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
For World Cocktail Day we went back to the roots for this simple cocktail featuring the very best spirit in the world: Jamaican Rum.
This one was simple recipe based on materials at hand, so perhaps not the “ultimate” version.
¾ oz Lime Juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Gold Jamaican Rum
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Lots of ice
Switching up my post-chores drink with the Florida Rum Society blend from Hamilton.
Glassware: Trader Vic’s.
This is a recipe from Steve Crane’s Kon-Tiki restaurant from the Sheraton Waikiki resort circa 1960s, according to the entry in Beachbum Berry’s Taboo Table, and the Total Tiki app. I liked my first sip but it quickly turned into something else, a weird combination of flavors that did not play well on my tongue. I actually dumped it.
Molokai Mule
2 oz Orange juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Orgeat
1 oz Cognac
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Demerara Rum
Shake with ice cubes.
Have you ever tried this? What did you think?
Glassware by Woody Miller.
Took the entire family to The Kon-Tiki for a birthday dinner last night. We’re not really doing indoor dining yet, so we grabbed one of the nice parklets outside. We all love the Kon-Tiki’s amazing Cheeseburger and it always tastes better when freshly served.
We arrived before 4:30 so that sun was still shining. So instead of a Mai Tai I decided to try two of the single-serving frozen drinks. The Uma Uma is Kon-Tiki’s riff on a Pina Colada/Chi-Chi and is always delicious.
I was especially interested in the Frozen Donnie’s Element, a cocktail from Kon-Tiki’s Chris Day featuring dark rum, banana liqueur, coconut cream, and cold brew liquor. Oh this is a really great cocktail – go seek it out.
Thanks to Oakhana regulars Laura Murphy and Woody Miller for the birthday rum dram. Woody asked Antoine Nixon for a recommendation and he picked a Hampden rum from their bird series. I love Jamaican rum so that was an excellent choice. So delicious.
When we have home projects involving bending, squatting, hammering, screwing and otherwise building up a sweat my recovery time ritual is to have a grapefruit soda highball. Inspired of course by the Wray and Ting from Jamaica but typically using Squirt due to local availability and these cute smaller cans.
Of course I love this with Unaged Overproof Jamaican Rum but today I switched it up and used the Saint Benevolence Rum Clairin from Haiti. Still a very flavorful and funky rum, and at 100 proof still plenty boozy. This is a great change of pace and still pairs well with the grapefruit soda.
I don’t mind the little bits of ice in mine, in fact I prefer it. So I shake with crushed ice and single strain.
This one was pretty damn good and made with Hamilton White Stache, a multi island rum blend the Hamilton Ministry of Rum brand.
It was such a pleasure to talk to Will and John, and we had a great Mai Tai discussion on the latest episode of the Rumcast.
The episode covers the history of the Mai Tai, tips for the home bartender, and how to get an awesome Mai Tai at your local watering hole. And of course lots of talk about rum for your Mai Tai. We played a game of “Mai Tai or Not a Mai Tai” and the episode ended with the Rumcast’s signature Rapid Fire round of questions.
The episode begins with a discussion of KōHana Rum from Hawaii, appropriate since Hawaii plays a seminal role in the popularity of the Mai Tai.
Give the episode a listen at Rumcast.com:
https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/mai-tai-kevin-crossman
