Category: Mai Tai

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Mai Tai Event at Tikeasy in Livermore

Livermore’s Rosetta Roasting coffee roastery is going full tiki for their evening cocktail persona and adopting Tikeasy as the branding for their summer program. We’ve been big fans of the Nightcaps at Rosetta evening cocktail offering, but have certainly noticed a gradual shift to more tiki decor taking over the back half of the venue. The dimly lit booths work great with exotic music and superbly executed tropical cocktails, and nobody would peg this as a tiki bar from the outside. It’s a speakeasy, tiki style.

The official launch of Tikeasy will be Sunday, May 24 from 5-11 pm. The team will have Mai Tai Flights available with some great Mai Tai variants, plus a full tiki cocktail menu featuring classic and acclaimed originals. Plus I’ll be there to mix and mingle to talk Mai Tais with those in attendance.

This is a low-key event of casual conversation over cocktails, not a seminar, so there’s plenty of time in the evening to swing by. This being the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, if you’re not working on the Monday you have no excuse not to come and we expect to see you in attendance.

The team behind Rosetta Roasting are true believers in tiki, and they’re taking a chance by trying something a little different in downtown Livermore. So, even if you can’t make the event on May 24, I hope you’ll check out Nightcaps at Rosetta and the Tikeasy this summer.

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Crystal Light Powdered Mai Tai

A gift from Mrs. Mai Tai, who knows I’m interested to try a Mai Tai in any format. This powdered drink mix isn’t intended to be boozy, but if you’re reading this you know I did the right thing by adding a little Jamaican rum into the glass.

Look, it isn’t amazing, but does it kind of taste like a Mai Tai? Well, close enough for the scenarios where you can buy a bottle of rum but not all the other Mai Tai ingredients. There is a little bit of a tangy flavor that reminds me of the pop of lime you get in a good Mai Tai.

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Phoenix Rising at Dr. Funk Tiki Bar San Jose

This Dr Funk original features mezcal, rum, Aperol, coconut, pineapple, and fire! It’s still really great and the flame last night was quite impressive. Mrs Mai Tai let it burn all the way down, leaving a charred breadcrumb at the top of the drink, but still really good.

Meanwhile I ordered an off-menu Three Dots and a Dash that tasted fantastic and just like it should be with juices and spices. The team at Dr Funk really nailed this.

My second drink was the Mai Tai, still amazing and made with Jamaica rums. This one was even better than the Mai Tai I had here a couple months ago, bold and flavorful but still balanced, one of the best of the year so far.

We also talked to the crew about the upcoming Luau at Dr Funk, very traditional including music, food, and drinks. Get your tickets now.

Three Dots & a Dash / Dr. Funk Mai Tai
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My Favorite Mai Tai 12: What Makes The Ultimate Mai Tai?

Mai Tai media week continues with another new video to watch this weekend.

Those looking for a deeper dive into the Mai Tai will likely enjoy the new episode of Tiki with Ray’s “My Favorite Mai Tai” video series. We sat down with Ray and Pete from Bamboo & Bitters to discuss the Mai Tai’s ingredients, lore, and personal preferences.

The Mai Tai is very special to many people, including myself of course. But those who are paying close attention should note in this video how many times I chose not to gatekeep the drink or specific ingredients. I know what I like in a Mai Tai, and I’ll talk about things you should be thinking about when making one at home or ordering one at a bar. But I pass no judgement if you prefer it this way or that way. It’s your Tai, not my Tai.

Thanks to Ray for driving a great discussion into this cocktail and to Pete for having us over at his amazing basement bar, The Fo’c’sle.

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Mai Tai Seminar at The Fink in Napa

Get your tickets now for a special Mai Tai seminar and cocktail tasting at Napa’s leading cocktail bar, The Fink. The event starts at 2:30 pm on Sunday, May 3 and includes a seminar about the Mai Tai plus three variations on the cocktail including the Ultimate Mai Tai.

You can look forward to an informative and humorous presentation describing the hunt for the ultimate Mai Tai. You’ll enjoy delicious variations on this classic cocktail while discovering newly uncovered historical details, best and worst Mai Tais, and how to get the perfect Mai Tai at your local watering hole. Advice and lessons for the home bartender will be provided, plus plenty of eye candy and Q&A.

The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai at The Fink, May 3, 2:30 pm

Update: the event is now sold out. Thank you Napa!

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Bamboo & Bitters Makes the Ultimate Mai Tai

The newish YouTube channel Bamboo & Bitters welcomed me to The Fo’c’sle, the home bar and lounge of Pete and Andrea who serve as the hosts and producers of the channel. The channel covers a wide variety of tiki-related topics including cocktails, events, and spirits.

For the latest episode dropping today, I was the guest and made an Ultimate Mai Tai with Pete. We discussed the background on my version of Vic’s most famous cocktail and Mai Tais in general. Pete’s interest and enthusiasm is infectious and we had a blast hanging out in their fun basement lounge.

Check out Bamboo & Bitters on YouTube.

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New Luck Toy: West Seattle Immersive Chinese Bar

New Luck Toy is a 21+ Chinese restaurant and bar in West Seattle that isn’t really tiki aside from a couple stools, but does provide excellent cocktails and an immersive space that will appeal to fans of the genre. There’s a main dining room, a back room with the bar, plus a small karaoke lounge / waiting room near the main entrance. There’s also a really nice dragon mural on the back side of the building, too.

Tiki with Ray recommended this venue and once again he chose wisely as the place was busy on a Friday but we were able to find seats at the bar without difficulty. The configuration of seating is chairs on a raised platform, so you sit normally rather than the typical raised barstool arrangement. Our bartender was helpful at walking us through some of the menu items, and made a custom non-alcoholic drink for Ray, with the Chinese menu arrangement showing which ones are frozen and on tap. Several cocktails are served in tiki mugs and prices are very reasonable, around $13 or $14, and there are some beer and wine options including four beers on tap.

I was interested in both the Mai Tai and the frozen Singapore Sling and broke the tie by getting both. The Singapore Sling comes in a fish mug that is nice on the eyes and in the hand, with a very good cherry flavor that I found balanced and tasty. The Mai Tai is on tap and I had low expectations, expecting pineapple juice, but found this be a really good 1944 style Mai Tai. Though served in a large glass, the Mai Tai didn’t taste watered down at all, and there’s plenty of booze in there too.

Hanging out with Tiki with Ray

The vibe inside New Luck Toy was a delight with hanging lanterns and a shelf of tiki style mugs backing the bar. I heard good things about the Chinese-American food and definitely would consider returning in the future.