Category: Mai Tai

Posted on

Tipsy Terrier Halloween Party

Thanks to Amy and Kirk for throwing another amazing backyard Halloween Party last night in San Jose. Their large home tiki bar, the Tipsy Terrier, is the centerpiece and fantastic but we most spent time in the yard and patio enjoying the myriad Halloween decorations.

They served a wide assortment of boozy beverages including fantastic versions of the 1944 Mai Tai, Three Dots and a Dash, and great blood red Zombie. Super flavorful and definitely not watered down for a general audience. There were also Aperol Spritz’s and Champagne Cocktails. So nice when the host give you the fixing and you can prepare it to suit. Beer on tap and Sangria from a fountain were available for those with less ambitious prep desires, or just because they prefer it.

Mrs. Mai Tai came up with the idea for our costume – Jack and Wendy from The Shining. All works and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Some truly outstanding costumes at the party, and nice to see some familiar faces but also to meet some new people too.

Posted on

Galliano Mai Tai

Saw a reference to this vintage pamphlet cookbook produced by McKesson Liquor Co. in the early 1970s, so I had to get one for myself. Discover Gold includes a host of recipes featuring Galliano liqueur, with its unique but “undefinable taste.” The Harvey Wallbanger is here, of course, but so much more.

I gave the Mai Tai a spin, because I’m fancy like that. With a full ounce of Galliano, you’re not hiding the taste – especially when paired with a lightly flavorful White Rum. Otherwise, it’s a pretty standard Mai Tai recipe.

Galliano Mai Tai
1 oz Galliano
1 oz White Rum
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Orange Curaçao
Put all ingredients into an ice-filled rocks glass, stir, and garnish with mint.

If you love Galliano in a Harvey Wallbanger, like I do, even you probably won’t like this. Far too much of that unique Galliano flavor here, and it totally overwhelms the cocktail. I could barely taste the other flavors especially the scant ½ oz of lime juice. Maybe this would be better if paired with a bolder rum and inverting the lime and Galliano ratios. Maybe.

I don’t need to tell the Galliano haters that this is cocktail is a hard pass for you.

Posted on

Mai Tais at Sparks Water Bar

Not entirely a coincidence that we chose this restaurant on the waterfront of Sparks Marina Park Lake, since this was located very close to our hotel. But I was all too happy to take Mrs. Mai Tais suggestion for Sparks Water Bar for dinner on Saturday.

The lake is obviously man-made, and there are some nice beach styled houses near the marina, including some with some impressive backyard tikis. The two-story restaurant was busy on Saturday, so it seems like the place to be. Food is a mix of this and that American fare, along with the extensive Gar Woods cocktail menu.

1944 Old Way Mai Tai

So, a “Trader Vic’s Mai Tai” (the one made with Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Concentrate) and a “1944 Old Way Mai Tai” were there for a little comparison testing. Unlike our visit to sister property America’s Bar in Truckee, the mint was in great shape for the garnish. The 1944 comes with the Menehune spear, and did taste a bit better – just a little more rich. Both were well-done and authentic.

Mrs. Mai Tai tried one of Gar Woods’ “Woody” cocktails, a blended Daiquiri style drink which she plussed with some Prickly Pear puree and a float of Myers’s and Captain Morgan rums. I thought it was pretty good for this style of drink and certainly the pear flavor did come through. She didn’t love the Pomegranate Martini though, but I thought it was a pretty good Cosmo riff.

Can’t say enough good things about the food here. My Teriyaki Salmon Salad was delightful, with the teriyaki glaze perfectly grilled to a crisp. There were lots of things in the salad besides lettuce, and I really enjoyed this. The Scallops that Mrs. Mai Tai had were pricey but she said were excellent.

Local Tikis
Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
Teriyaki Salmon Salad
Posted on

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai in Truckee

The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai takes you to unexpected places.

Mrs Mai Tai were traveling to Reno to see Belinda Carlisle in Sparks so we stopped in Truckee for lunch. We enjoyed lunch at the eclectic Squeeze In cafe.

Just down the street there’s a restaurant called America’s Bar, which is owned by the Gar Woods restaurant group that has several restaurants in the Tahoe/Reno area. Which means that they serve an authentic and fully licensed Trader Vic’s Mai Tai. They also have a property in Sparks.

Man I love me a great Trader Vic’s 1944 Mai Tai. This one used crushed ice and had a superb flavor, just like you get at Vic’s. Freshly squeezed lime on top does really help too. You know it is authentic by the glass and Menehune. I’ll cut a bit of slack on the mint given the venue’s location.

Posted on

Search for the Ultimate Terrible Mai Tai

I like to keep an open mind, because some days even your spider sense lets you down and what you think is terrible is actually really great.

This is not one of those days.

I had the lowest expectations for this Tropical Rum Mai Tai from Juneshine Spirits, but honestly it was even worse than I expected. This is most certainly the worst “Mai Tai” I’ve ever tried.

I like to cut ready-to-drink cocktails a whole lot of slack, but there is nothing to recommend about this pink and bubbly cocktail with an artificial cherry aftertaste. The label says “No Sugar Added” but I think it might have helped to have some.

  • 2 Shots Rum (Malahat)
  • Sparkling Water
  • Pineapple
  • Coconut
  • Orange
  • Cherry
  • Lime

Nowhere near tickling my tiki.

Posted on

Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai Recipe

Check out this cool new Hulaween-themed Mai Tai glass from Trader Vic’s. Available now in their online store.

To celebrate, I took a run at doing a Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai. In the past I’ve used the Captain Morgan Jack-O-Blast Rum as an accent rum in a standard 1944 Mai Tai. That rum isn’t being produced anymore, so I decided to try this a different way by making a pumpkin spice simple syrup.

Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Pumpkin Spice Syrup
½ oz Orange Curacao
2 oz Aged/Gold Rum
Shake with ice and garnish with a burnt cinnamon stick and a couple cherries.

The rum here should be flavorful but not overpowering. I used Appleton Reserve 8 but your favorite moderately aged or “gold” rum will do fine.

Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup
¾ cup Sugar
¾ cup Water
⅓ cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp Pumpkin Spice

Heat water until just before boiling, take off heat and stir in the sugar. Once dissolved, add the pumpkin puree and spice, stirring for several minutes until the liquid has a consistent orange color. Add a little light rum and then bottle and refrigerate.

With this recipe the syrup does not hit you over the head with the pumpkin spice flavor, so you can add more spice if it suits you. I think it’s better when you just get a hint of the pumpkin flavor in the cocktail.

 

Posted on

Mid-Week Dinner at The Tonga Room

My friend Amy was in town for business but we found time for dinner at The Tonga Room a couple blocks from her hotel. Yes, it helps to get there early before opening even on Wednesday. But it is worth it when they give you a table right by the lagoon.

About the same experience as last time. The prices here are pretty steep, but you can’t beat the amazing decor inside. Music was an eclectic mix of surf and Hawaiian and a little Reggae, and service was spot on as usual. I really liked my salmon entree.

Drinks were okay. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Shirley Temple didn’t even come with a cherry, but the Tonga Kong was a hit for her and with Amy. The Mai Tai was a little too limey, though mellowed over time.

We also had a short visit with Jayme from @lagoonofmystery who was in town for whirlwind tour of the Bay Area’s famed set of tiki bars.

Mai Tai at The Tonga Room