Tag: Jamaicarum

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Tiki Classic Cocktails at Smuggler’s Cove

I found myself in SF on Wednesday for some rum drinking and socializing at Smuggler’s Cove. After finishing some rum I decided to go the cocktail route with two tiki classics and to see how well Smuggler’s Cove interpreted the originals, and it should be no surprise that both were excellent renditions. Because you can’t always have the Mai Tai, even if it is one of the best anywhere.

Navy Grog

The Navy Grog had plenty of rum as you’d expect but it is so well balanced you’d hardly notice. Taking inspiration from the Trader Vic’s version of this classic, Smuggler’s uses Allspice Dram as the key sweet and spice component to great effect.

Planter’s Punch

Even better was the Planter’s Punch that features Appleton 8 Reserve blended rum from Jamaica, with small measures of Allspice Dram and Angostura Bitters. I really loved the richness of this cocktail, including the Appleton rum that serves as an excellent backbone.

I must say it was great to see the Cove being pretty busy on a Wednesday, not so much that you couldn’t find a seat but more than enough to demonstrate the appeal of the city’s best exotic cocktails midweek. Two guys noticed the aloha wear a couple of us were wearing and peppered us with questions about the appeal of tiki bars. I don’t know if our answers were completely cogent (alcohol was involved, after all) but we did our best to extol the virtues.

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Foamy Mai Tai at the Luau Lounge

We did a family day in San Francisco and browsed Pier 39 while waiting for our lunch reservation time window. While my wife and son looked at the sea lions I popped in to see how Luau Lounge is doing these days. There’s still a bar/restaurant inside the Players Sports Grill & Arcade, though the greeting area has been overrun by arcade machines and one of the two tiki themed displays is now empty. There’s also a Luau Lounge Tiki Patio that overlooks the bay with Alcatraz views and glass windbreaks.

I’ve had mixed results from Mai Tais over the years here, but I decided to add another to the sample size. The 1944 Mai Tai is made with Mount Gay and Appleton rums, but I wanted it just a little heavier and asked just for Appleton. There are other rums at the bar, but the bartender didn’t seem to have a way to put those into the cocktail.

The Luau Lounge 1944 Mai Tai now comes with Lilikoi Foam, so not really “1944” style but nonetheless a great addition as it adds a ton a sweet tropical passionfruit flavor. The base of the cocktail was also nicely balanced thanks to Appleton Signature rum and Ferrand Dry Curacao. It looks like Monin is the orgeat brand, not my favorite but it didn’t have any ill effects on the final product that was a pretty good refresher on the pier.

We like this location with great views of the bay and overall a nice cocktail list and service at the bar is always friendly here. Luau Lounge isn’t appointment visiting for tiki tourists but regular old SF tourists who like a tiki or Hawaiian vibe won’t be disappointed.

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Mai Tai for Two at Pagan Idol

Was pleased to see that Pagan Idol was fairly busy on Wednesday night, though the venue’s reputation for having the highest backpack to customer ratio seems to still be intact. There were several groups having a great time and while there were ebbs and flows there were a steady stream of customers ordering at the bar.

We started with the Mai Tai that is made with Kō Hana Kea and Appleton Signature, which resulted in a bright flavor that leaned a little in the orange direction. If you’re a fan of Hawaiian rums or any lighter sugar cane spirits then this Mai Tai is a great option. Nathan and I both can be picky but we agreed this was really good Mai Tai.

Nathan didn’t want the night to end just yet and ordered another round including an amazing Daiquiri made with Rum Fire (supposedly “just a splash” but clearly more than that). It had been a while since I’d been in the back room at Pagan and forgot how many tikis are in this section, including two big ones that are still impressive. I didn’t love the Reggae-heavy music playlist, but overall this was a great visit and nice to see Pagan still doing well with the tiki thing in the Financial District.

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Great Appleton 17 Mai Tai at Kona Street Market

Buckle in for a roller coaster of an experience and note the unique set of circumstances.

I was in the City for a work event and met up with local raconteur Nathan Robinson for drinks at Kona’s Street Market downtown. After enjoying a Kona original called the Banana Stand we had a good rapport with bartender Jason and it wasn’t too busy, so I asked if he could make a 1944 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai using the Appleton 17 Legend rum that newly appeared on their top shelf after the previous bottle was drained a couple months ago.

Note that Kona is still selling this at the ridiculous price of $30 for a neat pour and only a few bucks more in Mai Tai format, making this an absolute bargain.

Jason made sure to check that we didn’t want the dark rum float that normally comes with their Mai Tai and measured everything carefully. But the initial taste was anything but legendary due to what can only be characterized as very bad lime juice. Nathan took a little swig, confirming to us that “the lime is off”. Jason offered to remake it and I him he didn’t have to but after consulting with another member of the team I saw him juicing a fresh lime and preparing another version of the cocktail.

