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
With @vonschiltach on the left and @tfritch1 and @alxfritch on the right.
I ran across this photo from a couple years ago when Braise did a few tiki Sunday events. I’m not sure why I didn’t use this for my IG post on the day. It’s such a nicely composed photo with some of the nicest people ever. Still broken up about the loss of Alex. Trying to focus on remembering the good times like this one.
Photo by @brianrechenmacher
I’m completely devastated by the senseless loss of Alex Fritch, a victim of yesterday’s VTA shooting in San Jose.
I first met Alex and his wife Terra in 2019 and we became fast friends. Each of us have specific talents or interests, but Alex? He was the life of the party. Always there with a friendly quip, a kind word, or to make a funny face when you’re taking a selfie. The consummate host. The guy you wanted to sit at the bar with.
One of my fondest memories was going over to Alex’s home bar and doing some Orange Curacao taste tests and a photo shoot for the blog. I had finally found a friend to nerd out with on this rum and cocktail stuff. Now he’s gone.
Deepest sympathies to Terra and their kids.
There are tall ships,
And there are small ships,
And there are ships that sail the sea,
But the best ships, are friendships,
So here’s to you and me!
Mai Tai Monday is getting a little brighter with this cool aqua shirt from Trader Vic’s.
Aloha Friday! I decided to play around with some wine leftover from one of Mrs. Mai Tai’s fab family dinners this week. It’s a “Mai Tai” made with wine as the only alcoholic component. And as much as I figured I’d hate it (I’m not a wine fan) I actually liked it.
I chose Lemon Juice to pair with the wine, since I thought it would be a little brighter. And I chose Orange Bitters to sub for the Orange Curacao.
Wine Tai
1 oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Demerara Syrup
2 oz White Wine
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Only for those on the inside of security, but open any time planes are flying near Terminal B, Gate 22-23. Restaurant and bar, with Outpost grab’n’go.
Update: the Outpost opens on May 27. The bar/restaurant opens mid-June.
Update #2: the Outpost opening is delayed slightly and will not open on the 27th, due to COVID related training snags. Stay tuned.
Update #3: The Outpost is now open.
Update #4: Trader Vic’s San Jose is now fully open
Fantastic time tonight for Ohana night at @ . This was our next toe-dip back into indoor dining and it was so nice to see so many familiar faces at Forbidden Island tonight. Wasn’t quite like the before times (hello, marks!) but still some fabulous FI cocktails and hospitality.
Mrs Mai Tai had the Chi-Chi, while I indulged with a classic Mai Tai with Appleton 12 and Plantation Xaymaca. It was a very good Mai Tai! Along with the Guac and Chips and an Ester Williams tropical movie on the TV, it was just like old times.
Two weeks out from my second jab, Mrs. Mai Tai and I had a relaxing dinner at Trader Vic’s Emeryville inside a tiki bar for a relaxing meal (we were indoors a couple times in Palm Springs in April but we were totally watching the clock). The tables are spaced out and we had a great video of the Emeryville marina and for a time had the entire second dining room to ourselves.
The cocktail menu is somewhat limited, though of course there is still something for everyone. I started with the San Francisco Mai Tai and Julie had the Chi-Chi, our usual orders. We followed with the Banana Batida for me (which ended up being my desert) and she had the Tututupo Tiki. Fantastic cocktails tonight, and a relaxing evening with exotica and Hawaiian music playing.
For dinner it was a little bit of Trader Vic’s greatest hits, starting with the Peanut Butter crackers, the Huli Huli chicken for me and a Trader Vic’s salad and Tofu Aloha Bowl for Julie. But the best thing tonight was the Crab Rangoon, so much better when it is freshly served in the restaurant. It was all great, including the service as expected.
