Napa – The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai

February 17, 2025April 20, 2025

The Fink in Napa: Saturday Night’s Alright for Cocktails

We rolled into The Fink in downtown Napa around 7:00 on Saturday, hoping to find a seat even though we knew it would be busy. Thankfully, we found a couple spots at the bar and had ourselves an amazing cocktail experience.

We must heap massive praise on The Fink crew, led by the namesake owner Judd Finkelstein who welcomed us, but even more notably our bartender Alyssa who’s hands never stopped moving and whipped up cocktail after cocktail. Manager Andrew Salazar was also on hand to check on orders and deliver drinks, plus another bartender and server. It was really busy as you’d expect and the staff was really moving.

I’ve previously highlighted The Fink’s OG Mai Tai that is balanced and creamy thanks to their house-made Orgeat and rums from Jamaica and Martinique. It was really an amazing Mai Tai, the best so far this year, and the best in Napa at any price (IYKYK). I also tried the tiki classic Reverb Crash that was made with fresh white grapefruit juice that burst with flavor. The Fink has many tropical cocktails and in my opinion has the best tiki drinks between San Francisco and Portland.

Mrs. Mai Tai loves her coffee drinks and the New Orleans inspired Mocha Milk Punch made me a convert, including Bourbon, coffee liqueur, cocoa, milk, and topped with dalgona. This rich cocktail had everything you’re looking for including an incredible presentation and rich flavors. That was followed by an incredible New York Sour that features some tasty claret wine. With cocktail sections covering regions from Latin America to the Caribbean to a set of house classics, we remain impressed by the selection and execution at The Fink.

Our night ended with a short tour of the upstairs Commodore’s Cabin, available for private parties up to 25 people and itself nicely appointed with great views of the stage on nights where there’s music.

February 16, 2025April 18, 2025

Appleton 17 Mai Tai at Wilfred’s Lounge

Last week’s “last Appleton 17 Mai Tai” post now seems to be very ill-timed, thanks to the opportunity to try The Legend again. Mrs. Mai Tai and I landed in Napa for dinner in advance of strolling the city to check out the Lighted Art Festival. Consistent with previous visits, we had a great meal at Wilfred’s Lounge including a quite good Sesame Wonton Salad and Wilfred’s famous Pineapple Fried Rice as entrees and a really great Cheesecake with Ube Whipped Cream and toasted coconut.

We made reservations for dinner and so were seated inside rather than out on the patios out front or up on the roof, and our service was efficient and friendly. Things were a bit chilly in Napa, but the mellow mood inside was truly relaxing.

When Wilfred’s originally obtained the Appleton 17 Legend rum they would let you have a 1 oz pour for $100 but would not make a half-sized Mai Tai, something we griped about fairly loudly. Thanks in part to that pressure, Wilfred’s announced they’d offer this amazing rum in a small Mai Tai so that more people could actually try the rum that was made to recreate the Wray & Nephew 17 rum from the original Mai Tai. Once again this amazing rum shines through in a cocktail, though Wilfred’s version had a little bit too much lime and not enough orgeat. Still very good but not, you know, ultimate.

Mrs. Mai Tai loves the Maximum Aloha cocktail which is still expertly made, as was the Batten Down the Hatches with potent rums and spices. So, an overall good cocktail night at Wilfred’s.

May 10, 2024May 10, 2024

Great Cocktails at The Fink in Napa

We followed dinner at Wilfred’s with some drinks down the street at The Fink, located at the Napa River Inn. We love the relaxed atmosphere, themed inside as a trading port that fits in perfectly with its location on the Napa River. It was Saturday and found most tables full but were able to snag the last booth. The Fink staff was really timely with the service and suggestions.

The menu is laid out very nicely with a geographical orientation, including the tiki themed LA to the Bay section. Since our last visit, the cocktail menu has grown to include cocktails related to New York City and New Orleans. We highlighted the excellent Mai Tai the other day, but all the cocktails here were really great. Despite the full house on a weekend, there was no hooting and hollering, and we were truly able to relax and share time with friends.

Our server was accommodating in providing some Fink swizzles upon request, so we had to salute The Fink himself on our way our the door. If you’re in Napa, don’t miss having some drinks or bar bites The Fink.

May 8, 2024May 17, 2024

Maximum Aloha Cocktail and Rum at Wilfred’s Lounge

Had a great time at Wilfred’s Lounge in downtown Napa on Saturday for dinner and drinks. We love the dishes here and our coconut shrimp were so huge and delectable. Definitely the best coconut shrimp we’ve had in a long time. The Fried Rice portion is huge and tastes great especially when you add a protein like chicken. Our service was first class all the way.

