Tag: ContraCostaCounty

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The Worlds Best Mai Tai Contest Regional Qualifier

I had a blast attending one of the regional qualifying events for the relaunched Worlds Best Mai Tai contest held last week at Tiki Tom’s. The event is relaunching after the organizers of the previous contest withdrew from organizing the event during COVID. I attended the last competition held in Kona in 2019, so this new event was of great interest.

The contest is sponsored by Myers’s rum and Bols liqueurs, a step up from when it used to be sponsored by Bacardi. As such, the event participants had to incorporate products from the sponsors, such as Bols Curacao, Myers’s Dark, and the underrated Myers’s Platinum – but weren’t limited to those product and many contestants infused ingredients and created custom rum blends. The finals for the Worlds Best Mai Tai will be held in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino on August 25 with the winner receiving $15,000.

There were several rounds during the qualifying event at Tiki Tom’s, plus a small selection of appetizers and Tiki Tom’s Mai Tais available for purchase. Though the Ultimate Mai Tai was not on the menu, the standard Mai Tai was pretty good even when served in a plastic cup. There were brand reps from Myers’s so we got to taste a selection of rums including their Signature Cask Collection (I found the Rye casks expression to be the best), plus pins and other swag.

There were a number of interesting Mai Tais made, and unlike the 2019 competition most of them actually did resemble Mai Tais. We had a soft spot for Kriss from Boo Loo Lounge who barely missed the podium by two points and finished third. The top two spots were Jenn Crider of Tiki Tom’s who did a spam-washed rum with maple orgeat, and mobile bartender Julie from Ravendark Cocktails who reacted with emotion after finishing first.

I’m really pleased to see this competition relaunching, with an even more elaborate program in line for 2026. View the recap video.

Julie
Jenn
Kriss

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Kaia’s Brings Tiki to the East Bay Suburbs

Located in downtown Danville, Kaia’s Island Kitchen & Tiki Bar recently opened serving Hawaiian inspired food and tropical cocktails in a family-friendly space filled with tiki decor. We found the food and drinks to be pretty good, along with friendly and fast service that made our stay very pleasant.

Having recently converted from a previous concept, there are still some growing pains for Kaia’s, including a website that’s under construction and no reservation method. Nonetheless, we drove up to Danville on a Saturday evening and were seated after about a 25 minute wait. The restaurant features plenty of bamboo features around the booths and tables, along with a separate bar area and nicely appointed lounge that is more dimly lit.

Our food order was delivered very quickly and I absolutely loved the tropical Cobb salad, with teriyaki chicken that was so delicious. Mrs. Mai Tai ordered the poke plate which included an elaborately carved avocado. Our server was friendly and very attentive, even with the restaurant running at capacity for the entirety of our visit. There is nice music playing though when it is really crowded you will have a hard time hearing it.

I’m pleased to report the cocktail menu includes legit classic tiki cocktails, including a Zombie, Planter’s Punch, and Navy Grog. The ’44 Mai Tai is pretty good and uses Appleton rum that is balanced and approachable for Kaia’s suburban audience. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Jet Pilot was also very good, as was our son’s Jungle Bird. Our other son had a Saturn that seemed to be a bit off balance, relying too much on gin in the mix.

Kaia’s is a legit tiki-inspired restaurant that seems to be doing many things right, including branded glassware, mugs, and apparel. We look forward to a wider variety of cocktails, as hinted on the menu.

Mai Tai
Jet Pilot
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Orinda’s Boo Loo Lounge Keeps it Going

We had a very nice visit to Boo Loo Lounge, a small tiki bar located in the sleepy bedroom community of Orinda. Visiting on Friday evening was no problem since the BART station is a four minute walk away and we avoided rush hour traffic.

There have been some management changes at Boo Loo, but I’m pleased to report that the team remains committed to high quality cocktails and great hospitality. The venue’s small size next to the Orinda Theater means that there are ebbs and flows as guests come and go, but the team worked well to take drink orders and deliver them to the tables. We were treated to a great music mix from DJ Shy Hulud  that was a blend of exotic, psychedelic, and Latin tunes.

The cocktail menu at Boo Loo hasn’t changed, which means that their Saturn, Ruby Daiquiri, and Lady of Singapore are still great. Bartender Kriss knew me from The Kon-Tiki and suggested a Mai Tai made with a rare Nha Terra Grog rum from Portugal, and this had a really interesting flavor with white wine flavor notes.

Even better was Boo Loo’s standard Mai Tai that’s made with a blend of rums and just a bit of a grassy lean from the Rhum Agricole. It’s a really good Mai Tai, highly recommended, and Boo Loo continues to have a very nice rum selection if you’re looking for something new to try.

Mai Tai
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Return to Boo Loo Lounge, Orinda’s Small but Stellar Tiki Bar

Had a great visit to the small but formidable Boo Loo Lounge, located in central Orinda adjacent to the Orinda Theater. I helped organize a meetup of the Patreon community members of the Make & Drink YouTube channel and we had a nice little group there in the afternoon on Saturday. Boo Loo remains such an interesting space due to its small size. A few of us opened the place to secure some seats for the meetup but we were followed by four other couples and this place was actually pretty much full right at opening. But an hour later it was just our group inside, perhaps due to the ebbs and flows of the movie theater attendees.

