Category: Mai Tai

Posted on

Starboard Tack: the Best Mai Tai in Las Vegas!

Starboard Tack is an off-strip restaurant and bar featuring a nautical theme with 1970s leanings, which we found to be delightful. There’s a long bar and some tables in the bar area, plus a nicely appointed lounge area. There’s even a shuffleboard area and some fabulous stained glass windows. Music on our visit was mellow 1970s which seemed utterly perfect.

We had lunch here and found the food and drinks to be superb. We ended up doing the all-seafood thing since we started with the incredible Crab Rangoon Dip and also the very good $5 Shrimp Cocktail from the Pu Pus menu. Both Mrs. Mai Tai and I ended up having the Poke Bowl that also was outstanding. We really liked the food options and all our items were prepared well.

There isn’t a Mai Tai on the menu, but the vast rum collection and an entry for “Mai Tai Ribs” on the food menu made me think that ordering one off-menu might work. For all those times when this scenario didn’t work out, I’ll always remember the amazing off-menu Mai Tai at Starboard Tack. Made with Jamaica rum, this was truly an outstanding classic 1944 Mai Tai – by far the best I’ve had in Las Vegas.

The best Mai Tai in Las Vegas

The rest of our cocktails weren’t too shabby either. I ordered a Port Light, asking for Wild Turkey 101 rather than the lower proof Jim Beam listed on the menu. This excellent cocktail was served up rather than on ice per usual, using Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, Grenadine, Lemon, and Ango. Mrs. Mai Tai enjoyed the Fu Manchu with rum, orange liqueur, lime, sugar, and a hint of Creme de Menthe. The mint was just subtle enough to be a supporting player rather than the usual role of featured spirit. The Fu Manchu was delightful. Similarly, the Brimstone and Treacle with rums, coconut treacle, and Ango also had a really crisp taste and had subtle flavors that worked well.

We were truly blown away by the quality of cocktails from this venue that isn’t much to look at on the outside and gives off “dusty dive bar” vibes on the inside. Our bartender Christopher really made some great drinks! Plus, two apps, two entrees, and four cocktails came out less than $100! Starboard Tack is open 24 hrs and definitely going into regular rotation for future trips.

RIP Lost Lake
Shuffleboard
Crab Rangoon Dip
Plenty of Rum and Spirits
Port Light
Lounge
Posted on

Jammyland: Best Mai Tai in Las Vegas?

We’d been told by numerous people that the the best Mai Tai in Vegas is at Jammyland, a craft cocktail bar and restaurant located in the Arts District and featuring a Jamaica/Reggae theme. We finally made time to check it out on our trip, visiting at opening on Saturday.

We didn’t do food, apart from the delightful Fat Boy ice cream sandwich dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut flakes. It’s really good. Music was a very bass heavy set of mostly reggae leaning songs. Pretty loud inside, not really to my taste. There’s a large patio outside that’s not shaded but I’m sure is a blast after dark.

The Mai Tai here is pretty good, a 50/50 blend of Appleton 12 Jamaica Rum and Clement VSOP. I normally like this combo, though Jammyland’s struck me as too heavy on grassy Rhum Agricole notes (though your mileage might vary). Orgeat is house-made. I was told some premium Mai Tais may make an appearance in the future, and for sure would be worth seeking out.

The craft cocktail menu is pretty large and nicely varied. I also tried the refreshing Anaconda Punch featuring Appleton Signature Jamaica rum, Drake’s Spiced Rum, fresh pineapple and lime, mango/hibiscus syrup, and Ango. I liked this light and subtle cocktail that leans more into the mango than hibiscus. Mrs. Mai Tai had the Hocus Pocus with Tequila, watermelon and lime, rosé cordial, and lavender bitters that we both felt was really great.

Anaconda Punch

There is a large spirits collection at Jammyland, though direct sunlight is a concern of mine. The service here was quite friendly and efficient. There are a few art pieces and some fine mural work outside, but the rest of the inside is “warehouse aesthetic” in a mostly good way. Not really transportive, but fits in very well with the eclectic Arts District neighborhood. Check out Jammyland on your next Vegas visit.

Posted on

Rum Sub Mai Tai at Rhumbar at The Mirage

Rhumbar Ultra Lounge is a cocktail bar and patio on the southern side of The Mirage. We’d been walking for a while and decided to relax with a drink. Our bartender Ezequiel was super friendly and since it was kind of slow I decided to ask for some rum substitutions from their normal “Mai Tai Or Die” cocktail. I asked for Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross, a couple of fine rums from their well-stocked back bar of rum selections. Ezequiel encouraged me to also have some Clement Blanc in the mix and I trusted him with the recommendation. The Mai Tai here does use a little pineapple juice but it is not overly heavy and adds a nice tough of sweetness to the cocktail.

My Rum Sub Mai Tai was really great, better than the very good standard Rhumbar Mai Tai we had here on our last visit. The blend of flavors was truly balanced and the orgeat and pineapple did work well together to add sweetness to the cocktail. The skull mug is pretty cool, too.

The retro theme of Rhumbar is really nice, including heavy use of breeze blocks on the patio. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Save the Bees cocktail with bourbon and honey was also very good. I’m sure the Ultra Lounge vibe is different in the later evening on a weekend, but for Saturday afternoon it was totally chill with a relaxed vibe and friendly staff.

