I was remiss in posting a trip report to Pusser’s American Bar, often recognized as one of the best in the world. We missed this last summer and several trusted advisors said it was great, so we made sure to check it out on our recent trip.
We loved the cozy experience, though could only stay for one drink since we’d already had several at nearby Trader Vic’s. The venue has multiple levels and we were seated downstairs, with prompt and immediate service from our server.
The menu is as large as any I’ve ever seen, offering myriad options for whatever type of cocktail you’d like and a large spirits selection as well. Mrs. Mai Tai ordered a Grasshopper that was excellent while I spotted a Mai Tai that listed the ingredients as rum, lime, lemon, sugar, almond. The rum-forward drink was absolutely delicious and a stellar example of what a great Mai Tai should taste like.
The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai was relaunched on Instagram in December 2017, reviving the brand started way back in 1998. 2700 posts in total and 247 in the last year, chronicling experiences with cocktails, connections with people in the community, and world’s leading feed of Mai Tai minutiae.
We had some great adventures in the last 12 months. A few are chronicled in the photos including some travels with Mrs Mai Tai to far off places such as Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and San Diego. We visited SeaTac for a long weekend and even experienced a tiki bar blackout! We had memorable trips to SoCal including New Year’s Eve at Lucky Tiki and attending the Rum Curious Summit in Long Beach. Locally, I spoke at SF Rum Fest, spoke and toasted at Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Day, and I hosted Mai Tai Trivia in at Dr. Funk in San Jose. I was featured on episodes of the Make & Drink channel on YouTube, including a blind tasting of Appleton Rum Mai Tais, as well as the Tiki Talk Show podcast.
I visited 46 different tiki bars in the last year, plus several home bars including bartending a Circus Peanut party in Marin County. We returned to Europe, including Trader Vic’s in Munich, Matiki in Vienna, and Mata Hari in Zurich. The Ultimate Mai Tai remains on the menu at Tiki Tom’s, but we had to say goodbye to our beloved Kon-Tiki Oakland. Thank you to so many folks in the industry who’ve shown what true hospitality is.
So, thanks to so many fellow Mai Tai fans I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with over the last year. I appreciate your follows, likes, and comments online and in real-life, where UMT stickers are usually enthusiastically received. Here’s to another year.
This Vic’s location has a bad rep amongst some people for drinks that are overpriced and lacking quality, but during two visits we found the cocktails at Trader Vic’s Munich to be just as good as the stateside Vic’s we frequent and pricing to be comparable to other cocktail bars in Europe. One visit was in the bar where the bartender stoically and efficiently kept up with orders.
So, we have very positive things to say. But unfortunately we lead with some disappointment.
Menehune Juice / Mai Tai
The Mai Tai here leans heavily on aged Saint James Rhum Agricole and needs a richer pairing than the Pampero Gold that’s also included, resulting in a cocktail that’s too grassy for my liking. I asked if they had any Jamaican rum and Myers’s was the only one they had, but it would have helped as I feel Myers’s or even a Demerara rum like Pusser’s would be way better than Pampero to balance the Rhum Agricole. I did spot a bottle of Appleton 21 but the pour cost for a Mai Tai would have been €80, so I dropped that idea. Not a bad Mai Tai overall but ought to be better at this venue.
The Menehune Juice was the star of our visits, and not just because the Menehune come home with you. The floral flavors have a pleasant but mild rum flavor and this sips so well that Mrs. Mai Tai ordered this on our second visit and I was tempted to as well.
Samoan Fog Cutter
Munich Sour is the signature cocktail for this location, a variant of the Eastern Sour family of drinks. This one uses local German Brandy that adds richness to the mouthfeel, but the best part was the zingy citrus notes that were just a touch sweet. Too often, Vic’s recipes with lemon and orange lean way too tart, but the Munich Sour was anything but. This was probably the best Vic’s Sour I’ve had at any bar anywhere.
The Samoan Fog Cutter compared very well to the ones I’ve had stateside, and also balanced the lemon quite well. The sherry float is my favorite part, which means this cocktail finishes better than it starts, and the signature mug is always a treat. Finally, I tried Vic’s Itch, a good riff on the Tropical Itch that features bourbon and passionfruit.
Mrs. Mai Tai went with the Banana Dreams and Sea Dreams during our visits. Both lean sweet as constructed, though neither was too much so, and both drinks were comparable to the versions we’ve had before. The Sea Dreams wasn’t in the Seyhorse mug as pictured on the menu, our biggest complaint.
Overall, we had way more hits than misses in Munich and included a couple cocktails that were among the best we’ve had at any Trader Vic’s location.
We’re on a trip across European Christmas Markets, but we made sure to find a special place to celebrate Thanksgiving by making a reservation at the Trader Vic’s in Munich. Restaurant manager Heike reminded us that this is the oldest surviving location in the franchise, and Vic’s was quite busy but we still enjoyed responsive and helpful service and a delicious meal.
