Trader Vic’s Jamaica Relief Fundraiser

I’ve had a bit of an up and down week but was feeling good enough on Wednesday to drive up to Trader Vic’s Emeryville for the One Love For Jamaica, Rum Relief Fundraiser. The ticketed event featured a DJ, one cocktail and rum tastings from a variety of Jamaican rums, plus a silent auction. I’ve tasted most of the rums before but was impressed by a Planteray Single Cask that was new to me.

The cocktail I tried was called Island Spirit, featuring lemon, pineapple, grog mix, and Planteray’s Xaymaca and Original Dark rums. Quite easy drinking and plenty of great Jamaican rum flavor.

The centerpiece of the event was a silent auction that included rum bottles, merchandise from vendors, and even some items donated by Trader Vic’s. I bid on several items but left early and so was outbid at the end. I donated a private Ultimate Mai Tai Happy Hour cocktail experience which sold for $160. I’ve already started to make arrangements with the winner and was pleased I could help raise funds for those in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Trader Vic’s employee Jhan spoke briefly about the impact in Jamaica where it took a couple weeks to hear from loved ones living there. Vic’s continues to be heart of the Bay Area tiki scene and this event proved it once again. Thank you to Eve, Aaron, Carlos and all the staff at Trader Vic’s for putting this together and to all who donated and bid on auction items.

November 18, 2025November 19, 2025

Monymusk Special Reserve Rum

This was the third bottle the rum fairy delivered and it turned out to be really pleasant surprise. Monymusk went through a rebranding a couple years ago and the rum inside is a different blend than the Special Reserve I bought in 2021. The 100% column still rum comes from the Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries and is aged for ten years in Jamaica, issued at 40% ABV.

This expression is closer to Appleton than some of the super funky Hampden rums, so I decided to do a blind test with the old expression plus Appleton 8 and Appleton 12. It was fairly clear which ones were from each brand but it was immediately noticeable that the Monymusk rums had a higher degree of that funky Jamaican rum flavor. At the same time the new Special Reserve was a lot more flavorful than the old one, making this a great lower proof sipping option for those who want it a little more funky than the Appletons or those Myers’s Reserve or Single Barrel bottlings. The leather and tobacco notes from Monymusk Special Reserve are very approachable.

Those flavors do work well in my favorite cocktail as well, even with an ABV below what I usually go for. I absolutely enjoyed Monymusk Special Reserve in a Mai Tai.

If you’re looking for something different from Jamaica or a nice sipping rum to gift to friends, Monymusk Special Reserve is a great option to consider.

November 17, 2025November 16, 2025

One Love For Jamaica, Rum Relief Fundraiser

Trader Vic’s Emeryville is hosting a fundraiser with 100% of ticket sales and silent auction proceeds to support people in need in Jamaica, recently impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

The event is happening on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Each ticket includes a Mai Tai, rum tastings, and music by DJ Maiky.

One of the silent auction items is a private Mai Tai Happy Hour offered by us, offering education, rare rums, and a variety of Mai Tais for the winner and friends. We hope you will attend and support this event to send needed funds to Jamaica.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite

November 5, 2025November 6, 2025

Second Jamaican Overproof Rum Blind Shootout

We’re revisiting overproof white rum from Jamaica. When we omitted Monymusk in our last test a little birdie made sure we had a bottle. Total Wine recently started carrying a “Spirits Direct” expression from indie bottler Infinity Spirts called Kingston Queen that’s also included.

These unaged rums are issued at 63% ABV, with long fermentation creating bold flavors and a fragrance that’ll fill a room.

Contenders:

Wray & Nephew Overproof – the iconic market leader
Rum Fire – Hampden Estate’s funky pot still cult favorite
Rum Bar Overproof – Worthy Park’s previous U.S. expression that won our first shootout
Worthy Park Overproof – includes sugar cane juice distillate
Monymusk Plantation White Overproof – Pot/Column blend from Clarendon distillery
Kingston Queen – inexpensive Total Wine exclusive

Neat Test

Wray finished last in our previous test but somehow ranked first with a balanced flavor that included floral notes. Kingston Queen has lots of flavor reminiscent of Worthy Park rums. Rum Bar finished slightly on top of the assertive Rum Fire with Monymusk losing points for not having much of a nose. The sugar cane juice distillate in Worthy Park was less well-received this time.

