Tag: MartiniqueRhum

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Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Rum

This rum was a multi-island blend produced by Trader Vic’s starting in the late 1950s and commercially issued through sometime in the 1980s. I found some recipes that call for this rum, which of course was also specified in the Mai Tai of that era. So I tried to replicate it using currently available rums.

The breakdown of components is:
70% Jamaica
20% Martinique
10% Virgin Islands

That Virgin Islands rum is basically used to lengthen the product and to reduce the overall cost, but only by a little, in contrast to the Jamaican rum that would have aged for some time. Vic also sold 15 and 8 year Jamaica rum bottles.

The Martinique rhum used here is the subject of debate. Here’s how Trader Vic describes rhum from Martinique:

“Martinique rums are similar to dark Jamaica rums because they are dark and pungent in flavor and aroma. They are especially suitable for flavoring sweets and for making rum punches of the heavier variety.

Some of the Martinique rums are distilled and bottled in Martinique for export to us (Rhum St. James); some are distilled in Martinique, shipped to France for aging, and reshipped to us as French rum (Negrita). These French rums are extremely dark and carry more of a molasses taste than the Martinique-bottled rum; the French like them in wintertime hot grogs.”
Trader Vic’s Rum Cookery & Drinkery

This doesn’t sound like a rhum agricole to me, but “smoky and funky” sound a lot like Worthy Park 109, so I’m using that in place.

In recreating the rum, I used:
4 parts Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve (aged 6-10 years)
3 parts Appleton 8
2 parts Worthy Park 109
1 part Cruzan Aged

This is a flavorful rum, though not one that I would quite call pungent, so perhaps I could have omitted the Appleton in lieu of more Single Estate Reserve.

In any case, it sure makes a great Mai Tai, just like the Trader said it would.

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International Bartenders Association (IBA) Mai Tai Recipe Learns the Wrong Lesson

The International Bartenders Association (IBA) was founded in the U.K. in 1951. The trade organization is made up of chapters in over 60 countries and through the decades has hosted cocktail and bartending competitions.

The IBA publishes an officially codified cocktail list, first compiled in 1961, with the intent to provide an authoritative recipe for 102 of the most important cocktails. The official list of cocktails expanded every few years starting in 1987 when the Mai Tai was added.

The Mai Tai is a somewhat curious entry, since it calls for both Jamaican and Martinique rum but also specifically describes the Martinique rhum as coming from molasses, a recipe nominally similar to the Trader Vic’s 2nd Adjusted formula where Martinique rhum is used. The idea of this rhum being molasses distillate came from the 2016 publication of the Smuggler’s Cove book where authors Martin Cate and Rebecca Cate question the type of Martinique rhum used and suggesting that then common use of the sugar cane juice-based Martinique Rhum Agricole in a Mai Tai isn’t historically accurate.

The split base of rums in the IBA recipe actually dates back many years when simply “dark rum” and “light rum” were listed. Worse, these earlier entires included only a scant third of an ounce of lime juice with everything thing else in typical Mai Tai ratios.

There seems to have been a recent attempt to bring this recipe up to contemporary standards, yet they learned the wrong lesson from the Cate’s book because rather than just call for an aged rum or a Jamaican rum they instead went back to the version published in Trader Vic’s books in the 1970s where Jamaican and Martinique rums were paired. They tried to please the Beachbum Berry camp by including both types of rums and the Cate camp omitting an Agricole – and therefore essentially painted themselves into a corner.

As it stands this IBA official recipe is basically impossible to make, because molasses-based Martinique rhum is not widely available. Even worse, in the IBA’s glamour video demonstrating how to make the cocktail they simply use a Rhum Agricole anyway.

What a mess.

From the Mai Tai entry:

IBA Mai Tai
30 ml Amber Jamaican Rum
30 ml Martinique Molasses Rhum*
15 ml Orange Curacao
15 ml Orgeat Syrup (Almond)
30 ml Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
7.5 ml Simple Syrup
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice.
Shake and pour into a double rocks glass or an highball glass. Garnish with pineapple spear, mint leaves and lime peel.

* The Martinique molasses rum used by Trader Vic was not an Agricole Rhum but a type of “rummy” from molasses.

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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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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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White Rum and Friends Trivia at Dr. Funk

Monday was a good night out in downtown San Jose, with Dr. Funk hosting Risky Quizness doing Friends trivia. This is Mrs. Mai Tai’s favorite show, and I expected her to a lot better than when we went to Office trivia and I didn’t really do very well (reminder: I used to cohost an Office podcast!). Unfortunately, the questions posted were, well, let’s just call them deep cuts and we didn’t do much better this time. Considering the level of difficulty, we’re not sure we’ll do more of these trivia events.

