Post #253224 by Chip and Andy on Sat, Sep 9, 2006 7:04 AM

On 2006-09-08 16:44, thinkingbartender wrote:
...I guess this is the difference between hobbyist mixologists and professionals. A hobbyist dwells on the supposed differences, while the professional notices the similarities instinctively....

Sort of.... That makes sense while at the same time is a broad generalization.

Allow me to go in a completely different direction and put on my Alton Brown voice and take this drink comparison to an elemental level:

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail.

2 ounces Barbados Rum,
3/4 ounce Fresh Lime juice,
2 dashes Cointreau
2 teaspoons Falernum

Shake with Ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

This recipe is credited to Trader Vic at the very beginning of his Trader Persona, but it is much older than that. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was a real place and was probably drinking this recipe for many years before Trader Vic published it in his book. But, the origin is less important to this conversation than the supposed lineage it shares with the Mai Tai. So, lets make one!

Rum: I used a Mount Gay Eclipse Barbados Rum which is a wonderful golden color with an aroma that reminds of you of soft breezes over the cane fields and tastes about the same.

Lime Juice: Nothing but fresh squeezed here.

Cointreau: A dash is bit hard to measure with a bottle like this so I actually measured out 1/2 teaspoon into the drink. While most would agree that a dash is about 1/8 of a teaspoon, I really like Cointreau so I went a bit higher.

Falernum: I used John Taylor's Velvet Falernum which has the highest note on the lime. I know this is the Liqueur and not 'the good stuff' but it is all I have on the bar at the moment.

Shake and strain leaving a surprisingly clear cocktail in the glass, considering the wonderful golden color of the rum. The aroma of the drink has hints of spice and orange, very little of which comes across on the palette. The drink is smooth and refreshing and a good way to spend an afternoon on the lanai. Overall, the drink is a bit watery as none of the ingredients really stand out on their own. It actually makes you think of a bunch of old British Ex-Patriates sitting around on the veranda reading the papers and chatting about how bad things have gotten back home...

Now, to compare a Mai-Tai you are going to have to read this thread. The actual pull together is on page 6.

The R.B.Y.C. Cocktail, in my opinion, shares more flavor likenesses with the Daiquiri than it does with the Mai Tai. The Mai Tai is a much bolder, stronger drink that really stands up and makes demands of the taste buds. The R.B.Y.C. Cocktail is simpler, smaller, softer, like an old friend you meet in the library (if the library had a bar).

So, to sum it up.... In my tasting opinion, as a home bartender and amateur mixologist, I would credit the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail as having more in common with the Daiquiris that were to come. It is an excellent drink worthy of regular rotation on most bars, home or otherwise. Mix a couple and sit out on your lanai and watch the world go by while you sip your cares away with this cocktail. And, it is a smaller cocktail so you don't have to feel bad about wasting the day away while you sit on your lanai.

So to you, Thinkingbartnder, am I focusing on the similarites or the differences. Consider this the gauntlet being thrown for a cocktail showdown, Amateur -vs- Professional. Lets us a build an Iron Chef Bar Stadium and meet head-to-head in the Battle of the Yacht Club Cocktail. "And in the immortal words of my second cousin I say to you Bottoms Up." {Can you tell I watch too much Food TV?)

This is my opinion of the drinks in question, convince us differently.