This Dr Funk original features mezcal, rum, Aperol, coconut, pineapple, and fire! It’s still really great and the flame last night was quite impressive. Mrs Mai Tai let it burn all the way down, leaving a charred breadcrumb at the top of the drink, but still really good.
Meanwhile I ordered an off-menu Three Dots and a Dash that tasted fantastic and just like it should be with juices and spices. The team at Dr Funk really nailed this.
My second drink was the Mai Tai, still amazing and made with Jamaica rums. This one was even better than the Mai Tai I had here a couple months ago, bold and flavorful but still balanced, one of the best of the year so far.
We also talked to the crew about the upcoming Luau at Dr Funk, very traditional including music, food, and drinks. Get your tickets now.
Trader Vic’s Emeryville hosted a special showing of a deleted scene from the acclaimed The Donn of Tiki documentary, highlighting archival footage of Trader Vic plus commentary about Vic from luminaries and experts. The showing followed a screening of The Donn of Tiki film nearby, plus the Mai Tai Lounge being open on a Tuesday as part of the Hinky Dinks Speakeasy that Vic’s has been running for a couple months.
Having seen the film before, we skipped the showing of the film and spent time in the lounge (we did buy tickets for the film, though). We enjoyed our past visit to the Hinky Dinks Speakeasy, previously held in the intimate Lanyu Room. This week the Tuesday speakeasy was hosted in the larger Mai Tai Lounge space, featuring a cocktail menu of Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s favorites plus some small bites. Music as always was pitch perfect 1940s era music from DJ Speakeasy Ray, who even showed us some rare vintage relics in his collection.
I really enjoyed the Three Dots & a Dash that used Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole in place of the Martinique rhum that is normally used and I also liked the Shark’s Tooth that was light and refreshing, though Mrs. Mai Tai wasn’t a fan. I appreciated the inclusion of the Mai Tai on this special menu (reminder to you know who about who invented it), but we went with the Scorpion instead. The Scorpion can sometimes be too tart, but it was in balance on this visit.
Scorpion
As the filmgoers returned from the movie, the bar filled with people trying to get one final cocktail and then we were ushered into the Lanyu Room to watch the ten-minute deleted scene. If you’ve seen The Donn of Tiki film, you wouldn’t be surprised that the discussion of Trader Vic featured notables such as Eve Bergeron, Marie King, and Tim Glazner. There was also some archival footage of an elderly Trader Vic reminiscing about his career. This was such a treat, informative and entertaining.
We also spoke with Donn of Tiki director Max Well about plans for the VOD home video and Blu-Ray release of this incredible documentary, to be released very soon.
