Tag: Oakland

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Tiki Night in the Bay Area

Can’t get into the specific reasons why but I made visits to three of the Bay Area tiki bars last night. And of course even if went there for other reasons you can’t leave without getting a cocktail.

Smuggler’s Cove: Hibiscus Rum Punch. Fruity and light, quite flavorful.

The Kon-Tiki: their very good Mai Tai and (not pictured) their best-in-the-world Cheeseburger.

Forbidden Island: Ohana night special cocktail called Black Hole Sun, by Sara Rivas. Citrus, Pineapple, Honey, Bourbon, Demerara 151, Dash of absinthe, Dash of bitters. Leaning spicy, this was pretty good!

Apple Maps in the car really came in handy yesterday. Just 30 mins from the Cove to Kon-Tiki at rush hour!

Nice to see familiar faces along the way. Such a blessing to have so many great destination experiences in the Bay Area.

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Great (House) Mai Tai at The Kon-Tiki

Had a great time last night for Ohana night at The Kon-Tiki in Oakland. The staff was really humming along, even after the place even got a little crowded (that’s a good thing). Bartender Kris even put on a fabulous flame show over a couple Jet Pilots (sadly I did not document). It was really impressive.

Besides the Kon-Tiki’s always amazing cheeseburger, I tried the Happy Hour Saturn that was quite tangy. Total bargain, with a great gin finish.

The Kon-Tiki’s vast rum selection offers so many options. This time I opted for the Hampden 2021 Great House Jamaican rum in a Mai Tai and it was totally fantastic.

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Navy Grog at Kona Club

Popped into Kona Club and found that the service issues I’d experience before were not an issue this time. And the Navy Grog wasn’t bad at all. Still free poured and served with cubes and not crushed ice, but I did like this cocktail.

There is good energy here in the evenings.

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Sweet and Tender Hooligan

Congratulations to Adrián Castañeda for completing the Expedition rum list at The Kon-Tiki.

As is the tradition, there was a special cocktail menu made in Adrián’s honor. Three Morrissey-themed offerings were available, and the music was a selection of Smiths/Morrissey covers. Quite well done. The two cocktails were a fine Grog, as well as an excellent Derby Daiquiri riff featuring Agricole.

Adrián seems to be a man about town, I keep bumping into him at events across the Bay Area and even at a vintage store in Sacramento! He definitely put us all to shame with his dapper outfit and completely crushed the gong.

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Top Mai Tais of 2021: Number 5, The Kon-Tiki Room

Each year we celebrate the 10 best Mai Tais that we had the pleasure of tasting in the last 12 months.

Number 5: The Kon-Tiki Room at Palmetto (Oakland, CA)

The “outpost” Kon-Tiki location attached to Palmetto restaurant opened this year, adding another tiki bar to the Bay Area’s stellar lineup. The Kon-Tiki Room Mai Tai is made with Jamaican and Martinique rums, and definitely leans towards the funkier side. Quite savory in initial flavor, with a sweeter finish that’s tastes rich.

It seems that they use a different recipe than the original Kon-Tiki location, so I’m solid in declaring The Kon-Tiki Room Mai Tai the best in the city. Check it out the next time you’re in Uptown for a show at the Fox Theater or just to enjoy some cocktails.

 

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Mai Tai Monday: Wright & Brown Distilling

Made a fab Mai Tai for Trader Vic’s birthday using a rum made in Oakland, the city where the Mai Tai was first made in 1944. 

Oakland’s Wright & Brown is distilling rum as well as a variety of whiskeys. The rum I used is pot still distillate made from Black Strap Molasses and is aged for a couple years. Quite wild and full of flavor, so it works great in a Mai Tai.

For my Mai Tai I used 1½ oz Wright & Brown and ½ oz Coruba just to add a little additional richness.

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The Kon-Tiki Holiday Bazaar

One of the aspects of The Kon-Tiki that I made sure to include in my recent Exotica Moderne article about the bar was their participation in community events and partnerships with businesses and organizations in Oakland.

Such was today’s Holiday Bazaar. Several local vendors were set up inside and there was a small holiday cocktail menu and burgers available from the bar. Not really tiki, except for Woody Miller.  I bought the lovely green glass tree from Arcadian Stained Glass and some goodies from The Disco Greenhouse. And I bought some rum from the Kon-Tiki Bottle Shop.

The cocktail menu was quite festive, including a drink riffing on the bar’s Krampus themed decor. I sampled the tasty Disco Banana riff “Bad Banana” that dialed back the cocktail’s harder funky notes in favor of a fruitier blend that likely played better with the non-tiki crowd.

Cheers to the Kon-Tiki crew for putting together a great community event.