Category: Mai Tai

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International Mai Tai Day 2020

June 30 is a perfect time to highlight my Top 10 Mai Tais of 2020 (so far). My own homemade Mai Tais not included (with one exception). However you can celebrate, give a toast to The Trader today.

1) The last Ultimate Mai Tai from Terry Six at The Kon-Tiki
No bartender has made me a better Mai Tai than Terry.

2) Take Out 1944 Mai Tai from Trader Vic’s
It was so great to have a wonderful take-home Mai Tai. Gave me hope for lockdown.

3) 1944 Mai Tai with Appleton 12 at Trader Sam’s
Bartenders at Sam’s are always willing to go a bit off-menu.

4) Smuggler’s Cove
I landed here in February sort of by accident but it worked out perfect when I had a great Mai Tai.

5) Buz-Tai from Hula Hoops
Another take-out Mai Tai that was amazing. Bold variant.

6) Coruba / Hamilton 86 Mai Tai at Fred & Ginger’s
Home bar Mai Tai made by Terra Fritch
for a socially distant cocktail hour.

7) Trader Vic’s Mai Tai with Mai Tai Concentrate
I’ve been waiting years to try this at home. It’s finally available.

8) Grand Mai Tai
Pretty much a ’44 with the dark rum presented as a float. Good stuff from the Craftman’s hotel bar at Disneyland.

9) Blue Hawai-Tai
My own Blue Hawaii/Mai Tai riff that got press in Exotica Moderne and seemed to make fans worldwide.

10) Kai Mai Tai
Blood Orange in a Mai Tai? Yes, it’s delicious. And somewhat deadly.

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Kali Mai Tai

I was gifted this from some fellow tikiphiles and it’s totally cool. It pays homage to the Indiana Jones franchise including the Mara-glyphics from the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction at Disneyland. Who’s that holding the cocktail? Why that’s Mola Ram from Temple of Doom, the priest who would performs human sacrifices for the goddess Kali. In the movie people were forced to drink the Blood of Kali Ma, a potion that brainwashed people to make the devout followers. If only getting more Instagram followers was so easy.

The pin is really large and the glyphics on the front have the recipe for the 1944 Mai Tai. On the back of the card, there’s a recipe for the Kali Mai Tai, a twist on the original recipe feature Asian rum, Blood Orange Juice, and Blood Orange Cordial.

The back of the pin features a decoder wheel so you can translate the recipe and the secret message (which I won’t spoil in the post). The decoder is great, though I found that using the Disneyland App was faster: go to Adventureland and choose the Indiana Jones ride and there is a glyphics decoder.

As for the cocktail, it is wonderful. Especially if you pair it with appropriate glassware such this one from Last Rites in San Francisco. I liked the tangy blood orange twist on the Mai Tai. I used the Liber and Co. Blood Orange Cordial. Give it a try!

The pin is available from @junglecruiserusso. So well done.

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Makai Island Kitchen and Groggery Open in Santa Cruz

We have a new tiki bar opening, now that Makai is now open in Santa Cruz.

Initial reports are that this is a pretty good tiki bar, considering its touristy/general audience location. We’ve added it to our write-up of Tiki Travels: Central California.

Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery

Located on Santa Cruz’s picturesque wharf, Makai offers a good tiki experience while still appealing to a wide audience. The interior includes work from Bamboo Ben and the bar rotates. Food is family-friendly and reasonably priced, including Pupus, sandwiches,  bowls, and island-inspired entrees. Cocktails aren’t comparable to craft cocktail tiki bars, but are more than worthy considering the general-audience clientele. They serve a large variety of classic tiki drinks, including both a 1944 Mai Tai and an Island Mai Tai, along with a few originals.

Photo courtesy Alexis Antionio / instagram.com/atomictikigal
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New B-Rex Mai Tai Glass in Seafoam

I love the new Mai Tai glass from Brian Rechenmacher – aka B-Rex. I had to make a Mai Tai with Smith & Cross rum, which is my go-to rum when Brian is behind the bar. He always makes the Mai Tai great with this rum (including my number 7 Mai Tai of 2019)

The new Mai Tai Glass patter is available in a traditional white color (ala Trader Vic’s) but I liked this Seafoam even better. Head over to The Art of Brian Rechenmacher website to pick up the glass and other B-Rex artwork, pins, etc.

The mug is B-Rex’s incredible Keahi mug, still one of my favorites.

Glassware and Mug by B-Rex.
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Halekulani Mai Tai

The Mai Tai served at House without a Key, Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki
⅓ oz Orgeat
⅓ oz Orange Curacao (Cointreau)
⅓ oz Rock Candy Syrup
1 ¼ oz Lime Juice
¾ oz Bacardi Select/Black Rum
¾ oz Bacardi Gold Rum
Float ½ oz Lemon Hart 151 Rum

This looks like a typical Island Mai Tai but is closer to an original 1944 Mai Tai, and was easily our favorite in Waikiki. (Halekulani website)

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Hay Straws

Let’s talk about straws

I finished the bottle of the old Appleton Reserve, so I had to have one last wonderful Mai Tai. But I also got to test out some new straws.

I greatly prefer drinking cocktails using thin cocktail straws, unless the cocktail is blended. I just feel like it gives me more of an opportunity to slowly pass the liquid over my tongue. My supply of red plastic cocktail straws was finally depleted and the larger straws just weren’t doing it for me (don’t get me started on metal straws – not for me). And while I could get more red plastic cocktail straws, we all know why that’s not a good environmental choice.

So, I picked these Hay Straws. They have the diameter of the old red plastic ones, but without any of the chemicals. Supposedly gluten-free and all natural. 100% compostable. They worked out really good, good. Way better than the larger diameter plastic or paper straws for being able to drink my Mai Tai the way I like. The straws held up pretty good too, even when I took my time drinking this Mai Tai.

Learn more: HAY! Straws