Category: Mai Tai

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Trader Vic’s Black Tai Event

The Trader Vic’s 90th Anniversary Celebration kicked off in elegant style with Friday’s Black “Tai” event in Emeryvile. This ticketed event was an all-inclusive experience including unlimited food and Trader Vic’s cocktails from various stations located throughout the venue. Plus DJs in some rooms and the Martini Kings playing in the main dining room. The staff did a great job with the setup and service throughout the night.

The event began with checking outside the restaurant and then a photo stop. We were led into the Cook room that was decorated with 1930s-40s artifacts from the original Hinky Dinks and then as it transformed into Trader Vic’s. We received a mini Mai Tai welcome cocktail and a Vic’s staff member walked us through the displays.

Next, we went to the Mai Tai Lounge which was set up to celebrate the 1950s-60s, with the Scorpion or a Mai Tai being the featured cocktails. The main dining room was set up for the 1970s, and the room next door highlighted Vic’s Middle Eastern locations with a boat full of the potent Tiki Puka Puka cocktails. The Trader’s Office featured spinoff restaurants Senor Pico and Mama Gruber with menus and artifacts, plus tequila tasting.

Wide collars with Martin Cate

Finally, the Captain’s Cabin was set up for present day with a display and representatives from KōHana Hawaiian rum, plus a delicious Hawaiian cocktail with that rum and Campari. The tour aspect was more difficult as went through the restaurant and ran into other guests, but overall the displays and vast number of Trader Vic’s artifacts was astounding. A large Guest Book was available for people to sign in and wish Trader Vic’s a happy 90th year.

The night became somewhat of a blur, and in retrospect Mrs. Mai Tai and I should have split some of those drinks. Nonetheless it was great to be able to socialize and speak with so many people. Mrs. Mai Tai dressed up in a tropical duster and I wore a vintage shirt from the Hawaiian Village with my suit. So many people really dressed up, a nod to the old days when people wore suits and dresses at fancy Polynesian restaurants like Trader Vic’s.

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Mai Tai Trivia Recap

What a fabulous evening in downtown Oakland last night for the first ever Mai Tai Trivia event, hosted by The Kon-Tiki. We had a packed house of people testing their knowledge of arcane Mai Tai and Tiki Bar trivia, or just to see famed YouTuber Derek from Make & Drink make a live appearance.

We did four themed rounds of trivia, starting with Mai Tai Origins, What’s in a Mai Tai, and Stretching the Definition. We dedicated one round to general Tiki Bar trivia. Questions ranged from the simple (“In what city was the Mai Tai invented”) to deeper cuts such as the longest continuously operating tiki bar in Southern California. Hint: it isn’t Tiki Ti or Tonga Hut.

Teams were formed with up to four people, including some timely and themed names such as East Bay Dunder, Our Tai, and Demure. Prizes included some great Make & Drink Mai Tai glasses and coasters, Make & Drink pins, a tiki mug, and Surfside Sips glass straw gift packs.

The winning team was Cooler than QB that included hometown “Oakhana” regulars, followed in a tie for second from Hinky Drinkers and Squeaky Tikis. Congrats to these teams and thanks to all who played. We also thank Mrs. Mai Tai for helping with passing out and collecting ballots.

Arminder from Rum Revival and Derek from Make & Drink

We have to thank the amazing Kon-Tiki team who welcomed a large crowd and did a great job keeping up with orders. I enjoyed the Dhalia Negra cocktail from the happy hour menu and bartender Kriss made a Q.B. Cooler that was fantastic. I also made sure to enjoy a standard Mai Tai that’s not on the menu but always available, and Kon-Tiki’s Mai Tai is one of the best anywhere.

Question: when was the first Mai Tai Trivia Event?
Answer: The Kon-Tiki Oakland, August 21, 2024.

Cooler than QB
Hinky Drinkers and Squeaky Tikis
Dhalia Negra with Hibiscus-infused Charanda, Lime, Azucar
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San Francisco Rum Festival and Congress Presentation

Coming on August 31, I’ll be presenting at the San Francisco Rum Festival and Congress alongside Matt Pietrek of RumWonk.com and CocktailWonk.com fame. Our seminar covers rums of the Mai Tai, including some historical details rarely seen or discussed.

Rums of the Mai Tai – Secrets Revealed

Few cocktails highlight rum better than the Mai Tai, the king of tiki cocktails and created by Trader Vic 80 years ago. Join Kevin Crossman and Matt Pietrek for a look at the evolution of the rums used in the Mai Tai through the decades, including deep dives into historic rum expressions.

“NOTE: These sessions are restricted to Rum Congress (Aug 31st) ticket holders and require an additional $ to attend. Very Limited seats available – ORDER HERE“

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Improved Mai Tai at San Diego’s Bali Hai

As we left San Diego for the airport we swung by Shelter Island to have an early dinner at Bali Hai. The place was quite full at opening on the Sunday, perhaps due to an earlier private event that kept some revelers in the bar.

Our dinner was pretty great, including the Ali’i Tasting platter that included coconut shrimp, tuna poke, spinach lumpia, beef skewers, and firecracker ribs. Everything on here was really good, including the ribs which aren’t always my thing. We also shared the Honey Cashew Shrimp that was expertly prepared and was totally savory.

We’ve discussed the Bali Hai’s infamous “no juice added” Mai Tai in the past, a rum-forward cocktail with 5 oz of rum! I had asked for a Mai Tai with Appleton 12, but was told they don’t make spirits substitutions on the Mai Tai. Instead, I tried the new to us Cutwater Spirits Mai Tai, the same recipe but using local favorites Cutwater Bali Hai Dark Rum and Cutwater Three Sheets White Rum. I haven’t tasted a lot of Cutwater rums neat, but I would say the final product is worth the up-charge as I found this Mai Tai to taste much more balanced than the standard issue. Still very booze-forward, though; warning, limit two per person.

Waterfront views

Bali Hai sold their 3 millionth Mai Tai a couple months ago and they seem to still be going strong. We love the views of the harbor and the Polynesian decor inside.

Ali’i Tasting platter
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The Penultimate Mai Tai

Derek from the Make & Drink YouTube channel asked me to come up with a two-rum Mai Tai as simpler version of our four-rum Ultimate Mai Tai. This was actually harder than you’d think, and I decided that using Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross from the Ultimate Mai Tai blend was sort of a cop out (though those two rums are fabulous in a Mai Tai). I ended up going with some newer rum expressions that are among my favorites.

The Penultimate Mai Tai by Kevin Crossman
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Latitude 29 Orgeat
¼ oz Demerara Syrup
½ oz Quality Orange Curacao
1½ oz Worthy Park 109 Jamaica Rum
½ oz Kuleana Rum Works Hawaiian Rum Agricole
Shake with ice and garnish with lime and mint.

The Worthy Park is a boozy and flavorful dark rum, similar in style to the punch rums from the 1950s. There is a little bit of the “funk” common to many Jamaica rums but there’s also a charred backbone as well. This rum is becoming more widely available and there’s literally nothing like it on the market today. Subbing an 80 proof dark Jamaica rum like Coruba or Myers’s isn’t going to provide the same results.

There’s a tradition of using Rhum Agricole in Mai Tais, so I thought I’d include a cane juice-based rum. My favorite in this style are the cane rums from Hawaii, which aren’t as grassy as those from Martinique but also have more flavor than some of the delicate Cachacas from Brazil. If you can’t find Kuleana or KōHana, then Copalli from Belize is a good sub.

Thanks to Derek for having me back on the channel to talk about Mai Tais once again. Look for a super interesting collaboration coming soon.