Boo Loo Lounge Mai Tai

I’m pleased to report the Mai Tai is once again pretty great here, after a past dalliance with the Hamilton Petite Canne Shrubb Orange Liqueur that imparted far too much of a grassy flavor from its Rhum Agricole base. I found the Mai Tai to be plenty rummy, thanks to the Jamaican and Demerara rums, but also very approachable for the casual visitor who might have never visited a tiki bar before. We also heard great things about the Zombie, said to be the best a few had ever tasted, and we thought the Lady of Singapore was a fruity and light cocktail that was very satisfying. The Ruby Daiquiri remains a stellar entry.

One of the guys in our meetup mentioned a rum from Alabama and I inquired with Boo Loo’s manager, Maxton Kennedy. He showed me the two expressions of Rum Trails rum they have, including a Tequila Cask which I didn’t love the taste of. But the Red Wine Cask was full of flavor, so much that it reminded me of rums from Jamaica. The Daiquiri I had with this rum was fantastic.

Maxton Kennedy

The interior remains immersive and cozy, with the music still on point as well. Maxton mentioned the cocktail menu is expanding soon, along with a new bar program feature that some folks will find very… intoxicating. Look for those announcements coming soon.

Rum Trails Daiquiri
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Orinda’s Boo Loo Lounge Has Expanded Hours

Just in time for spring, Orinda’s small tiki bar Boo Loo Lounge now has expanded hours, offering guests an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air on their patio. As with the main bar, this patio is small but does provide additional seating, a small water feature, and the same exotic music track that plays inside. Totally chill. The venue now opens at 2 pm.

The drink pictured was a non-alcoholic cocktail with lime, prickly pear syrup, and ginger beer. It was quite refreshing out on the patio, my first time being able to try the outdoor seating since most previous visits coincided with rain. The patio is shaded during the day and does have heat lamps for use in the evening. Check it out.

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Orinda’s Boo Loo Lounge Now Serving Bar Bites

Had a great time in downtown Orinda to revisit the Boo Loo Lounge for the first time in a couple months. The strong bar program is still going strong with a menu of a dozen or so cocktails. This little bar next to the Orinda Theater is now serving a selection of fryer style bar bites, similar to Forbidden Island in Alameda. Don’t expect these to be gourmet but may hit the spot if you’re trying to stay in the venue longer. There are several nearby restaurants if like us you want to work off your buzz with a full service dining option.

Coconut Shrimp with Mai Tai in mug brought by the author

The Mai Tai’s orange liqueur has been switched to the Hamilton Petite Canne Shrubb, a Rhum Agricole-based liqueur. Along with a rum base that includes Rhum Agricole I found this to lean too far in the grassy flavor profile. Regular readers may remember that Smuggler’s Cove briefly used this liqueur in their Mai Tais, with similar not great results. Feedback was provided, with DeKuyper suggested as an alternative in a similar cost range.

Thankfully, the Hurricane I had was truly fantastic, a wild blend of Fassionola, juices, and rum. This cocktail met the high expectations I’ve grown accustomed to at the Boo Loo Lounge. Similarly, Mrs. Mai Tai’s Lady of Singapore and Saturn were excellent.

Hurricane

The crowd was having a great time, as we were with our friends. Boo Loo Lounge is so small they’ll really benefit from sunny skies and the use of their patio seating out front. By layering on bar bites onto the small venue with modest staffing, I wonder if they’re biting off more than they can chew but there’s nothing wrong with trying something to see how it goes. I hear there are plans for something else new to whet the appetite of guests, coming soon – so stay tuned.

Patio waiting for sunny skies
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Mai Tai Presentation for Three Rum Club

Had a great time yesterday for a private seminar for the Three Rum Club, a group of home tiki bar bar owners who are affiliated with Tiki Tom’s in Walnut Creek. The Three Rum Club crowd was a great audience, asked good questions, and even laughed at the punchlines.

The presentation was Appreciating Rum Through the Lens of the Mai Tai, a rum-focused seminar on how the rums in the Mai Tai changed over the years. We covered the different rum styles used by Trader Vic’s over the years, when Rhum Agricole was first used, and how rum blends have been a key component in a Mai Tai for decades.

The welcome cocktail was a special Three Rum Mai Tai that I put together and got to prepare behind the bar at Tiki Tom’s. The three rums included 1 oz of Worthy Park Estate 12 yr and ½ oz each of Worthy Park 109 and Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole. The bold Jamaica rums combined well with the Hawaiian rum that imparts vegetal notes and was really delicious. We have to thank Darrin, Steffani, and the entire team at Tiki Tom’s for their assistance and always appreciated hospitality.

Thanks to Sherri for the logistical help and for the photos.