Tag: RTD

I’ve seen a lot of really prejudiced opinions about ready to drink Mai Tais lately, and those folks up on their high horse really need to refocus their attention on more important things. Of course they’re not as good as a perfectly made scratch Mai Tai at a bar or at home. But sometimes you’ve had a hard day and spending five minutes juicing and shaking and cleaning up is too much and you just want to pop a can or bottle and have a pretty reasonable Mai Tai.

Such is where we’ve landed in procuring Portland Oregon’s Straightaway Mai Tai, made with rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orgeat – and issued at 25% ABV. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this is what those haters think all RTD Mai Tais are like – very lime forward and without much rum taste – plus strange flavors on the finish. Not even Jamaican rum in the blend can save this.

So, yeah, not good at all.

Thankfully, there’s always a shot of rum for those break glass type moments.

Mission Craft Cocktails bottled Mai Tai comes in at a whopping 25% ABV, more than enough to provide a good base cocktail served over crushed ice, and is priced well at about $13 for a 375 ml bottle that’s equivalent to two or three servings.

Where I’m less enthusiastic about the product is the unusual ingredients, starting with orange liqueur with coconut (really) that is very forward in the end-product. The Caribbean rum is nondescript, something I could have used more of with the orgeat that is described as “locally sourced” and “hand crafted” for some reason. There’s also vanilla and spices, and natural flavors that I assume are the source of the citrusy flavors.

Look, there are a ton of really terrible ready-to-drink Mai Tais, and thankfully Mission isn’t one of them. But the coconut and vanilla do send this quite a ways off track and there are better options in the marketplace.

Keeping things simple on a Tuesday with this excellent Tip Top Proper Cocktails Mai Tai. Mrs Mai Tai found this at CostPlus World Market and I remain impressed by the rich flavor that compares favorably to a hand crafted Mai Tai.

This is definitely the best ready to drink Mai Tai.

There’s a new entrant in the “Ready to Drink” Mai Tai market, so I was pleased when I received a four pack for review from Tip Top Proper Cocktails. Each single-serving can runs around $5 at retail when packaged in multipacks.

Each can is 100 ml, which means this is a little smaller than the average 1944 Mai Tai. But with 26% ABV, the ratio of rum, lime, orgeat, and orange curacao is set up quite well. The cocktail comes out of the can in a bright yellow color reminiscent of orange juice, but the fragrance indeed will remind the home bartender of fresh Mai Tais you’ve made at home. It is suggested to pour over ice or even to shake with ice and then pour over crushed ice.

Tip Top is a strong contender for best RTD Mai Tai. The mouthfeel is perfect and includes pleasant almond and rum flavors, tangy lime zest, and no artificial tasting notes. When paired with lime and mint for garnish, you’d hardly be aware this came from a can. The tagline for the company is “always balanced, never too sweet” and I agree this strikes a perfect balance.

It always sucks to review a terrible canned Mai Tai, but Tip Top knew they were playing from a position of strength when sending these samples. Definitely one of the best ready to go Mai Tais I’ve ever had.

The Mai Tai appears to be a limited release, though I hope this sells and they continue to market it. If you buy at tiptopcocktails.com through the end of May, 10% of proceeds from online sales will be donated to the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund, providing assistance to workers impacted by the Maui wildfires.

Post Meridiem bills themselves as the world’s best ready-to-drink cocktails, and their Mai Tai is offered in a variety pack. These small cans with a high 25% ABV mean they’re much more like actual cocktails than RTDs that come in 12 oz cans.

The 1944 Mai Tai is certainly comparable to a cocktail, featuring 1½ oz rum, ¾ oz lime juice, ⅔ oz orange curacao, and ½ oz orgeat. There are some pleasant flavors here, though this doesn’t have any lingering mouthfeel like a freshly made Mai Tai would. Definitely boozy, but overall still feels very light.

The Mai Tai was loads better than the flat Margarita but I was surprised I liked the gin-based Southside and the Vodka Gimlet as both were clean and refreshing. All are light leaning but do taste good and aren’t a bad value for the amount of booze and overall flavor.

Thanks to local UMT fan Sean for giving me the heads-up about this.

Flying Embers takes a unique approach to the canned cocktail market because the alcohol is based on fermented cane sugar and lime and not on a distilled spirit. It is supposedly aged in rum barrels, though I’m not sure how much different it makes.

The Mai Tai is bubbly and tasted a lot like a wine spritzer. There are hints of orange and almonds but overall this is a very light drink. ABV is 10%, low for an RTD Mai Tai. It isn’t really comparable to a Mai Tai generally, but certainly is more refreshing than some comparable products and doesn’t have any unpleasant flavors.

We bought this in a Tiki Variety pack. The Daiquiri was even lighter and tasted even more like wine, but I thought the Island Swizzle was the best of the bunch thanks to a very nice rum punch flavor.

Flying Embers products are available at Nob Hill and Raley’s grocery stores in the Bay Area and in other California locations. Thanks to local UMT fan Sean for giving me the heads-up about this.