Does the Legend still make a fabulous Mai Tai? Yes, it still does! That second Mai Tai was just how I remember it, a fantastic flavorful rum that is so present in the drink with an extraordinarily long finish so you can savor every sip.

We want to highlight the circumstances of a not-so-busy bar, ongoing conversation with the staff, and the obvious industry experience that Nathan’s questions and comments with the bartender demonstrated. Your mileage would vary if it was slammed or if you roll in to mansplain your way into ordering this off-menu cocktail. A really fantastic experience overall, thanks to Jason and the Kona team.

I left a very big tip.

Banana Stand
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Frozen Mai Tai at Bahama Breeze

After my conference in Redmond was over around Noon, I had a few hours to kill before heading to SeaTac airport for the trip home. After a few twists and turns I found myself in Tukwilla at the Westfield Southcenter, at which point I realized there was a Bahama Breeze restaurant in the back parking lot.

Entering Bahama Breeze was a tropical respite from the cold Seattle rain, and I found a table in the bar and free WiFi to actually do a little work before my flight. The place was pretty busy for a Friday afternoon with several large groups and a bunch of people meeting up in the bar as well.

Scanning the menu I spotted the Ultra Chill Mai Tai in the frozen section, featuring Appleton Signature rum, orgeat, pineapple, passion fruit, and lime juice – plus an Appleton floater. This seemed like an elevated version of what you might expect at a place like this and I’m pleased to report this frozen Mai Tai was pretty damn great. It tasted like a Mai Tai and there was plenty of booze in there, too. The Ultra Chill Mai Tai is highly recommended.

For a second drink I noticed they had Appleton Estate 8 on the list of premium rums, so I asked for their “Ultimate Margarita” but to sub the Appleton 8 for the tequila. The result was pretty close to a 1944 Mai Tai and plenty of flavor (should have asked no salt on the rim, though). The server was super fast and responsive and the island vibe inside was inspired.

It is too bad there aren’t any Bahama Breeze locations near me, but I’ll never skip this place on the way back to SeaTac.

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The Devil’s Reef Remains SEATAC’s Stellar Tiki Experience

The main draw for Mrs. Mai Tai’s inclusion on our Tacoma weekend was to finally visit Devil’s Reef, which she’d missed through a series of circumstances in the past. The tiki bar and restaurant remains a stellar representative of the genre, featuring a dark theme, superb music, and amazing cocktails.

Over the course of two evenings, we opened the bar and got to experience some amazing drinks. The cocktail program is the brainchild of co-owner Jason Alexander who was on hand overseeing the shift both nights. We were honored to receive a special Mai Tai prepared by Alexander himself featuring Rare Cane Jamaican Rum and perfectly balanced with some funky 68% ABV rum, shooting straight to the top of our running Best Mai Tai of the Year list.

The cocktails at Devil’s Reef have a bit of variety but are mostly rum-based and served on crushed ice. We really loved the Gilman House Special, featuring berries and pineapple rum, and the delightful grog variant called Red Right Returning with passionfruit, cinnamon, and Mister Fogg Navy Rum. Julie tried some that I’d loved before including Captain Obed’s Grog that includes spices and maple syrup, plus the coffee-forward Eldritch Cartographer. We also loved the Serannian Sling, a gin cocktail with spices and Cassis.

We must salute the bartenders who work so fast but deliver consistent quality. Generally, you have got to bar to order drinks that will be delivered to your table, and we found the turnaround to be unexpectedly quick even after it started to get busy. We enjoyed sitting at the bar for a portion of our visit, though the booths are more conducive to conversation with locals who we met up with. Be sure to check out the drink mixer for a little memento of our visit, place there by the staff.

Like we always say, the best tiki bar in Seattle is in Tacoma.

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Sunday Rum Tasting: Jamaica Rum is the Best Rum

We dropped into Dr. Funk near opening on Sunday for a chill time relaxing with some rums from Jamaica that are on the Rum Asylum Level 1 list.

I compared two rums that have different approaches to the market, choosing Dr. Funk’s allocation of Myers’s Single Barrel Select rum and Worthy Park 109 dark rum. Both are affordable and approachable expressions, the Myers’s best for sipping and comparable to some of the lower aged Appleton rums. Worth Park is my go-to for cocktails when a “dark Jamaican rum” is called for and tastes a lot better in a glass than Pusser’s which I also tried during the sitting.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mai Tai tried Planteray Xaymaca in the Daiquiri format and it turned out really great. Very drinkable and so much more flavorful than a cocktail made with light rum.

A portion of Dr. Funk’s Rum Collection