Crafthouse Cocktails Offers a Range of Quality Ready to Drink Options

We previously wrote about loving Crafthouse Cocktails‘ excellent canned Mai Tai, and the kind folks at Crafthouse sent us some others from their lineup to try out. As with any product ranges there are some that work better than others, so here are our thoughts.

Moonlighter Vodka Spritz includes some blanco vermouth and very light floral flavors but didn’t really do it for me, but I’m not really a Vodka Soda drinker and prefer bolder flavors. Surprisingly better for me was the Moscow Mule, another drink I rarely drink because I avoid both vodka and ginger beer, but the ginger was mild enough that I enjoyed the bubbly cocktail. A little better in the spritz category was the Paloma that had a nice grapefruit taste and just enough tequila to work, though I would have preferred a higher tequila ratio myself.

The Spicy Margarita has “spicy” in red letters on the label for good reason, as it’s quite heavy on the jalapeño. So, if that’s your thing I think you’ll like it as the tequila is a bit more forward than the Paloma. I was disappointed in the Pineapple Daiquiri which didn’t really taste like a traditional daiquiri or heavy on the pineapple, though honestly I haven’t like most of the pineapple-variant RTDs from other brands either.

By far the best of these was the Espresso Martini, nearly as good as the Mai Tai. This one was of specific interest to Mrs. Mai Tai who often orders these and deemed Crafthouse’s version to better than many she’s had at some restaurants and bars. The coffee and baking spice flavors really worked great and when shaken with ice even had a nice head as well.

The ABV for these 200 ml cans does vary a bit, and you can find Crafthouse Cocktails at select liquor stores or ordered from their website.

Tiki Tom’s Ultimate Mai Tai is Still Great

We had another wonderful visit to Walnut Creek to have a family dinner and drinks at Tiki Tom’s. They don’t do reservations on the weekends but we only had to wait around 10-15 mins for a table.

We did very well with the food including a fantastic smash burger with kalua pork. Even better were our cocktails including a couple Ultimate Mai Tais that are still made correctly to spec and taste great. I also enjoyed a Tiki Negroni that comes with Jamaican rum and a bit of amaro. Quinn enjoys a good Navy Grog and said that Tiki Tom’s made it the way it should be.

We still love the Ohana Punch, which does include bits of walnuts and apples. Our server made sure to note this is a little chunky so patrons should avoid it if those little bits aren’t your thing. There’s also a new Espresso Tikini, though we suggest avoiding the option to use Bailey’s in place of coffee liqueur.

The tropical music and vibes remain at Tiki Tom’s, nice and cool inside as well. It’s an indoor and immersive tiki bar that all fans of the genre should be sure to check out.

Espresso Martini with Jamaican Rum

We’d visited Faith & Spirits in downtown San Carlos a couple months ago in the waning days of the holiday pop-ups, and we had an impromptu visit to town for dinner so decided to have some cocktails. We knew that Faith & Spirits does dueling pianos on the weekend, but that doesn’t start until 9 pm so we were super early and the place not busy yet. Nonetheless, the lounge vibe was a nice place to relax with excellent cocktails.

I started with a Paper Plane that was very well done, while Mrs. Mai Tai went with her current favorite, a really coffee-forward Espresso Martini. The rich flavors of the martini intrigued me and I wondered how they’d pair with a bolder spirit than vodka. As I was thinking about it I spotted an almost empty bottle of Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, a boozy favorite for cocktail mixing. So I ordered one with the rum subbing for vodka, just enough to kill the bottle.

Espresso Martini with Jamaican Rum

The rum was immediately noticeable and I thought it paired well to really make the cocktail a flavor bomb, though Mrs. Mai Tai and I’m sure others would find the original to be a cleaner and more pure tasting experience. Different strokes.

Faith & Spirits seems like a really nice cocktail bar on the Peninsula, if you’d looking for something about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose.

Paper Plane

The Best Espresso Martini in San Jose

Well, this isn’t exactly an exhaustive quest to find the best version of the 2020s viral cocktail sensation, but Mrs. Mai Tai had a couple great ones on our excursion Friday night in San Jose so I thought I would share.

Espresso Oasis at Dr. Funk

Replacing the vodka with a more flavorful spirit such as rum isn’t unique to tiki bars, but Dr. Funk leans into traditional exotic cocktail flavors by also including falernum and orgeat syrups to add sweetness. The rum blend features Planteray Cut & Dry Coconut and OFTD Overproof rums and these work great with the coffee flavors.

Espresso Oasis at Dr. Funk

Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini at Haberdasher

We tried another twist on the standard cocktail at Haberdasher, featuring a house-made pumpkin-spiced syrup to pair with more traditional ingredients vodka, Mr. Black coffee liqueur, and coffee. Those mild spice flavors add additional depth and sweetness that work great.

Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini

We really enjoyed our Haberdasher visit that also included a Pink Squirrel from a specialty cocktail menu, plus some great service from the staff. I learned a bit about their popular whiskey club as well.