Cocktails remain high quality here, including a very good Mai Tai that’s not too sweet and rich with flavor. They use Jamaican and Martinique rums, which to me lean a little too far in the grassy agricole direction. Still, it’s a winner. Less great for me was the Mai Tai inspired Tai One On, a stirred cocktail that had rum but also amaretto. There was something about the flavor that I didn’t like.

Everyone loved the Maximum Aloha, of which several rounds were ordered. This fruity cocktail remains stellar thanks to a balance of flavors that isn’t too sweet and features an incredible banana coconut cream topping. You can also order a neat pour of the Maximum Aloha rum, which is Tanduay and Rum Fire that has infused strawberries. The rum isn’t too sweet but you sure get that great strawberry color. It was a treat to have this rum neat.

The upstairs patio has some more permanent seating and also includes a fire pit and small Moai. Great views, as always.

May 6, 2024May 6, 2024

The Fink has the Best Mai Tai in Napa

Did a little comparison shopping on Saturday and am pleased to report there are a couple places where you can get a good Mai Tai in Napa. Wilfred’s Lounge has a very good one made with Jamaica rum and Rhum Agricole from Martinique and it is quite nice, though to me it leans a little bit too much in the grassy flavor profile.

The Fink’s OG Mai Tai is incredibly balanced and leans a little creamy thanks to their house-made Orgeat. Jamaica and Martinique rums are also used here, but far more in balance. Very rich and flavorful, the Mai Tai at The Fink is just great.

December 29, 2023December 30, 2023

Instagram Top Nine for 2023

I do still continue to love Instagram, where even the ads help me with my holiday shopping. Plus all the connecting and commenting on the things we love to share. Check out the fun at @UltimateMaiTai. So, here are the Top Nine Posts for 2023.

Appleton 17 Mai Tai with Martin Cate (497)
Appleton 17 at London event (370)
Napa Museum for Tiki Exhibition (358)
Cocktail Archaeologist Costume meme (348)
Trad’r Sam’s iconic sign (309)
Ultimate Mai Tai at Royal Tot (294)
World’s Worst Mai Tai at Make & Drink studio (268)
Tonga Room (266)
Legendary Mai Tai on Make & Drink channel (262)

So, what I’m hearing is that y’all were pretty interested in Appleton 17 Legend rum this year. Seems like you’ve chosen the correct feed for all your Mai Tai minutia.

Top Nine says I had 29,600 likes on 244 posts, an average of 121 per post, so thank you all for the likes. I’m in the “top 1% of accounts with up to 5000 followers,” so the goal next year is to be a smaller fish in a bigger pond.

August 5, 2023August 5, 2023

The Fink – New Cocktail Bar in Downtown Napa

We were excited to try the new cocktail bar in downtown Napa from local raconteur Judd Finkelstein – aka “The Fink” where the venue gets its name. The bar is the same spot as the former Silo’s and is situated in the historic grain mill that now houses the upscale Napa River Inn. The venue takes inspiration from the nearby Napa River and is cohesively themed by Daniel Gallardo (Tiki Diablo) as a nautical trading post. It’s dark yet warm with a large bar, some two-top tables, several booths with portholes, and a lounge area. There is a stage with a piano that will house live music starting in a few weeks.

The Fink serves beer and wine, and Finklestein’s experience with Judd’s Hill Winery means you won’t be lacking for good options. But first and foremost this is a cockail bar and they’ve hired experienced bartenders from the area including Andrew Salazar (ex-Miminashi) to put together the cocktail program and execute it flawlessly.

There are currently 24 cocktails, with more to come. Presently there’s a twelve item House Cocktails section, with six each for the tiki-inspired “LA to the Bay” and classics-inspired “Gotham City.” New Orleans will be the next destination.

OG Mai Tai from The Fink’s Judd Finklestein

Our starting place was the OG Mai Tai, which features house-made Orgeat. This nutty cocktail includes two Jamaican rums and one from Martinique and is quite good. We loved two other exotics on the menu, the tangy Cobra’s Fang and the spicy Nui Nui. All of these would stand up to any cocktail you’d find at leading tiki bars in the country.

We also tried the Casino Royale cocktail including Cognac, lemon, orange bitters, Maraschino Liqueur, and Champagne. It’s an elegant cocktail with a medium-bodied mouthfeel and a lingering finish.

The Fink serves small bites and has some great merchandise options (with more coming) including a membership pin. We loved the swizzle stick that pays homage to Finklestein’s eyewear. We had a great time at The Fink and it is truly worth seeking out or making a special trip for.