I've always liked Tikis but the prospect of buying a home in which I can create my very own Tiki bar is quite exciting. If only the process of finding the home to go around my Tiki bar were easier. Until then I will drown my frustrations with Sarah, my favorite waitress at the local Trader Vic's. Another round of Mai Tais, if you please!
Tiki Drink Review: Trader Vic's Mai Tai
If you have never been to a Trader Vic's, this should be the first thing you order. It is truly the benchmark against which all the other drinks are measured. It is also a good assessment of the barman making it.
To test an artist's skill you can have a painter draw a nude figure, a singer sing the national anthem, or hear a guitarist on an acoustic guitar. A bartender should be tested with a Mai Tai. This can be the most amazing drink you have ever tasted, or the absolute worst glass of sugary slop.
A great Mai Tai is deceptively mild, and subtly sweet, it easily will win over even those who don't like "fruity drinks". When "Trader" Vic Bergeron created it in 1944, his Tahitian friend exclaimed, "Mai Tai Roa Ae!" which means "Out of this world!" Giving one of the world's greatest libations it's name. It was either that, or call it "There's a Party in My Mouth, and Everyone's Invited". Personally, I think it could have gone either way. Here's how to make your own:
The Trader Vic's Mai Tai
- 1 oz Fine Jamaican rum (try 15 or 8 year old Appleton)
- 1 oz Martinique rum (try St. James)
- 1/2 ounce Orange Curacao
- 1/2 ounce Orgeat syrup
- Juice from one fresh lime (about 3/4 ounce)
- Shake vigorously with crushed ice
- Add a sprig of fresh mint with the lime rind