Posted on

Our New Vegas Tradition: Brunch at Red Dwarf

The Sunday Surf Brunch at Red Dwarf is our new tradition. We enjoyed this on our last trip and made sure to do this again. Red Dwarf is a dive-leaning tiki bar that’s off strip in Vegas. They serve Detroit-style pizza (crust, toppings, cheese, sauce) that is fantastic, along with a small cocktail menu and a large beer selection. Don’t overlook the light Dwarf Piss beer for only $4.

Dwarf Piss

Our pizza was really great, but the cocktails here are pretty good too. Not exactly craft in orientation, nonetheless I’ve felt the Red Dwarf cocktails are better balanced than at Golden Tiki and Frankie’s Tiki Room in my experience. The standard Mai Tai here is quite good with a lighter leaning rum blend that is not assertive and probably really good for the average Vegas resident or tourist. But there are some truly outstanding rums behind the bar that can elevate your Mai Tai experience.

Mai Tai

I also enjoyed the Trinidad, Not Your Dad that has Bourbon, Angostura Amaro, Lime, Lemon, Orgeat, Ginger Beer, Ango, and Absinthe. It leads sweet, in a good way, and is a good example of the kind of complete cocktail you wouldn’t necessarily expect in a dive bar. Similarly, Mrs. Mai Tai loved her I Just Blew Myself with Rumhaven coconut rum, Blue Curacao, cinnamon, coconut, pineapple, and lime. It’s really great.

There’s a TV above the bar that was showing classic Twilight Zone episodes, plus a screen showing surf footage including a surf-oriented episode of The Flintstones and the classic Hawaii Trilogy of Brady Bunch episodes. Music today was from Generic Surf Band, a tight trio of Vegas locals. Locals are friendly here and the staff are super friendly and work hard to serve everyone.

I Blew Myself
Trinidad, Not My Dad
Posted on

Sacramento’s Birds of Paradise Lounge

Great afternoon in Sacramento as invited guests for the @sac_ohana Tiki Crawl stop at @birdsofparadiselounge. We thank consummate hosts Correy and Mariela for the invite. Fantastic decor throughout the home and backyard. So many treasures and fine art.



The rum sponsor for this stop was Santa Teresa 1796, a Solera aged column still rum from Venezuela. This isn’t my favorite style but @mrs_bravo did a fantastic job incorporating this into the cocktails. I enjoyed the 1796 Old Fashioned that included a Birds of Paradise logo on the ice cube. The spicy Chicha Cooler featured Peruvian purple corn, spices, and ginger beer. My favorite was the Tropical Kingbird featuring banana and cinnamon, with a nice Santa Teresa rum accent.



Nice to see the Sacramento Ohana folks too. Their ticketed three day tiki crawl seems to be extraordinary well organized and lots of fun with DJs, food, and vendors at the various stops.

Posted on

Star Trek Trivia at The Kon-Tiki Room

The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto has been developing its own identity as a tiki bar with a pop culture orientation, thanks in part to its locale across the street from the Fox Theater concert venue. And then with Star Trek nights on Thursdays, complete with special cocktails and episodes playing on a fairly tucked away TV screen. More recently, Fridays are devoted to X-Files and Sundays feature craft projects.

Team name: Species 69420

Last Thursday was the first bar trivia version of Star Trek Thursdays and so I thought I’d see how this worked and maybe see how much TOS and Voyager trivia I’d be able to recall. Trivia was hosted well by Allie and Andre with prizes from Soytrek.

There weren’t high stakes but I found myself on a great team with Chris, Emily, and Ramona and between the four of us we were leading after two rounds. The third round veered from Star Trek and was Batman trivia, resulting in us falling behind another team. We tied that team on the fourth round so we fell one question short of winning (Holy Cliffhangers, Batman!). Quite fun if you have any appreciation of Star Trek – even if, like me, you haven’t watched some of the series.

Allie and Andre

Jeni and Tori did a great job keeping up with orders between rounds, and I quite enjoyed the Kon-Tiki Room’s premium Stargazer cocktail. This complex grog has a swirl of flavors and also includes Kon-Tiki’s amazing private barrel rum from Worthy Park. Kon-Tiki Room continues to buck purist expectations musically, since they were playing 80’s modern rock. Regular readers know I’d prefer something more vintage, but at least the songs being played were lesser hits you don’t hear every day (e.g. “Be Good, Johnny” by Men at Work, “Love Comes Quickly” by Pet Shop Boys). The Frozen Disco Banana is still being served, which assures a great time, every time at the Kon-Tiki Room.

Stargazer
Frozen Disco Banana
Posted on

The World’s Worst Mai Tai

I found this recipe in the 1980 book from Michael Walker called simply The Cocktail Book. The entry says “There are several different versions of the Mai Tai, but this seems to be the most popular with bartenders and patrons alike.” Walker also says “this drink will taste deliciously innocuous, but beware! It has a habit of creeping up on you.”

Photo by Derek / Make & Drink

(World’s Worst) Mai Tai by Michael Walker
½ measure Dark Rum
1 measure Light Rum
½ measure Tequila
½ measure Triple Sec
1 measure Apricot Brandy
1 measure Orange Juice
1 dash Orgeat
1 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Grenadine
Blend with ice until smooth. Decorate with slices of orange, lime, lemon, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry.

With all those ingredients and the elaborate garnish, I’m not sure which bartender would prefer to make this compared to a traditional five ingredient Mai Tai.

We shared this monstrosity with Derek from Make & Drink and he invited me over to the bar to try it! You can watch to the video to see our reactions but suffice to say while this might be an okay generic tropical drink it by no means should be called a Mai Tai. Not with tequila and apricot brandy.