Tag: Jamaicarum

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The Kon-Tiki Auction at Little Hill Lounge

Our beloved favorite tiki bar The Kon-Tiki closed in Oakland last December, but for one night only we got to relive the memories with a special night at El Cerrito’s Little Hill Lounge. Several former Kon-Tiki bartenders were making classic drinks such as the Kon-Tiki Grog, Virgin’s Sacrifice, and Uma Uma. Food including an amazing burger was from Chisme, the new venture from former Kon-Tiki chef Manuel Bonilla and friends soon to take over the Kon-Tiki space in Oakland. So good – just like I remember from the Kon-Tiki days.

Owned by the same ownership group, Little Hill is a dive bar on San Pablo Ave. with plenty of retro touches and a nice back room that’s typically used for live music. On this evening the back room was used to auction masks, lamps, floats, and other items that previously hung at the Kon-Tiki. Joe Kent served as the auctioneer and did an amazing job, assisted by fellow “Oakhana” member Jeff Hall. The frenzy was palpable as dozens gathered to take home something from Kon-Tiki, some mentioning that the Kon-Tiki served as an inspiration for their home tiki bar. I went home with a Woody Miller wall carving, a small Oceanic Arts tiki, and giant float.

The Mai Tai was a variant called “Now that’s a Fucking Mai Tai” and was made with the Worthy Park 5 yr Single Barrel procured by Kon-Tiki. This very rum-forward Mai Tai hit all the right spots for me and I think that the Kon-Tiki Grog and Kon-Tiki Zombie were a great as I’ve ever had them. And it was so nice for Mrs. Mai Tai to have an Uma Uma again as well.

Reliving the Kon-Tiki with Friends

There were so many people at this event, with some great retro music from DJ Ship Rex and Woody Miller. Doc Parks also played DJ and went a bit off the rails with some mainstream 80s top 40 but people seemed to be having a great time. While we’re really not getting Kon-Tiki back again, Little Hill Lounge is not that far away and does cocktails just as well as they do beer and shots, so check them out.

Guest Bartender Carlos
DJ Ship Rex
Woody and Doc Hyping the Crowd
Joe Kent
I got a Woody
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Dr. Funk Rum Asylum Meetup with Appleton Rum

We missed the first quarterly meeting that took place shortly after the Rum Asylum rum club launched at Dr. Funk in the winter but we didn’t want to miss out at the recent meetup that featured Appleton and Wray & Nephew rum.

The event featured some literature about the rum expressions plus some guided tastings from a Campari rep who also answered questions about the production process in Jamaica and history of the brands. There was also a fantastic cocktail special using Appleton 8 called Tikitastic that comes from local rum legend Mark Holt who was attendance. Plus plenty of Appleton and Wray & Nephew swag for the well-attended event.

The event also included a couple who finished Level 1 and took the Rum-o-cratic Oath, plus details about the rewards for level 2 (a pith helmet inspired by Dr. Funk himself) and the hints of a limited edition mug made by a well-known local artist for completing level 3.

Tikitastic

The next Rum Asylum meetup is Sunday, September 21st at 3:30 pm – don’t miss it.

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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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New Label Denizen Merchant’s Reserve vs. Old

Independent bottler Denizen started a rebranding process back in late 2023, changing the label design for their blended rum expressions. This process has been continuing as old stock has been replaced over time with new bottles that feature the new labels.

We previously covered the transition of Denizen Aged White rum, which also included component changes to the blend. Whereas the previous bottle was designated with a prominent number and the text that said “aged 3 years,” the new blend sneakily has a large 5 but subtly says “aged up to 5 years.” Jamaican rum seemed to be removed from the Aged White blend, a noticeable enough change where I could taste the difference and prefer the old “3” version.

Merchant’s Reserve was the first expression from Denizen, a blend of Jamaican and Martinique rums designed to emulate the Second Adjusted Mai Tai formula from Trader Vic’s, circa mid 1950s. The previous label stated “aged 8 years” but the new label says “aged up to 8 years” presumably because the Martinique Grand Arǒme isn’t aged for that long or possibly at all. Moreover, when Merchant’s Reserve was first introduced, an article about the rum from Cocktail Wonk Matt Pietrek indicated that some of the Jamaican rum was aged only four years and some not aged at all. So, I guess the new label is more precise, even as the small print “up to” still feels a little bit deceptive.

ABV remains at 43%, but there is now inclusion of “Caribbean rums” without any country of origin. This is disappointing in that it likely means a reduction in the Jamaican component.

Regardless of the age and components, Merchant Reserve’s stellar reputation as a de facto gold-standard single bottle Mai Tai rum means I needed to check to see if the taste of this blend has changed like it did for Aged White.

I made two Mai Tais with identical ingredients and a shared pool of lime juice and couldn’t taste any difference. A visual comparison indicated no differences with the rum inside a tasting glass, and blind tasting with several pours of each expression also led me to the same conclusion: I can’t taste any difference between the new and old bottle of Denizen Merchant’s Reserve.

There you go, Mai Tai fans. No FOMO about branding changes, at least for what’s most important which is the liquid inside the bottle. Denizen Merchant’s Reserve remains a stellar blended rum and a smart choice for anyone wanting to make a great Mai Tai.

