Category: Mai Tai

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Crowd-Pleasing Tiki Recipe: Blue Hawai-Tai Cocktail

I had a lemon to kill and I’d been thinking about revisiting this hybrid Mai Tai / Blue Hawaii cocktail that I developed a few years back. It leans sweet, so feel free to pull back on the simple syrup, but I do still think this works and can be a crowd-pleaser for cocktail newbies.

Blue Hawai-Tai by Kevin Crossman
1 oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Simple Syrup
½ oz Blue Curacao
1 oz White Overproof Jamaican Rum
½ oz Aged White Rum
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake and dump into a small snifter glass.

  • Giffard is an amazing orange liqueur that also happens to be blue, strongly recommended.
  • Any overproof Jamaican rum would do fine here, demonstrated in this case by the Monymusk. If you like it more punchy than use one that’s 100% pot still, like Worthy Park Overproof or Rum Fire.
  • For the white rum, use one with a bit of age and ideally at least some pot still components to remind you that a Mai Tai started with an aged rum. My old bottle of Denizen 3 works great, as would Probitas, Breezeway blend, or Myers’s Platinum White.
  • Latitude 29 Orgeat is great in this application as the syrup is fairly clear and not cloudy like some orgeat can be.
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Fireworks at Trader Vic’s Emeryville

The Golden Gate Bridge fireworks were of interest to Mrs Mai Tai, but the high threat of fog made elaborate plans seem risky, so we took a sort of safe route by heading to Emeryville to have some drinks at Trader Vic’s before heading to the end of the peninsula to see if we could see any fireworks. Powell Street was closed at Access Rd before you get to the Watergate complex but we knew we could park at the Hilton Garden Inn, then walk down the street to Vic’s and the marina later.

Trader Vic’s had the Mai Tai Lounge open in “Speakeasy” mode with a somewhat limited drink and small bites menu. Additionally, there was a private event in the back of the venue that we saw people heading back to, but the dining room was not open. The bar was not that full, mostly locals, but we enjoyed sharing the table Debbie and Greg Smith who arrived just before us. The Crispy Prawns were really great on this visit, just about the best I’ve ever had.

Since the bar wasn’t too busy we did go off-menu slightly with a couple of called rum Mai Tais, which Carlos was kind enough to roll with. The Appleton 12 Mai Tai was really good but even better was the one made with Hamilton Navy Strength whose bold flavors shine in this cocktail. We also had a San Francisco Mai Tai, Guava Tai, Chi-Chi, Trader Vic’s Grog, and standard Mai Tai and found them all to be made perfectly for a group of five that know how these are supposed to taste like.

Mai Tai with Hamilton Navy Strength Rum

The fireworks were scheduled to start at 9:30 so we walked from Trader Vic’s down the end of the Emeryville marina. Crowds had gathered but we could tell we were unlikely to see much since the fog over the bridge was quite heavy. We saw a few fireworks coming from Treasure Island, and lots more in Oakland, but not the signature show on the Golden Gate. It was sort of expected, so at least we got to have drinks at Trader Vic’s.

As we walked back to the car we saw that someone had pulled into the Trader Vic’s parking lot with a van full of illegal fireworks. It was quite the show, but seemingly dangerous where a little spark would threaten the 50+ year old tiki temple. We heard the police were called and hopefully the perpetrators prosecuted.

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The 1953 Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Didn’t have Pineapple Juice

Yes, we would break several laws to climb to the top of the Empire State Building to help everyone learn that the Mai Tai that Trader Vic brought to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1953 did not contain any pineapple juice.

It is easy to see how this myth developed, as there weren’t a lot of vintage 1950s era Mai Tai recipes floating around and there was no effort to tie these loose ends together until our work on this started in 2021. Once all the pieces were gathered it was clear that not only did Trader Vic not add pineapple juice to the Mai Tai in 1953, there aren’t any published recipes calling for pineapple until the 1960s!

