Category: Rum

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San Francisco Rum Festival 2025 – Day 1

This year’s San Francisco Rum Festival and Congress moved to a new but familiar location at Trader Vic’s Emeryville. The event was mostly held outdoors in the parking lot, aside from the rum education seminars that were held in the Lanyu room, so it had much more of a festival feel. The music from DJ Speakeasy Ray featured lounge and exotica, and had a very relaxing feel that still allowed for conversation. In addition to tables for different rum brands, there were tiki vendors and Trader Vic’s offering cocktails and food.

I was assisting the speakers and helping to manage the guest flow with the seminars, and there were several good ones include a very interesting panel about American rum producers moderated by Robyn Smith of rum et al and featuring Wright & Brown and Striped Lion Distillery. The session on Asia Pacific rums dove into production processes and included tasting samples of rums from Fiji, Philippines, and Australia.

Seminar on rums from Asia Pacific

I found plenty of time to sample some rums. My favorites included the PM/DHE High Ester rum from El Dorado, Worthy Park’s rum made with sugar cane juice, Black Tot’s Master Blender 2022 release, and a very interesting unaged rum from Wright & Brown of Oakland. It seemed like there were maybe a few less brands being represented this year but there were more than enough to provide examples of the diversity of rum for newcomers to the spirit, plus new expressions to excite veteran rum tasters.

The outdoor format and location outside San Francisco had some plusses and minuses. The weather cooperated on Saturday but we had rain earlier in the week. Transportation and parking was a challenge in Emeryville, especially for someone who likes to sober up on the way home by taking BART rather than driving. On the plus side, Trader Vic’s lounge was open for service all day and had a private party event during dinner service, so suffice to say there was a lot of energy in the venue.

Panel of American Rum Producers
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Mai Tai Day 2025

What a fabulous day in Emeryville for the annual Mai Tai Day celebration at Trader Vic’s. This year was similar in format from what they’ve been doing since 2019, a ticketed event with a tiki vendor marketplace and live music out in the parking lot, seminars and spirits tasting inside plus guest bartenders, DJs, and Trader Vic’s cocktails and food. Trader Vic’s rums were a noteworthy new entry for tasting this year.

Mrs. Mai Tai and I got things started with a wonderful Frozen Mai Tai. Out on the deck there were Mai Tais for sale but also the opportunity to make one yourself with the guidance from the Trader Vic’s bartenders. People trying this seemed to be having a lot of fun, but we just let Mika make the Original Mai Tai and the Guava Tai for Mrs. Mai Tai – both were excellent. I also tried the Spice Trader from guest bartenders The Barbary, a very allspice forward cocktail. Forbidden Island was the other guest bartending station this year and their signature Forbidden Island cocktail sold out quickly.

Seminars are always a highlight for me. I kicked things off inside a packed Lanyu Room with my presentation on the Search for the Ultimate Tai. The audience was very receptive and we thank them for bearing with the heat of the room. Slides are available if you attended or are interested. We also caught a bit of Mike Hooker‘s presentation about Holmes Cay rums including their interesting and well-reviewed new Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel. Mike even treated me to a delicious Mai Tai with this rum.

Eve Bergeron shared details of a forthcoming new Trader Vic’s cocktail book that’s being written now with a target for a release next summer. The book will feature cocktails from throughout Trader Vic’s 80+ year history including current cocktails and specialty items that are unique to each location. She also shared some details including a 1948 Trader Vic’s Oakland menu that included the Mai Tai.

Eve Bergeron

I was asked to provide the Mai Tai Toast outside and hope I did a good enough job given all the Mai Tais I’d had up to that point. It is always a pleasure to share the good word of the world’s best cocktail and Mai Tai Day is always a highlight of the year.

DJ Speakeasy Ray
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A Mysterious 17 Year Jamaican Rum

Derek from Make and Drink surprised me with a rare 17 year old Jamaican rum sold under the Golden Devil brand sold by K&L Wine Merchants. The rum is now completely sold out and remains an interesting mystery as there is no marque or distillery attribution. Could it be related to Appleton’s 17 Year Legend release?

I was able to procure a bottle and it tastes similar to the Appleton Hearts releases, 100% pot still rums that are aged for 20 years or more, but I suspect that we’ll never truly know the origin.

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Not the Mai Tai Rum You’re Looking For. Or Is It?

There’s been a lot of online hype for Holmes Cay’s new Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel – Single Origin Edition, a rum from a French island but made with molasses rather than sugar cane juice that’s commonly seen French rhums in U.S. markets. Because Trader Vic used a rum from French department Martinique in his “second adjusted Mai Tai formula” there’s been interest in what kind of rum was used back in the 1950s. Sleuthing by Martin Cate and Matt Pietrek indicates a molasses origin for Vic’s Martinique rum, and since molasses rum from Martinique is not available having one from a different French department is seen as the next best thing.

But is it the rum you want for a second adjusted formula Mai Tai?

Photo courtesy Derek from Make and Drink

No, no it isn’t.

Vic said that “Martinique rums are similar to dark Jamaica rums because they are dark and pungent in flavor and aroma” which is nothing like the Holmes Cay Traditionnel. While this rum does has industrial/solvent type notes but they’re very mild and nothing like Holmes Cay’s Réunion Island Grand Arôme Rum. It is fairly light in color and comes from a column still, so lighter in body than Jamaican rums.

So if you’re trying to replicate the second adjusted formula, this rum isn’t it; we suggest Worthy Park 109 as a readily available substitute that tastes like Vic described it.

But are you looking for a pretty interesting rum to make a great Mai Tai? Here we have better news, because Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel is fantastic in a Mai Tai. We paired it with Appleton 12 but it was honestly better on its own. There’s a rich character to the flavor of the Mai Tai but it is just mild enough that we think anyone would love it.

Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel is 46% ABV and retails for around $55, make it a splurge that’s worth it.

Mai Tai comparison

“Réunion Island Rum Traditionnel is fantastic in a Mai Tai”

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National Rum Day 2025

I decided to celebrate early with this fab 1991 rum from Trinidad, made at an undisclosed distillery, during a visit to Smuggler’s Cove this week. Quite a full bodied flavor.

It is truly a blessing to be able to try these super old rums at Smuggler’s Cove. Time machines in a bottle.

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Tommy Bahama’s Amazing Frozen Mai Tai

Had to make time to swing by the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar at the Fashion Valley mall while we were across the street at Tiki Oasis. This still impresses, it tastes like a Mai Tai and has plenty of rummy flavor thanks to the dark rum float.

The Marlin Bar has pretty good cocktails and I enjoyed some great sliders as well. There was even a couple playing live music during our visit.