Mai Tai mix at the grocery store - Tiki Drinks and Food

K Kukoae Member The Valley Joined: Apr 26, 2005 Posts: 37	K Kukoae Posted posted on Wed, May 25, 2005 9:12 PM On 2005-05-16 10:21, tikiwinebear wrote: After checking out Beachbum Berry's web site, I decided to try the $100 Mai Tai recipe. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Saint James Rum from Martinque, or the Marie Brizard Orange curacao. So we improvised with another expensive Martinque rum and Hiram Walker orange curacao. I suspect the rum substitution was less noticeable than the curacao. I've found alot of very obvious taste variations in the various brands of curacaos... most tend to be too sweet/thin tasting. There have been threads taste-testing the various curacaos... https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10742 -and- https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=4538&forum=10&start=15 I'm sure "rum gurus" will be all over me for minimising the difference due to the rum substitution, but for now with my relatively inexperienced rum palate, the differences between same type/grade/country-of-origin rums is more subtle than I can divine in a MIXED drink. we found the $100 mai tai to be very good, but a on the "alcohol tasting" (kinda a bourbon taste) side. Adding a bit more orange curacao, lime, and mixers took a bit of the edge off. It sounds like you didn't shake it with enough ice. I've made the same mistake before in assuming the role of ice in the bartender's arsenal is cooling: it's only half of its job. The other is dilution, and it's just as important. I already learned this the hard way with Martinis... I kept wondering why mine tasted so damned "hot" and intoxicating... when I realised that they didn't use frozen vodka and chilled vermouth at the bar, and they shook it up with lots of ice. =Kukoae=

On 2005-05-16 10:21, tikiwinebear wrote:

After checking out Beachbum Berry's web site, I decided to try the $100 Mai Tai
recipe. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Saint James Rum from Martinque, or the
Marie Brizard Orange curacao. So we improvised with another expensive Martinque rum and
Hiram Walker orange curacao.

I suspect the rum substitution was less noticeable than the curacao. I've found alot of very obvious taste variations in the various brands of curacaos... most tend to be too sweet/thin tasting.

There have been threads taste-testing the various curacaos...

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10742
-and-
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=4538&forum=10&start=15

I'm sure "rum gurus" will be all over me for minimising the difference due to the rum substitution, but for now with my relatively inexperienced rum palate, the differences between same type/grade/country-of-origin rums is more subtle than I can divine in a MIXED drink.

we found the $100 mai tai to be very good,
but a on the "alcohol tasting" (kinda a bourbon taste) side. Adding a bit more orange curacao, lime, and mixers took a bit of the edge off.

It sounds like you didn't shake it with enough ice. I've made the same mistake before in assuming the role of ice in the bartender's arsenal is cooling: it's only half of its job. The other is dilution, and it's just as important.

I already learned this the hard way with Martinis... I kept wondering why mine tasted so damned "hot" and intoxicating... when I realised that they didn't use frozen vodka and chilled vermouth at the bar, and they shook it up with lots of ice.

=Kukoae=

Post #161634 by Kukoae on Wed, May 25, 2005 9:12 PM