New blog post - Setting the Mai Tai Straight - A Mai Tai Rant

Tiare · 11-20-2011, 02:50 PM

New blog post - Setting the Mai Tai Straight - A Mai Tai Rant - http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com/?p=14313

djmont · 11-20-2011, 04:43 PM

I mixed up Mai Tais the other night with Appleton 12 Year and El Dorado 12 Year, plus my homemade orgeat. They were very tasty.

To be honest, though, I'm not sure my orgeat tastes any better when mixed in a drink than the decent bottled stuff. On its own, I liked it, but in the Mai Tai I couldn't really discern it.

I liked that combination of rums, though.

Tabuzak · 11-21-2011, 11:33 AM

Good luck with your rant, Tiare.

I think it's an ongoing uphill battle getting this through thick skulls.

Apparently, this weekend, here in the US, there was just a CBS news show about Tiki culture. The show conlcuded with a bartender from a Trader Vic's demonstrating how to make a mai tai - but he left out the orgeat.

Frustrating...

djmont · 11-21-2011, 02:50 PM

I like it that people can't get a decent Mai Tai in a bar.

That way, when they come to my house and I make them one, they think I'm the best bartender in the world!

Tabuzak · 11-21-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djmont

I like it that people can't get a decent Mai Tai in a bar.

That way, when they come to my house and I make them one, they think I'm the best bartender in the world!

Hope I get to try one of yours someday, Professor!

We are fortunate here in NYC. We have Lani Kai and PKNY including Mai Tais on their menus and they are the real thing.

PKNY even offers a choice. You can get a Trader Vic's, a Don the Beachcomber's, or some other variations that I can't recall off the top of my head. They do that with Zombies as well. They have the classic 1934 and two others.

Edward Hamilton · 11-23-2011, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tabuzak

Apparently, this weekend, here in the US, there was just a CBS news show about Tiki culture. The show conlcuded with a bartender from a Trader Vic's demonstrating how to make a mai tai - but he left out the orgeat.

Frustrating...

As Jeff Berry and I have discussed this week, at least they talked about rum even if they didn't get all the facts right. I wish there was a YouTube link to that segment on Sunday Morning on CBS. I watched it when it aired but have yet to find a link to that segment.

At least they didn't try to show us that Trader Vic rums are the best in the world to make a Mai Tai.

Tabuzak · 11-23-2011, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Hamilton

As Jeff Berry and I have discussed this week, at least they talked about rum even if they didn't get all the facts right. I wish there was a YouTube link to that segment on Sunday Morning on CBS. I watched it when it aired but have yet to find a link to that segment.

At least they didn't try to show us that Trader Vic rums are the best in the world to make a Mai Tai.

Ed, I finally was able to see the clip and not rely on hearsay. I think the show is actually quite good in general.

Orgeat is indeed missing from the Mai Tai making demonstration, so from the bartending lesson perspective, the show does fall short. I am now not convinced that it was an error on the bartender's part, however. That part of the show was heavily edited so that viewers did not have to wait as ingredients were measured out and poured. It looks like the orgeat pour could have been left on the cutting room floor so to speak.

Unfortunate...

Here is the clip on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDLC4...ayer_embedded#!

djmont · 11-23-2011, 06:24 PM

That's a good, interesting piece. Even if someone did forget the orgeat.