Winner: Wray & Nephew
2nd: Kingston Queen
3rd: Rum Bar

Grapefruit Soda Test

A 3:1 mix with Squirt meant that the differences between these rums were harder to perceive, aside from Rum Fire. Kingston Queen finished last here and Wray finished first due to a balance of flavor and a welcome sharp bite, with Rum Bar a close second. Worthy Park took my tongue for a ride so finished just ahead of Monymusk and Rum Fire.

Winner: Wray & Nephew
2nd: Rum Bar
3rd: Worthy Park

Wray & Nephew Wins Both Blind Tests!

A shocking result given that Wray didn’t place in my first blind test, and shows these are all fairly similar and all recommended. Rum Bar again placed high in both competitions with their pot still distillate that strikes a welcome balance of flavors. For me, Rum Fire feels best for use as an accent in cocktails.

October 11, 2025October 11, 2025

Breakfast at Trader Sam’s at Disneyland Hotel

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.

Breakfast at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar

October 1, 2025October 4, 2025

Mai Tai by Firelight

Dr. Funk has been doing “traditional tiki Tuesday’s” for a couple years now, featuring a rotating set of DJs and all day happy hour. This week brought Doc Parks down to the South Bay for his last Tuesday slot of the year, so we made sure to come out for dinner and drinks.

There was an indoor buyout until 8:30, so we found a cozy spot on the patio by one of the heaters. The wind was higher than normal and we noticed that the planes are flying in the opposite direction from the airport, but it was still pretty pleasant outside and the drinks and food certainly helped. I went with the Mai Tai of course – always delicious- plus the Dark ‘n Stormy riff called Myers’s Storm due to the use of Myers’s single barrel rum. Even with “easy ginger beer” this was still a bit much for me, so maybe I should just ask for “just a splash” next time.

Doc’s DJ set was pretty eclectic, including a crowd pleasing set of surf songs but also some 70s leaning songs that included a funky Beastie Boys instrumental. Doc even pulled out some organic percussion instruments to keep the crowd on their toes. Definitely not “traditional tiki” but Doc’s set was still really great and not modern.

We caught a peek at Dr. Funk’s Killer Klowns decor for Halloween, which starts today, and was pretty impressed. Be sure to make reservations or arrive early, there are going to be heavy crowds all this month.

September 20, 2025September 20, 2025

Jamaican Overproof Rum Blind Shootout

Today we’re looking at one of the most iconic rum styles, the overproof white rum from Jamaica. This style has emerged in the past couple decades in cocktail circles as a seminal rum for mixing, wildly different to how it is consumed by Jamaicans who typically use it as a mixer with water or Ting grapefruit soda. These unaged rums are issued at 63% ABV, and thanks to long fermentation they feature bold flavors and a fragrance that’ll fill a room.

The contenders:

Wray & Nephew Overproof – the iconic market leader
Rum Fire – Hampden Estate’s funky pot still cult favorite
Rum Bar Overproof – Worthy Park’s previous U.S. expression
Worthy Park Overproof – the current entry that includes some sugar cane juice distillate
Charley’s J.B. Overproof Rum Trelawny Blend – a Wray & Nephew product exclusive to Jamaica

Neat Comparison

It was easy to pick Rum Fire out of this lineup simply on the nose, but I liked the tomato notes from Rum Bar’s nose even more. There’s a pronounced nail polish aroma and flavor that I found pleasant from J.B. and it seems to be heavier in body than Wray & Nephew.

I chose the winner because I found it to be the most balanced and had a great mouthfeel.

Winner: Rum Bar Overproof
2nd: Charley’s J.B.
3rd: Rum Fire

Grapefruit Soda Comparison

The differences between these rums, aside from Rum Fire, were more muted when I did a 4:1 mix with Squirt grapefruit soda.

Rum Fire was the most flavorful here but introduced harsher notes that weren’t my favorite. I was pleased that Worthy Park Overproof played better in this format and disappointed that Wray and J.B. didn’t hold up as well to the soda. My favorite struck a balance of bold flavors and was a perfect complement to the soda.

Winner: Rum Bar Overproof
2nd: Worthy Park Overproof
3rd: Rum Fire

Rum Bar Overproof Wins Both Blind Tests!

This is pretty shocking, and a bit of a bummer since this expression isn’t available outside of Jamaica now. I’ve always felt that Rum Bar Overproof was a great middle ground between the market leaders; it has a heavier body than Wray but more approachable flavors than Rum Fire. All of these rums are delicious but in these blind tests Rum Bar Overproof was the clear winner.