Tag: TraderVics

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Tonga Punch

Trader Vic’s Emeryville is bringing back this vintage cocktail as a special fundraiser this month (this version is from the 1972 Trader Vic’s Bartenders Guide). The Tonga Punch is “a refreshing and fruity combination of light rum, curacao and grenadine mixed with orange and lemon juices” and is a very sweet cocktail that is easy to drink. Mine tasted very cherry-forward, so I wonder if maybe they used the Trader Vic’s Maraschino Cherry syrup in place of the grenadine.

For the month of February, Trader Vic’s will donate $10 for each Tonga Punch sold to the Fraternal Order of Moai, benefitting the country of Tonga for the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.

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Zombie (Trader Vic’s)

This recipe appeared in the 1947 Trader Vic’s Bartenders Guide, and shared more than a few ingredients with Don the Beachcomber’s original. It’s not as good but does go down a lot easier, while still being as boozy as you’d expect from a Zombie.

Zombie (Trader Vic’s)
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
½ oz Grenadine
1 oz Orange Curacao (Cointreau)
1 oz Jamaican Rum (Plantation Xaymaca)
2 oz Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi 4)
½ oz 151 Proof Demerara Rum (Hamilton 151)
1 dash Pernod
Stir in mixing glass with large ice cube, then pour over shaved ice in a tall glass.

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Sunday Lunch at Trader Vic’s

I’m still in take-out mode post-Omicron, and with Mrs Mai Tai out of town I decided to drive up to Emeryville for lunch. It is a beautiful day in the Bay Area, and my bay view of takeout from Trader Vic’s was super picturesque.

Lunch was really great. Crab Rangoon and the San Francisco Mai Tai were as excellent as they always are. I tried the Salmon Sliders and thought they were pretty great, too.

Trader Vic’s Emeryville
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1953: The Mai Tai is Trader Vic’s Favorite

Found this in a gossip column from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, dated February 4, 1953. The article references the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s “newly revised drink list” which we all know was the place where the Mai Tai was introduced to Hawaii.

And quite notably, Trader Vic’s indicates that his favorite drink is the Mai Tai, “a heady concoction with a rum base.”

It is easy to see some of the statements about the Mai Tai from Trader Vic the man and Trader Vic’s the corporation through the lens of being behind a drink that became world famous. But here, at the birth of the Mai Tai’s rise to fame is Vic himself extolling the virtues of the cocktail. It also gives some perspective to Vic’s role in the “Mai Tai Origin Wars” and how much effort he went through to be known as the father of the cocktail. The Mai Tai appears to be his favorite child.

The article’s capper paints clearer picture of the man with the closing remark that “Vic says his job gives him heartburn about once a week.”

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Top Mai Tais of 2021: Number 4, SF Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s

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

Number 4: San Francisco Mai Tai at Trader Vic’s (Emeryville, CA)

The SF Mai Tai is a standard Vic’s Mai Tai with a float of 151 rum. I love the flavors of the Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, including the freshly squeezed lime on top, but the the 151 rum adds additional complexity and flavor to the cocktail, besides being extra boozy. So while I do enjoy the standard 1944 Mai Tai, the SF Mai Tai is now my go-to. 

We had a lot of great Mai Tais at Vic’s this year, including some specially prepared with some exotic rums from the well-stocked back bar. Bartenders are friendly and never balk at the rum substitution. 

Vic’s hosted several special events this year including merchandise partnerships with Shag and Sven Kirsten.

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Top Mai Tais of 2021: Number 6, Premium Mai Tai by Doc Parks

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

Number 6: Premium Mai Tai by Doc Parks at Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Day (Emeryville, CA)

The annual Mai Tai Day celebration was held in the parking lot and featured several cocktail stations. My favorite of the day was the “Premium Mai Tai” made by Daniel “Doc” Parks and Adrián Castañeda using Appleton 12, Clement VSOP, and Doctor Bird. So flavorful, as you’d expect when you use three high-quality aged rums. The funky Doctor Bird can add so much to a Mai Tai even when used in small proportions.

 

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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.