The food prices here are a little higher than the locations in the States, but we felt the quality was very high. The Crab Rangoon and Bao Buns were great options from the Pupu menu, and the Wonton Soup was also very good. Our main dish was Walnut Chicken that paired well with some fried rice and white rice, with lots of walnuts and a savory sauce.
As we noted in our visit last year, this Vic’s location is a true time-capsule back to the 1970s thanks to a basement location and elaborate Polynesian decor. There are so many little rooms and we even spotted a private space near the staircase entrance. If peacock chairs are you thing, this Vic’s will be your favorite as it seemed like every table featured at least one. The Hawaiian leaning soundtrack set the mood quite well.
We’ll discuss cocktails in upcoming posts, but are thankful that this amazing Trader Vic’s location is still going strong.
After a red-eye flight and connection through Frankfort, we finally arrived in Vienna where our tour of Christmas Markets starts on Monday. We explored the city a bit and landed back at our Imperial Riding School hotel for a nightcap before crashing.
For my first proper cocktail in Europe I had to go with a classic Daiquiri made with Havana Club 3 and it didn’t disappoint, crisp and limey. It was a really great drink and the Cuban rum never disappoints in this format, though being placed in a Martini glass rather than a coupe meant that I spilled it not once but twice. I hate Martini glasses! Though, in this case, sleep depravation may have played a part.
Mrs. Mai Tai went in a festive direction with a gingerbread Old Fashioned that was delightful, with some really great ice too. I wish my Daiquiri was served in that format.
Inside Frankenstein’s lab, you’ll find yourself surrounded by mysterious potions, shimmering elixirs, and spine-tingling concoctions. Help our Mad Scientists complete their work by adding the final ingredients to the secret formulas. Together, you’ll unlock the secrets hidden within the simmering beakers and test tubes.
There can only be one Frankenstein — will it be you?
This sounds like common pop-up bar experiences where there’s a storyline and some actors, often with tests and activities that the audience participates in.
Instead, it’s a decorated bar in the basement under the country bar Westwood located in San Francisco with themed cocktails, plus the opportunity to pay for a tarot card reading. In our case the bartenders were not dressed up as scientists or with make-up, however we did find they were very efficient and friendly. The decor is somewhat sparse considering the large space, though an animatronic Monster is a welcome and cool touch. Most attendees were dressed for Halloween in some fashion.
The ticketing system references “interactive cocktails” but these aren’t plot related, it’s things like a glass with cotton candy where you pour the cocktail over it – no great shakes and honestly is misleading in the ticketing system. We went with the $22 general admission which includes entrance and one cocktail ($15 value), so there’s effectively a bit of a cover charge. That said, the ticket says this is for 90 minutes but we stayed well past that timeframe and were in no way asked to leave.
The good news is that we found the cocktails to be pretty good – and suuuuper boozy. So much that several of us were really “feeling it”. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Electric Jolt with cotton candy was really good as was her Spidey Senses. I enjoyed the smoked Monstrosity old fashioned, and we all got to enjoy the Creature of Havic that’s served in the Monster’s skull! I’ve got say this part was pretty cool.
If you set your expectations according, and definitely eat beforehand, I think this concept is executed well enough to be worth checking out.
We always enjoy visiting Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel and wanted to check out the breakfast service that’s been running for a few months. Parking at the Disneyland Hotel is easy and you can get valet parking validated at Sam’s for 3 hours, so there’s no cost other than the tip to the valet runner. Breakfast runs from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, then Sam’s transitions to their everyday lunch/dinner menu.
Our entry was super easy as we arrived a little before 9:30 am on Sunday. The inside bar was about a quarter full and we were seated at the bar. Service for dinks and food was so quick we literally could have been seated and finished in about 20 minutes, though of course we lingered to soak up the atmosphere that Trader Sam’s is famous for.
The small-ish menu is fairly standard with a few Polynesian twists on breakfast favorites. I went with some eggs with ham and potatoes, while Mrs. Mai Tai enjoyed a fluffy Mickey Mouse shaped pancake. She wasn’t drinking and had a glass of orange juice that was actually far larger than those little glasses of OJ you usually see at breakfast. There are a couple Halloween cocktails on a special menu but we didn’t try any.
I challenged Skipper Shirley with a Mai Tai with Appleton 12, since I like to upscale the rum in my cocktail from what’s normally served here. I was honestly a bit disappointed that Shirley mentioned that she had put some Planteray 3 Star in the cocktail, because she believed that a Mai Tai should have more than one rum, though I couldn’t really complain with the end result which was a delicious drink that was perfect so early in the morning.
By the time we left the space was filling up, though was still far from capacity. Many folks were enjoying the cool air and nice views outside on the Tangaroa Terrance outside as well, but we always try for inside at Sam’s because we love vibe and things to look at. Breakfast at Trader Sam’s is a really great option for a get-away day or if you’re staying nearby and not rope-dropping the parks. The expanded hours allow even more guests to visit one of the best tiki bars anywhere and my favorite in Southern California.