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Top 10 Mai Tais of 2026 So Far

We’re halfway through 2026 and it has been a great Mai Tai year so far, including a variety of on/off-menu Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s locations. There’s an obvious emphasis on various places serving Ultimate Mai Tais, my own favorite recipe. Hey, it’s my list!

The criteria is any commercial or home bar I’ve visited during the period. Separate riffs/versions get separate entries.

1. The Ultimate Mai Tai at The Fink
Served as part of our Mai Tai seminar, several people told me this was the best they’ve ever had. The Fink’s delicious house-made orgeat really worked with the bold rum blend this Mai Tai is famous for.

2. Kiki’s Premier Mai Tai at Inside Passage
Premium rums make this Mai Tai worth a couple bucks more. Still one of the best in the world.

3. OG Mai Tai at The Fink
The Fink’s standard issue Mai Tai features Jamaican and Martinique rums and is superbly balanced.

4. 1944 Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s Atlanta
You have to ask the bartenders to make it from scratch but they really did this one great, with a rummy flavor I loved.

5. Dr. Funk
Still just $8 on Mondays and $12 during Happy Hour, the rum blend features Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross rums, it’s super consistent and always made fresh in downtown San Jose.

6. Peanut Butter Mai Tai at Vic’s Atlanta
What if you add Trader Vic’s famous peanut butter spread to a Mai Tai? It is truly amazing and such a decadent treat.

7. Mikkel-Tai at Viking Mike’s
It has tequila but tastes like one of the best Mai Tais you’ve ever had, served in an immersive nordic yurt. We thought Viking Mike’s was so great.

8. Rumba
Inside Passage’s older sibling has a secret combo of rums and their Mai Tai leans a little lighter but is still one of the best you’ve ever had.

9. The Ultimate Mai Tai at Tiki Tom’s
We love that this is still on the menu and the team still does a great job. What can I say, I love this Mai Tai.

10. Tiki-Easy at Trader Vic’s Emeryville
A clarified Mai Tai fat-washed in peanut butter served to rave reviews at Trader Vic’s Hinky Dinks Speakeasy.

Rest of the Top 20
Tikieasy at Rosetta (revised formula)
Tai Game at Wilfred’s Lounge
The Ultimate Mai Tai at Tikeasy at Rosetta
Kenneth’s Mai Tai at Dr. Funk
Shipwrecked Paradise Island
Day Tripper
Smuggler’s Cove
Justin’s Mai Tai at Rocco’s
Menehune Juice at Trader Vic’s Emeryville

Just missed the Top 20
Hawaiian Mai Tai at Dr Funk’s Luau
Ultimate Mai Tai at Speakeasy Ray’s Kulikuli Room
SOS Tiki Bar
Trader Vic’s Emeryville
Trader Vic’s 1944 Mai Tai at Bar of America
To Go Original Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s SJC
The Ultimate Mai Tai at Fo’c’sle
New Luck Toy
The Jungle Bird
Guava Tai at Trader Vic’s Emeryville

Honorable Mentions
Forbidden Island, Zombie Village, Pandan Mai Way at The Jungle Bird, Xaymaca Mai Tai at Bamboo Hut, Pacific Catch

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Pele Utu: Reno’s Amazing Traditional Tiki Bar

Pele Utu is a newish traditional tiki bar located near downtown Reno just north of I-80, sandwiched between the Gateway Inn and Taste of India restaurant. The venue previously served as the bar for the restaurant and had two entrances when the hotel had a medieval theme, but today has a single entrance that includes a little bridge from the foyer into the main room. The large winding bar fills the left side of the room with additional tables, booths, and a small stage for live performances. The bar is dark and moody with intricate brickwork on the ceiling, giving it a cellar vibe.

The bar is the brainchild of longtime tikiphiles Dr. Shocker and Rosie Raddish, a husband and wife team who you can find behind the bar most nights. The duo used previous stints at Ventiki and their longtime passion for the genre to good use, since Pele Utu is well-appointed and features an extensive menu of quality cocktails. Food can be ordered and then delivered from Taste of India next door. Live performances, DJs, or themed nights decorate the weekly calendar while the TV features retro shows like Magnum P.I.

