In honor of Oakland’s own Kamala Harris becoming VP today I made Oakland’s best cocktail, the Mai Tai.
The rum featured is Wright & Brown Single Barrel Selection 14, also made in Oakland.
Also… feel the Bern…
Mai Tai Makes Rum Better
That’s the lesson tonight. I’m sampling rums from the Forbidden Island Kill Devil rum list. I loved Dos Maderas 5+5 but wanted to try it in a Mai Tai. But my cocktail was an extra large version since the lime gave so much juice. So I added a little Martinique Rhum that I didn’t love when served neat, but put together in combination with Dos Maderas it turned into a great Mai Tai.
New Feature: 5 Bottle Rum Challenge
We have a new feature on the website, the 5 Bottle Rum Challenge.
The challenge is to have just five rums in your collection, each for a specific purpose. We had a great discussion with some knowledgable rum enthusiasts and hope you enjoy.
Fuck Trump Cocktail
The cocktail from @8armatl in Atlanta is called Fuck Trump. It’s the only cocktail on their menu today. I am pleased to make it at home here in California.
Bourbon, Orange Liqueur, Lime, Bitters
I look forward to visiting 8ARM sometime soon. Georgia, we will be pleased to come spend our tourist dollars in your state.
Hot Buttered Rum
Closing out the Holidays with this winter favorite, a to-go cocktail from Forbidden Island.
Hot alcoholic drinks aren’t really my cup of tea 😉 so I made mine with lukewarm water rather than piping hot. The Forbidden Island rum batter and dark rum is quite delicious.
Best 9 of 2020
RIP 2020
Here’s my Top 9 from 2020 on Instagram. Thanks for all the likes and comments and shares. Let’s keep the Mai Tai, rum, and tiki bar discussions going in 2021.
1: thanks to Alexis Antonio (@atomictikigal) for letting me use her photo of Maikai Santa Cruz for a Central California Tiki Bar feature on UltimateMaiTai.com. Great composition.
2: An old photo with a timeless message: Fuck Trump
3: Smuggler’s Cove mug and Pampanito cocktail
4: Cocktails and rum at Forbidden Island
5: Mai Tai with Foursquare 2007
6: Trader Vic’s Emeryville
7: New and old Appleton 12 rum
8. Custom Navy Rum blend for Black Tot Day 50th Anniversary
9. Three generations of Appleton 12 rum
363 posts in 2020, with 30.9 thousand likes (85.1 per post)
Join the fun: instagram.com/ultimatemaitai
Ultimate Egg Nog
I love our local grocery store brand Egg Nog. So thick and creamy and pairs well with most spirts. I saw that Nathan Robinson posted a Nog recipe that featured Jamaican rum and Bourbon so I gave it a try. I liked it but it wasn’t creamy enough for me and I thought it used too much Bourbon, so I flipped up the spirits.
Ultimate Egg Nog
1 egg
¾ oz Heavy Cream
¼ oz Milk
½ oz Demerara Syrup
¼ oz Brandy
½ oz Bourbon (Wild Turkey 101)
1 oz Ultimate Mai Tai Rum Blend
2 dashes Grated Cinnamon
2 dashes Grated Nutmeg
Dry shake all ingredients, then shake with ice. Strain into small glass and top with grated nutmeg
Ultimate Mai Tai Rum Blend is equal parts Appleton 12, Smith & Cross, Plantation Xaymaca, Plantation OFTD. Best single rum option for this recipe: Smith & Cross.
This one was much more to my liking, and Mrs. Mai Tai liked it better too. Give it a try. Thanks Nathan for the inspiration.
Remote Rum Tasting
Picked up a fairly large order of rums to taste from the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge Kill Devil list. Almost like own personal advent calendar.
Photo by John Peterson. Thank you for prepping them!
Plantation Isle of Fiji
Received this bottle thanks to some holiday cheer. A very interesting release, coming from an island uncommonly seen in rum shelves in these parts. Very similar flavor profile to some of the other Plantation releases, such as the Barbados 5 year. Isle of Fiji is very easy drinking (yes, there is dosage) and pretty affordable.
Greg Brady riding a dinosaur, because why not?
Island Old Fashioned at Kon-Tiki
Excellent rum old fashioned from The Kon-Tiki, featuring Denizen Vatted Dark Rum, house Falernum, and bitters.
Perfect for patio cocktails in downtown Oakland.