“I can’t taste any difference between the new and old bottle of Denizen Merchant’s Reserve”

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New Menu at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is a Mixed Bag

One of the highlights of any trip to the Disneyland Resort is a visit to Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, one of the best tiki bars anywhere in this writer’s opinion. We love the vibe inside and more often than not do also truly enjoy the cocktails as well, though I will usually request a change from the tourist-friendly rums in the Mai Tai and choose something that’s bolder. Called rum Mai Tais have been deep in the Top 5 of our yearly Mai Tai rankings in several years, thanks to the skills of the bartenders. With fairly high temperatures, having lunch at Trader Sam’s was a welcome place to cool off and we were able to get bar seats indoors after just a short wait.

The menu at Trader Sam’s was recently updated and expanded, keeping most of the longtime favorites and adding several new cocktails that previously were only available on some of the bartender’s original “secret menu” options. The Temple of the Forbidden Rye by Melissa Nickoloff finally moves from cult classic to the spotlight, a twist on the template by pairing traditional tiki spice elements such as ginger and allspice with rye whiskey – and it’s fantastic. I also thought that Kelly Merrell’s Notes of Adventure really elevated the Saturn template through the use of fruit juices and made for a wonderful refresher.

Notes of Adventure

Of most note to me was the change in rums for the HippopatoMai-Tai. Previously this used Bacardi Superior and Coruba, and the new blend continues the light/dark rum combo with Flor de Caña Extra Seco and Planteray Original Dark. I was immediately suspect of this new blend since I have gripes with Original Dark generally since it isn’t actually dark, for one, and also has added sugar – different from the richer flavors of the Coruba it is replacing. The bartender free pouring all the ingredients didn’t do anything for my expectations and the balance for this Mai Tai was off – too sweet and without enough rummy flavors.

HippopatoMai-Tai

I appreciate that the combo of a light rum and a dark Jamaican rum goes back to the Mai Tai that Trader Vic introduced to Waikiki in 1953 – and that as a tourist destination that Disney might want to choose something that is more “approachable” for those tourists. I just wish they’d use a better dark rum and made sure to measure in exact portions.

Still, even a so-so Mai Tai ain’t bad at Trader Sam’s where new guests are amazed as the interior decor, exotic music, and special effects and shenanigans from certain drink orders. It’s always a great time for us and this was no exception.

Other rum options
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Tiki Tuesday at The Cellar

We were tipped that The Cellar in Fullerton has been doing a special tiki menu on Tuesdays, with a new cocktail as a featured item each week. We’d visited The Cellar for dinner and drinks a few years back and enjoyed the old school charm and immersive experience of dining in an imagineer created faux wine cellar.

Hawaiian Room and Kingston Negroni

As we arrived right at opening and sat at the bar, we saw the featured item for our visit: the Hawaiian Room, a 1940s cocktail from the Hotel Lexington in New York City. This balanced cocktail was Mrs Mai Tai’s choice and has pineapple, lime, orange curaçao, apple brandy, and white rum. I looked at the rest of the cocktail menu and picked the Kingston Negroni, also quite great and using Smith & Cross Jamaican rum as it should.

Shortly thereafter, the bartender showed us a Tiki Tuesday menu of classics such as the Scorpion, Jet Pilot, and Navy Grog. I mentioned I was surprised there wasn’t a Mai Tai listed on this or on the main cocktail menu, but he pointed out the $45 Vintage Mai Tai that includes Foursquare 2011 rum from Barbados, along with marcona almond orgeat and Martinique rhum. He then suggested that people know they can get a good Mai Tai here anyway, at which point I suggested that it never hurts to list it explicitly because sometimes even craft cocktail bars can’t make it, when they don’t have orgeat, or sometimes they make it with pineapple or orange juice.

Mai Tai

Nonetheless, the confidence of the bartender made me think that ordering a Mai Tai would be worth it, so I asked for it with Planteray Xaymaca rum that I saw on the back bar. As I watched the prep I could see the inclusion of another spirit and I determined that they are so used to including Martinique rhum that they didn’t consider I wanted a single rum Mai Tai. I braced for a difficult conversation but after tasting the cocktail I decided that Martinique rhum did actually improve it after all, resulting in a fabulous Mai Tai that had a great orgeat and rum flavor.

A few more regulars started filtering into the bar, we decided two drinks were all we needed before going back to Disneyland for the evening. Tiki Tuesday at The Cellar was really fantastic.

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Kingston Negroni Redux

Been playing with some different Jamaican rums in a Kingston Negroni. The original version from New York bartender Joaquín Simó called or Smith & Cross, but I’ve been trying some other higher proof expressions including Hampden’s Overproof and a cask strength Worthy Park bottle, both to great effect.

Being an equal parts cocktail it is easy to make a larger version, which is what I did here. I didn’t have an orange peel to express but the result was still fab.

Kingston Negroni
1 part Campari
1 part Sweet Vermouth
1 part Jamaican rum
Stir with ice. Strain over large cube.

I’m finding that for me that going a little light on the Campari and a little heavier on the rum is the sweet spot for my flavor profile.