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
Our new site page discusses the Mai Tai recipe from the Havana Trader Vic’s, circa 1958.
In addition to being an interesting historical artifact about a little known (and shortly lived) Trader Vic’s location, it is one of the earliest documented references for the use of a Rhum Agricole in a Mai Tai.
I had some Valencia oranges so was looking for a recipe only using OJ. Why not a Painkiller?
And why not experiment with the rum?
As has been well-documented (and well-litigated!) the Painkiller is supposed to be made with Pusser’s Navy-Style rum. They have a trademark on it, too.
There is nothing wrong with a Pusser’s Painkiller, and I prefer the higher percentage ABV of Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof for any of my Pussers-based cocktails. But since I had some extra OJ I thought I’d try giving the Gunpowder Proof a challenge but making one with Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum to compare to. Their ABVs are similar, but how about the taste?
It wasn’t even close; the Painkiller made with Smith & Cross was so much more flavorful and satisfying than the one made with Gunpowder Proof. I know I’m totally biased for Jamaican rum, but honestly I think anyone would prefer this.
Don’t Sue Me Painkiller
3 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Coconut Creme
2½ oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
Glassware by Trader Vic’s and B-Rex. I like this blue color on this style glass.
Made this simple cocktail to watch the San Francisco Giants clinch a playoff spot. I had oranges but no other citrus, which I guess is poetic considering that orange is the Giants’ main color.
1 oz Valencia Orange Juice
¾ oz Passionfruit Syrup (Liber & Co)
1½ oz Myers’s Platinum White rum
Shake with ice and strain
Buster Posey figure optional
There is no doubt this one goes down easy. It leans sweet, that’s for sure. Balanced cocktails can come by later.
Gatekeeping the Mai Tai is a new article from our friend Matt Pietrek on the Cocktail Wonk blog. It is definitely a good summary of what’s happening online these days, as our tiki community grows and as more newcomers start to explore exotic cocktails.
The Mai Tai is the defacto standard tiki cocktail, so of course is the bellwether for this discussion. Though, Pietrek is quite savvy by changing the narrative to another cocktail in the example:
Newcomer: Check out my Navy Grog! I didn’t have grapefruit juice, so I used pineapple juice. And I subbed cinnamon for honey syrup.
Tiki Veteran: Sounds great, but it’s not a navy grog. The grapefruit and honey are core flavor elements of that recipe.
Newcomer: Don’t be elitist. I like my Navy Grog the way I made it.
Narrator: Off to the races we go!
It is a good example. Newcomers sometimes accuse veterans of being elitist and know-it-alls, and there’s no doubt the shoe sometimes fits. Yet, the particular example is indicative of a newly emerging point of view that the cocktail can be whatever you want it to be.
When it comes to tiki culture, I’m a “big tent” guy. Geeki Tiki mugs based on Star Wars? Love them. Disney inspiration? Totally up for it. But the line has to be drawn somewhere and cartoonish “clown tiki” is my personal line.
Same goes for cocktails. As Pietrek points out in his article, nobody would defend newcomers who make a Manhattan with orange juice or a Margarita without tequila. So why must a Mai Tai made with whatever you want be okay?
It isn’t okay.
If that makes me a snobby gatekeeper then I am totally okay with that.
I do like Pietrek’s example where the tiki veteran says “sounds great, but…” That’s an education the newcomer needs to hear (and quite a few bartenders, I might add). As long as it is said nicely.
Pietrek’s site is a wonderful resource that compliments his amazing book Minimalist Tiki. He concludes that leveraging permanent sources is key for intellectual discourse and not just merely ephemeral social media comments. That’s one of the reasons why we started this site; to document historical facts along with our opinions and recommendations.
Read the article:
Cocktail Wonk: Gatekeeping the Mai Tai
I wanted to do a grog riff that used Bourbon and Jamaican Rum as the base, so I chose two popular spirits that are both a little boozy. Smith & Cross (57% ABV) is a wonderful Jamaican rum that leans a bit funky, and is used widely in high-quality bars and restaurants. Wild Turkey 101 is a bold and boozy Bourbon that won’t break the bank. With more than two ounces of higher proof spirits, this cocktail pays homage to boozy forbearers such as the Navy Grog.
The two spirits seemed like a good combo, but this cocktail went through a few iterations. Thanks to the members of the “South SF Bay Area Tiki Ohana” group on FB for input, especially @laurasmurphy who provided tasting notes and suggestions.
Everything here should be pretty readily available, which is one reason this is calling specifically for Ruby Grapefruit and not the more traditional but harder to find White Grapefruit.
Turkey Grog by Kevin Crossman
¾ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Ruby Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Honey Syrup (1:1)
½ oz Velvet Falernum
½ oz Don’s Spices #2
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
¾ oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
1½ oz Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Shake with ice, garnish with mint. Serve in glass of choice.
Don’s Spices #2: Equal parts Vanilla Syrup and Pimento Dram/Allspice Liqueur.
If you have non-alcoholic Falernum syrup then drop the amount to ¼ oz.
I guess this is the trendy drink this week, after a video by The Educated Barfly and a discussion this week on the always entertaining Life Behind Bars podcast.
Long Island Iced Tea
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
½ oz Vodka
½ oz Gin
½ oz Tequila
½ oz Rum
½ oz Triple Sec
Build in tall glass with ice, top with cola. Lightly stir.
I was never a Long Island Iced Tea guy back during the years when most people have these. Wasn’t really much of anything but a beer guy, actually. But this wasn’t too bad. The tequila was the spirit that pushed through more than the others, which was fine I guess but I would have preferred the gin or rum.
