Tag: Jamaicarum

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The Rumba Mai Tai is One of the Best on Planet Earth

Nothing really new to report, Mai Tai fans. We went to Rumba for dinner and to wait until Inside Passage opened, and so I had to check and see if the Mai Tai is still world-class. I’m pleased to report that the Mai Tai is still one of the best you can get on planet Earth.

Rumba’s Mai Tai rum blend features house barrel-aged Wray & Nephew Overproof from Jamaica and Rhum JM Gold agricole from Martinique, so this features some savory and funky notes to pair well with the sweet orgeat. For those concerned with the Rhum Agricole component it’s a very approachable Mai Tai with just a hint of grassiness.

For my meal I had a fantastic Poke Bowl that included mango, pickled onion, jicama, and Basmati rice. Ray’s Cuban Sandwich also continues to be well prepared, and our service during the visit was great.

We didn’t partake in any rums, but if you’re in town looking for the largest selection of rums then this is the place.

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Updated Rum Blend in Forbidden Island Mai Tai

Forbidden Island recently updated the rum blend in their Classic Mai Tai and I’m pleased to report that it is definitely an upgrade. There is more Jamaican rum in this blend and improved richness as well, a worthy cocktail for a still wonderful tiki bar and the best Mai Tai I’ve had here in a long time.

There’s also still a Top Shelf Mai Tai available for $5 more, though we spoke with several people who tried both and they all preferred the new Classic. And for those looking for something a little different the Viking Mai Tai features Svol Aquavit and is also very good.

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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
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Disgruntled Mai Tai

This delicious Mai Tai riff comes from Sam Ross of Attaboy in New York City. Ross is a Bartender of the Year winner from Tales of the Cocktail and has been a staple of the NYC cocktail scene for two decades.

The drink is elaborately garnished with a little bottle of Underberg, a bitter German herbal liqueur. It also splits the rum base with Aperol, leaning into pleasant orange flavors.

Disgruntled Mai Tai by Sam Ross
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orgeat
½ oz Curacao
1 oz overproof Jamaican rum, preferably Smith & Cross
1 oz Aperol
Whip shake with a small amount of crushed ice, then strain over crushed ice in double rocks glass. Then remove cap and paper cover from Underberg bottle and place nose-down into the cocktail. Garnish with mint sprig, lime wedge, freshly grated nutmeg, and cocktail umbrella.

I thought this was fantastic, though the Underberg didn’t really incorporate into the cocktail. In fact, I drank the whole thing and then lifted out the Underberg bottle which was still nearly full. So, I poured the contents out over the ice, added about ¾ oz of orgeat and then topped with soda. The orgeat balanced the bitter flavors and I found it to be quite pleasant.

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Clarified Ultimate Mai Tai

Huge shout out to our buddy Rex Stone (aka DJ Ship Rex) who brought a clarified version of the Ultimate Mai Tai to a recent gathering. Clarified cocktails are an area that I’m not deeply familiar with but sounds like Rex used standard milk washing techniques.

The resulting elixir is very smooth to drink but still has plenty of the flavor that the Ultimate Mai Tai is famous for. So, if you’ve ever thought about trying it I can tell you that the effort will be worth it – even better, if there’s any left over from the gathering then clarified version will last for days.

So, cheers to Rex for making the effort and delivering a fantastic Mai Tai in a different format. One of the best Mai Tais of the year.

The Ultimate Mai Tai rum blend features equal portions of Appleton 12, Smith & Cross, Planteray Xaymaca, and Planteray OFTD rum.

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Great Mai Tai and Swiss Rum in Zermatt

We were looking for another bar/lounge after finding Hexenbar too full, and soon found ourselves in the lounge at Resort Hotel Alex. This large resort had an eye-catching logotype font on the exterior but even better was the design inside with several fireplaces, cushy chairs, and vintage photos of Zermatt. The interior was so relaxing and we ended up at the bar complete with chairs featuring carved wild goats and cowhide cushions.

I noticed there was a non-pineapple Mai Tai on the menu and asked what kind of rums they used. Our bartender Niklaus said it was Goslings and Havana Club 3, but since I was in the mood for a more traditional version I asked if he could make it just with Myers’s. He said yes, but the concept of using both a dark and white rum was so ingrained he didn’t just use Myers’s but split the base. Thankfully, Niklaus made an excellent choice and used Kingston 62 Jamaica rum for the white rum, and this turned out really great. A very flavorful Mai Tai in perfect balance, one of the best of 2025.

I scanned the rum list and saw Rum 1823 from Switzerland and since I’d never had Swiss rum before I gave it a shot. It’s made in Switerland from Jamaican molasses and then aged for 7 years in Bourbon barrels. Though the still type isn’t listed it seems light enough to be from a column still, though this was by no means a dud even at 40% ABV. 1823 was very nice to sip on, and I’m glad I tried it.

Mrs. Mai Tai’s cocktails were similarly of high quality. The relaxing atmosphere of the lounge at Hotel Alex was an amazing find for us and the kind of place you’d love to return to.

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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.

Island Spirit

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.