Post #276522 by GatorRob on Thu, Jan 4, 2007 7:26 AM

Maybe what you're experiencing is that their drinks taste different, but not necessarily better. Trader Vic's uses a pre-made mix for their Mai Tais and it's not the same mix that they will sell to you. And it tastes different than if you mix a Mai Tai from scratch. But does it taste better? I watched the bartenders at TV Atlanta mixing loads of Mai Tais and I noticed they only gave each one a quick shake or two in the shaker and then it went in the glass. 10 seconds or so of shaking would make for a colder and better mixed drink. If I'm not mistaken, they also use pre-mixed rums.

The difference may also lie in the syrups and liqueurs. It's easy to get the same rums and juices that Vic's and the Mai-Kai use, but the syrups and liqueurs can be more difficult, especially if they have their own "secret recipe". I also wonder if the Mai Kai uses gum arabic in their simple syrup to give their drinks a more silky feel as it goes down the throat. I'd like to know if anyone here has tried that and what the results were. Otherwise, I'm going to seek it out and give it a whirl.