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
I was eyeing this shirt for weeks and had to order it … Loved Three’s Company as a kid and the idea of a friendly bar down the street.
The cocktail was made up on the spot using some unaged Martinique rhum as the base.
This was really quite good.
Finally was able to take a shot of my plaque up behind the bar at Forbidden Island.
Proud to be a member of the Quaranteam, the Kill Devil rum club members who completed their lists or (like me) did the majority of their 100+ rums during quarantine.
Threw some of this and that from what was on-hand at home for this Blue Hawaiian riff with different kinds of rum than the light rum or vodka that is typically used. The Martinique rhum adds an unexpected finish that is delightful.
Blue Caribbean
½ oz Lime Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice
1½ oz Coconut Creme
½ oz Blue Curacao
1¾ oz Clement Premiere Canne (or other unaged Rhum Agricole or Rum Clairin)
¼ oz Dark Jamaican rum blend (Appleton and Hamilton)
We’re all still dealing with the loss of our friend Alex. If you’d like to help the family, a Go Fund Me has been set up: Celebrate the life of Alex Fritch.
Those who met Alex were impressed by his easygoing and friendly manner. But Alex could be quick with a funny comment too. Both of these aspects are on display with the three videos below.
Recorded in July 2020, the two rounds here are an homage to the classic 1970s game show Match Game but with a focus on tiki, rum, and the bars in the Oakland, CA area. If you’re not a local, you won’t get a few of the “Oakhana” references, but if you know anything about tiki bars or tropical cocktails there will be a lot of familiar subjects.
Alex was one of the “celebrity panelists”, along with his wife Terra. Alex was put into the “Richard Dawson” chair on the second row, and filled the role of the droll but funny man so well.
Recorded in January 2021, Alex was the first person I contacted to participate in a fun round-robin discussion of our favorite rums in five and only five categories. Alex joined us online from his home tiki bar, Fred and Ginger’s Exotic Cocktail Bar and Lounge, and you can truly experience his knowledge and passion for rum.
I’ve been digging Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour from Spike Marble of the Hula Girls on YouTube for the past year, so I was more than happy to join Spike’s Patreon. The Breezeway pin was a nice bonus. Check it out each Friday.
Spike’s guest last week was Ed Hamilton of Hamilton Rum and Ministry of Rum fame. The episode was quite entertaining as the imposing Ed Hamilton made three different cocktails with Spike while talking about rum and the Hamilton Rum lineup. Having met Ed a couple times in person I’m sympathetic with Spike’s plight in that situation, even though Ed is quite friendly. After a rum demo in Oakland a couple years ago I came home and immediately ordered over $100 worth of Hamilton spirits, so the man really knows his rum.
The third cocktail that Ed made was the Orange Blossom. This was a little different, so I decided to make it according to the specs that are quite a bit less exact that are typical for tropical cocktail or craft cocktail recipes.
Orange Blossom by Ed Hamilton
1 part Hamilton Pimento Dram
3 parts Hamilton 86 Demerara Rum
Fill glass with fresh Orange Juice
Top with Ice
Did I mention how much I think Ed Hamilton knows rum? I will emphasize the point again. But, I have to say, this cocktail was actually less than the sum of its parts and I bet you’ve never had anything quite like this. They can’t all be winners. But hey, your milage might vary.
Got to try this new rum last night at Forbidden Island. It’s rum from Balcones Distilling (makers of Texas Whiskey) and the Forbidden Island edition is a spicy pot still rum that isn’t half bad. The representative compared it to Jamaican rum, which is honestly a bold move to compare yourself to the world’s best rum (I expect nothing less from a Texan). But, I give those folks from Texas credit for swinging for the fences.
The rum is quite potent, bottled at cask strength. Give it a try the next time you’re at Forbidden Island. There is a “general public” release this Friday 5/21 from 5-7 p.m.
There are a couple cocktail specials using this rum. I tried the “Over the Falls” with citrus, spices, orgeat, and absinthe. This is a wonderful tropical cocktail and while you definitely taste the absinthe it doesn’t overpower. What might be more than you expect is the ABV – this is a very boozy cocktail! Quite delicious though.
This niche release from Holmes Cay won acclaim last year, even from rum fans who generally prefer Jamaican and Barbados rum styles. I finally decided to get a bottle myself, and boy am I glad I did.
The rum from Belize is 100% Column Still distillate, but has been tropically aged for 15 years and contains no added sugar or additives. Nonetheless it is quite flavorful and has a sweet vanilla finish. The rum is bottled at cask strength at 61% ABV, yet is still pleasant to sip neat.
As expected, I also made a Mai Tai with this rum. The flavor is different than my usual Jamaican-heavy blend, but is still quite satisfying. The rum’s characteristics do pull through even in the cocktail format, delivering a sweet flavor and a long finish.
These bottles won’t be around forever, so if you have the opportunity to purchase (and can accord the ~$100 price of this limited release) I’d encourage you to take the plunge.
