halloween.

2 oz Probitas White Rum
¾ oz Cointreau
½ oz Orgeat
1 oz Lemon juice
Float ½ oz Blood Orange Juice

Very tasty.

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Kona Club is Now Open for Take-Out

Tiki Bar number 13 for me in 2020 is Oakland’s Kona Club. This dive/tiki bar on Piedmont Avenue is known for their incredible interior by Bamboo Ben and also for having a dive bar sensibility when it comes to cocktails and liquor. They just reopened this weekend from 4-8 pm for takeout cocktails so I took a drive to check it out.

You don’t get to go inside, as Kona Club has cleverly converted their exterior window to a walk-up window for to-go orders. A small set of cocktails are available, long with some beer selections. The requisite food component is a slice of pizza and a small side salad to complete the “meal.” Nothing to write home about but it’s also only $2. The team is looking to update the food option as they go, so check their Instagram for updates. Cocktails are available as a single for $10 or a double for $20.

The Madadamia Nut Chi-Chi is blended fresh and survived the trip home in good shape. The Mai Tai is the same as what Kona Club normally serves, which is to say it’s an Island Style with light rum (they used Myers’s Light Jamaican rum last time I was there). On a hot Sunday afternoon it wasn’t the greatest Mai Tai I’ve ever had but it was plenty cool and definitely refreshing.

Especially if you’re a local, support the business and give Kona Club a try.

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Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai

Another neighborhood delivery

This was the choice of the recipient, who definitely needs a stiff drink. I’m not a pumpkin spice hater.

Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat 
½ oz Orange Curacao 
¼ oz Demerara Syrup 
1 oz Captain Morgan Jack’o’Blast Pumpkin Spiced Rum
1 oz Aged Jamaican Rum

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New Site Feature: Q. B. Cooler

Let’s talk about the Q. B. Cooler. It’s the drink that inspired the Mai Tai. Or so the story goes.

Donn Beach claimed that Trader Vic used the Q. B. Cooler as a template or precursor to the Mai Tai, something noted in Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s book Sippin’ Safari.

We have a new feature at ultimatemaitai.com about the Q.B. Cooler, including the origin story, recipe, and whether or not the cocktail is the Mai Tai’s daddy. Includes some historical details and new quotes from The Bum himself. Check it out.

Q. B. Cooler by Don the Beachcomber
½ oz Lime juice
1 oz Orange juice
1 oz Club soda
½ oz Honey mix
¼ oz Falernum
½ tsp Ginger syrup
½ oz Demerara rum
1 oz Jamaican rum
1 oz Puerto Rican rum
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Blend with 4 oz crushed ice for 5 seconds; top up with more crushed ice and garnish with mint.

View the Page: Q. B. Cooler at UltimateMaiTai.com

Q. B. Cooler