The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai
Traveling the Bay Area and beyond to find the best Mai Tai in the world! Tiki, cocktails, and adventures by Kevin Crossman
Some of the California Rum Fest vendors offer their rums in a cocktail format, and the best one yesterday was Mai Tai at the Plantation booth. Made with Xaymaca rum from Jamaica, this little Mai Tai tasted great.
Kuleana rum had a nice rum punch that I enjoyed along with some samples of their rum from the Big Island of Hawaii.
After taking 2020 off, the California Rum Fest returned to San Francisco yesterday. The seminar schedule was a little lighter than last time, but Eve Bergeron had a great presentation about the Mai Tai, including some wonderful historical photos of The Trader himself. More about this presentation in the coming days.
The variety of rums available for tasting was quite reasonable and I got to try some new ones that I’ve been wanting to try. Most notable was the Worthy Park 109, a dark Jamaican rum at higher ABV. The booth also featured a very interesting cocktail called the Park Walk from Jeanie Grant of Palmetto (nice matchbooks too). The new Worthy Park Madeira and Sherry cask editions were also available and quite good.
The entry process into the event included a check of vaccination status and ran very smoothly. Some of the rum brands had giveaways such as stickers and pins, or recipe cards and details on the rum expressions. So, it’s a great way to learn more about new brands or dive deeper into a product line.
It is hot in Anaheim, 97•. So we bailed on the parks and took showers back at the hotel. While Mrs Mai Tai took a nap I walked over to Tangaroa Terrace for a couple cocktails.
There were a couple bar seats available and I took one mostly in the shade right next to the to-go line. Very interesting to hear what people were ordering: lots of Dole Whips, with or without rum. Kudos to Skipper Joey for answering “Dark Rum” when a customer asked what kind of rum to add (Myers’s). So much better than Coconut liqueur.
I started with the Safari Swizzle, which is the Trader Sam’s version of the 151 Swizzle, made with Hamilton 151 rum. I enjoyed the mint and Ango, it’s a very nice cocktail.
Next up was a Mai Tai (ne HippopotoMai-Tai, note the emphasis on “Mai-Tai” on the menu). Regular reader will know that I detest the use of Bacardi Superior in the Mai Tai at Trader Sam’s so I asked to sub Appleton Reserve instead. It is sooooo much better with an aged Jamaican rum to compliment the Coruba Dark Jamaican rum that is normally called for. This was a fantastic Mai Tai.
Hanging out at the Tangaroa Terrace for the afternoon was quite a delight. They have some pretty good spirits here. Thank you Skipper Joey for the great cocktails.
First stop at Disneyland. Perfect timing since we got here around lunchtime. We love the stuff here including the various flavors of Dole Whip and the Bao Buns. I also tried the Pork Lumpia that was also quite nice.
Disneyland is about as crowded as it’s been this year, apparently. Lots of people coming out to see the Halloween decorations or just to get away on a long weekend, like us.
I collect what I like and I’m not really a completist. So I don’t have every edition or release.
My favorite here is the blue HippopotoMai-Tai. That’s a color you don’t often see and I think it pops nicely. Bone or green glass are nice too, but blue is better.
Just behind and to the right is a B-Rex glass set we got a couple years ago during one visit to Club 33. 😉
The Shag goblet is from the 40th anniversary of the Enchanted Tiki Room.
I’m a sucker for Disney attractions posters so the Enchanted Tiki Room plate is a favorite too.
Since Mai Tai Day is like Christmas here at Ultimate Mai Tai Headquarters, we couldn’t resist making one at home according to the official 2021 Mai Tai Day specs from Trader Vic’s. These were the very lovely glasses that were available as part of the Mai Tai Day celebration yesterday at Trader Vic’s Emeryville and are also still available on the Trader Vic’s online store.
I’m a sucker for glassware with the recipe on the glass, so this year’s edition is extra special.
Mai Tai 44 Recipe
2 oz Trader Vic’s Royal Amber Rum
½ oz Orange Curacao
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat Syrup
¼ oz Simple Syrup
The Vic’s Royal Amber is not really positioned as premium sipping rum, but despite the lack of specific island pedigree or age statement, it does well in a cocktail. Tonight’s Mai Tai was such an example, a very easy to drink Mai Tai with delicious rummy flavor. Cheers once again to the Mai Tai.
It is a tradition at Ultimate Mai Tai Headquarters to make a Mai Tai with a ridiculous number of rums to celebrate Mai Tai Day (2020, 2018, 2017 shown below). Oakland declared the city as being the birthplace of the cocktail and designated Mai Tai Day to to be August 30. So this is the day where true believers make a toast to the Mai Tai and to its inventor, Trader Vic Bergeron. Born in 1944, the Mai Tai is 77 years old today.
While the Mai Tai is best enjoyed with a premium aged rum, this year I decided to spotlight some quality “white” rums that despite their color and lack of years in a barrel are quite wonderful in a Mai Tai. These are all lighter rums that go far beyond the cheap and commonly seen unaged white rums. They are all flavorful expressions of our favorite spirit. Some of these are unaged, such as the overproof Jamaican rums, whereas others are aged up to 3 years and present as a light straw color or have their color filtered out. I used ¼ oz each, for a standard 2 oz rum portion.
From Left to Right:
Myers’s Platinum White
Charley’s JB Trelawny Blend
Denizen Aged White Rum
Three Rolls Estate White Rum
Wray & Nephew Overproof
Saint Benevolence Rum Clairin
Probitas
Clement Premiere Canne
And since all the rums are white, why not have a little fun and switch out the Orange Curacao for Blue? Giffard Blue Curacao is a quality liqueur and has a deep blue color. The Orgeat is Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 Formula, from Orgeat Works.
This Mai Tai does not hit you in the face with the rum, and it is smooth and easy to drink. Happy birthday Mai Tai.