Nonetheless we did have a good time, thanks to more rums from the Dr. Funk Rum Asylum Level 1 list. As with my previous post about choosing a trio of easy sippers, this time I went thematic again with three white rums that show how diverse unaged rums can be.

The three rums are:

  • Wray & Nephew White Overproof Jamaica Rum
  • Kō Hana Kea from O’ahu
  • Rhum JM Agricole Blanc from Martinique

What a fabulous way to show how diverse rum can be with these three unaged rums. The Wray & Nephew is made from molasses and is a flavorful high-proof fruit bomb, whereas the Rhum JM is made from sugar cane juice and features grassy and vegetal notes. My favorite in this group was the very pleasant and mild Kō Hana Kea that has balanced flavors from the Hawaiian cane.

Meanwhile Mrs. Mai Tai knocked off another from her Rum Asylum list by having a Bacardi Ocho in the Daiquiri format. So clean and definitely more flavorful than the standard Bacardi.

Our sons enjoyed some classic Dr. Funk cocktails including the Shipwreck, Saturn’s Sunrise, and Phoenix Rising – plus some great Nacho Fries and Coconut Shrimp, but our entire table disliked Dr. Funk’s version of the Jungle Bird that uses the Cruzan Black Strap rum with its overbearing maple syrup flavor.

San Jose’s “hidden tiki bar” remains anything but, thanks to a thematic shamrock light display that all along San Pedro Square can see. Monday was pretty busy thanks to the trivia and also Dr. Funk’s stellar drinks.

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Top 10 Mai Tais of 2024 (so far)

It’s June 30, which is halfway through the year so this is a great time to review our list of the best Mai Tais we’ve had at commercial or home tiki bars so far this year.

Note that many of these feature custom rum orders compared to the standard-issue at these locations. Sometimes you want a Mai Tai with a special rum, and if you ask nicely the bartender will typically be able to accommodate the request. This can often lead to an excellent cocktail.

10. Mister, Might I… by Doc Parks at The Kon-Tiki
Besides being a great Mai Tai, this was served with a side of pineapple juice that allows the customer to decide what to do with it. Some might incorporate it into the cocktail, but I took it as a chaser.

9. My Tie, Youse Tai
Served at the home tiki bar of Stephan Curran, this elegant cocktail used premium aged rums from Jamaica: Appleton 15 and Appleton 21. I felt like a celebrity drinking this amazing upscale Mai Tai.

8. Stray Pirate
The standard-issue Mai Tai at Vegas’ newest immersive bar is really great and uses Jamaican and Martinique rums.

7. Matiki
I was totally blown away by this outstanding Mai Tai at Vienna’s modern tiki bar. It uses Rhum Saint James Agricole along with Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross Jamaica rums.

6. The Beachcomber
Fans of Rhum Agricole know The Beachcomber is the place to be in London. Their off-menu Mai Tai is savory and sweet and just as good this year as it was last year.

5. Strong Water Anaheim
The strong cocktail program at Strong Water means that their standard Mai Tai is really great, using Demerara Rum and Jamaica Rum.

4. Dr Funk ($8 MTM)
The quality control problems in this San Jose tiki bar seem to be addressed with their formidable Mai Tai back on track. This one was only $8 for Mai Tai Monday and still uses Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross. So good.

3. Trader Sam’s 1944 w/Smith & Cross by Maddie
Skipper Maddie killed it with some off menu cocktails and her presentation for a classic Mai Tai nailed the look and the taste. Amazing.

2. Kon-Tiki with Hamilton Pot Still Blonde
When tasting rums at The Kon-Tiki I’ll often have them in a Mai Tai. I’m such a fan of Pot Still Blonde and the bartenders made it perfectly.

1. The Sinking Ship at Tiki-Ko with Rhum J.M Terroir Volcanique
I couldn’t believe how much I loved this Mai Tai made just with Rhum Agricole aged in heavily charred casks. The sweet orgeat rounded off the smoky edges from the rhum and it was heavenly.

Runners up:
11. Mai Tai with Appleton 15 at Rumpus Tiki Budapest
12. Trader Vics’s Emeryville
13. Zombie Village with Saint Benevolence Rum Clairin
14. Lost Inferno
15. The Fink
16. Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport
17. Trailer Happiness
18. Equiano Rum Mai Tai at The Shipwreck

Honorable Mentions:
Wilfred’s Lounge, Our Big Luauski, Trader Vic’s Munich, The Formosa Cafe, Red Dwarf, Hula Hoops (Lilikoi Tai), Golden Tiki