Skipper Mai Tai

Our visit coincided with Yacht Rock Sundays, a retro musical genre I was totally down for. We sat at the bar and Dr. Shocker held court while helping Rosie make our drinks. The Skipper Mai Tai was decent, but I was super impressed by their Hurricane which features Jonathan English Red Fassionola and tastes amazing (it’s also super boozy). I also really dug the Spice Trader and Mrs. Mai Tai’s Kona Kooler. Pele’s Lava Flow features strawberry habanero puree, making this a really interesting variant if you can deal with the spices.

Hanging with Dr. Shocker

We thought that Pele Utu was really great, a true tiki oasis doing things mostly along the traditional lines but mixing it up a bit on the music side to draw in locals unfamiliar with the genre. Featuring great hospitality and killer cocktails, Pele Utu is totally worth seeking out.

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Mermaid Shows at Dive Bar Sacramento

Our evening in Sacramento continued with a visit to downtown to check out the mermaid show at Dive Bar. We had a little bit of time to kill and so had some turnovers and Dubai cheesecake at nearby Sana’a Cafe followed by a stroll over to check out the Capitol.

Dive Bar has a nighclub vibe and sweet cocktails featuring coconut rums and the like, so I stuck to a NA Corona. The crowd was mixed though so we didn’t feel to out of place at 8:30 for the first mermaid show of the evening. We previously visited here pre-2020 and the vast aquarium with real fish still looks great. More appealing to the eyes was the performer, a very fit merman that seemed to be very popular with those in attendance.

Mermaid/Mermen shows are a lot of fun of course, so it is great to see that Dive Bar is still an option in Sacramento. As with many other bars, there’s sports on the TVs otherwise and a few couches and tables to socialize with friends.

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Daytripper: Tropical Cocktail bar in Sacramento

Daytripper is a new Richmond Grove Sacramento craft cocktail bar that focuses on agave and cane spirits in a Latin America themed setting. We’d heard great things and despite being open only a few weeks it seems like they’re already in prime form. The menu includes an array of classics from the Caipirinha, Pisco Sour, Paloma, and Ti’ Punch plus a variety of Margaritas, some originals, and NA options.

We arrived a little before 6 pm on Saturday and had to wait for about 10 minutes in line to enter, expected as the venue does not currently take reservations. Upon entering, we immediately saw various Latin American decorative elements, plus a large spirits collection focusing on local spirts from that region. We found a couple seats in the bar area, but the turnover was fairly quick and could have waited only a short bit longer for a table. Service is from a server unless you’re seated at the bar.

I was very intrigued by the Mai Tai, only $12 but still getting rave reviews. Indeed this is a delicious Mai Tai and was told it was made with Charanda from Mexico, Probitas, Denizen (presumably Denizen Light), plus a float of OFTD in the lime shell. It’s really great and is super approachable without heavy grassy or funky notes that I might appreciate but I know can be off-putting to many. It’s a Top 20 Mai Tai of the year so far, and a great value for the price.

Mrs. Mai Tai tried a coffee drink called Carajillo made with tequila, Liquor 43, and espresso – served over ice it was pretty good with a just a hint of tequila. We were quite intrigued by the Miami Vice on the menu and ordered one with two straws. This was by far the best Miami Vice we’ve ever had with the Strawberry Daiquiri component being very well balanced and providing some tart elements to balance the heavier sugar found in the Piña Colada. Even if you don’t love slushy drinks you owe it to yourself to give the Miami Vice a try, it’s that great.

The tropical vibe in Daytripper was so much fun, and they even have a vending machine with some eclectic items inside. They also sell some very nice looking glassware and tassel keychains for sale, with a “clipper club” coming soon. We already love these kind of cocktails but the travel theme expressed on the menu and in the venue is a good way to position it for those who don’t like in the rum or mezcal rabbit holes.