Category: Rum

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Big Top Mai Tai

I’m not letting an open bottle of BG Reynolds Circus Peanut syrup go to waste and decided to lean into a tweaked Mai Tai recipe from Jason Alexander of Devil’s Reef fame.

The recipe includes Passionfruit syrup, which I think pairs really great with the Circus Peanut (I used it in my Hurricane riff, the Hurriclown). But I dropped the amount down to a quarter ounce to focus a bit more on the traditional Mai Tai syrup, Orgeat.

Big Top Mai Tai by Jason Alexander
1½ oz Lemon Juice
¼ oz Passionfruit Syrup
½ oz Orgeat
1 oz BG Reynolds Circus Peanut Syrup
2½ oz Planteray Xaymaca Rum
Shake with crushed ice

Xaymaca’s unique funky taste really works well here, as does the lemon juice in place of traditional lime. This is a big, bold cocktail that is delicious.

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DIY Frozen Ultimate Mai Tai

The intent was to see if you could make a frozen Mai Tai, since I was told you could freeze the liquid and then give it a quick blend to reproduce frozen cocktail texture. I tried a couple different variants but never got better than middling results, though those results still might be interesting or at least a good change of pace.

The best variant was a standard Mai Tai recipe doubled for volume and with an additional three ounces of water to replicate the dilution of water. This is placed in a zip lock back and placed in the freezer overnight. Give this a light pinch or two and then pour into a glass and drink with a straw. In my case I used the standard Ultimate Mai Tai recipe that includes two ounces of rum at just over 50% ABV.

This version is totally flavorful even with the lower overall temperature, though it is a chunkier texture than your average slushie. Putting this version into a blender essentially removed most of the ice components, but the version out of the baggie wasn’t too bad.

Some of the variants I tried included adding much more water and different lower proof rums. The extra water didn’t really change the consistency in the end product, and the lower ABV rums lacked the flavor from the potent Ultimate Mai Tai rum blend of Appleton 12, Smith & Cross, Xaymaca, and OFTD.

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Top 10 Mai Tais of 2024: Runners Up

As with 2023 we had so many great Mai Tais that many of them would have been deep into the top 10 in past years and this year couldn’t crack the top 10. But they’re nonetheless worth noting and we thank the bartenders and bar owners for making these stellar Mai Tais.

For this list the rating is solely about what’s in the glass and does not factor in other elements such as ambiance, food, service, or decor. Each location only gets one Mai Tai on the list, exceptions for guest cocktails such as the Mister, Might I… at The Kon Tiki.

Some of the Mai Tais involve rum substitutions from what the bar would normally serve, such as custom blend at the Lucky Tiki. This presents the reader with more to consider when visiting these places, but highlights that making spirit substitutions is often what changes a good Mai Tai into a great one.

11. Smuggler’s Cove
12. Latitude 29
13. Bootlegger Tiki
14. Stray Pirate
15. My Tie, Youse Tai
16. Mister, Might I… by Doc Parks at The Kon-Tiki
17. “Impress Me” Mai Tai at The Lucky Tiki by Skipper Christian
18. Mai Tai with Appleton 15 at Rumpus Tiki Budapest
19. Tai-Lo by Pagan Idol at Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Day
20. Brujo’s Mai Tai at The Kon-Tiki
21. Frozen Mai Tai at Make & Drink Studio
22. Mai Tai with Appleton 17 at Kona Street Market (shhhh…)
23. Sugar Plum Mai Tai (Sippin’ Santa) at 55 South
24. Original Mai Tai with LH 151 float at Trader Vics’s Emeryville
25. Zombie Village with Saint Benevolence Rum Clairin

Just Missed:
California Gold, Lost Inferno, The Fink, Trader Vic’s SJC, Frozen Mai Tai at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Trailer Happiness, Equiano Rum Mai Tai at The Shipwreck, Boo Loo Lounge, Kamalatai at Forbidden Island.

Honorable Mentions:
Wilfred’s Lounge, Our Big Luauski, Damn Fine Mai Tai by Greg Smith/Becca Morris, Trader Vic’s Munich, The Formosa Cafe, Red Dwarf, Hula Hoops (Lilikoi Tai), Kapu Bar, Golden Tiki

View the Top 10 Mai Tais of 2024

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Instagram Top Nine for 2024

I do still continue to love Instagram, where even the ads help me with my holiday shopping. Plus all the connecting and commenting on the things we love to share. Check out the fun at @UltimateMaiTai on Instagram.

So, here are the Top Nine Posts for 2024.

Kamala Mai Tai (476)
History of the Mai Tai (417)
Trader Vic’s Black Tai Event (345)
Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport Expanded Seating (295)
Congrats Smuggler’s Cove on 15 Years (294)
Farewell Kon-Tiki Oakland (292)
Mai Tai Named Official Cocktail of Oakland (277)
Best Mai Tai in New Orleans (267)
Ultimate Mai Tai Rum Blend Meme (259)

Top Nine says I had 35,200 likes on 253 posts, an average of 139 per post, and that I’m in the “top 1% of accounts with up to 10,000 followers” with 7% more likes per post than average. Thank you for the likes!

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BAH RUMBUG!!

Another banger from San Francisco mixologist Nathan Robinson, this is sort of a “Planters Grog” riff that includes some bold flavors and a little maple syrup to keep things warm and seasonal.

This is quite good, if you have the Liquid Alchemist Falernum like I do. If you don’t have Liquid Alchemist I’d suggest using your own Falernum at half an ounce in combination with a quarter ounce of Allspice Dram as this will more closely approximate the flavor. And if you use a little extra Maple Syrup I wouldn’t discourage you from doing so.

Bah Rumbug by Nathan Robinson
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Red Grapefruit Juice
¾ oz Bold Falernum (pref. Liquid Alchemist)
½ oz Maple Syrup
1½ oz Demerara Rum (pref. Hamilton 86)
1 oz Black Blended Jamaica Rum (pref. Coruba)
Shake with crushed ice and pour into tall Zombie or Pilsner glass. Garnish with mint, if you have it.

Mele Kalikimaka and Merry Christmas

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Forbidden Island Mug Swap

We had a great time for the annual tiki mug swap at Forbidden Island last night. Thanks to Chad for organizing and hosting this, we put our wrapped mugs into the pile and ended up with some new ones. Mrs Mai Tai really loved hers, and while I thought the mini bowl was nice I was thankful for a trade.

There’s a nice holiday cocktail menu and Mrs Mai Tai loved the Tropical Hot Coder. Meanwhile I drank a couple rums from the rum list and gladly accepted the suggestion for a premium Mai Tai made with Monymusk 10 yr Jamaica rum. Very good Mai Tai with additional depth.

Lots of good cheer in Alameda.

Mug Draw
Traded Mug