Trader Vic's prophetic warning about TV mixes - Tiki Drinks and Food

LL Limbo Lizard Tiki Socialite Aboard the 'Leaky Tiki', Dallas Joined: Aug 24, 2006 Posts: 788	LL Limbo Lizard Posted posted on Mon, Apr 14, 2008 8:22 AM There've been several threads, bemoaning the changes (for the worse) in the various Trader Vic's mixes and syrups. Since some of the recipes in the TV Bartender's Guide (1972 rev. ed.) require the mix, the continuing slide in quality has led to attempts to reverse engineer the mix, from memories, in order to recover the taste of the original drink. Ironically, the ol' Trader himself warned us about just this type of problem, over 60 years ago. In the original 1947 edition of his Bartender's Guide, he says, "I've a little advice to offer on fancy mixes. I've always fought these things and speak from painful experience. Outside of grenadine, orgeat, and simple syrup, you'll eventually run into grief. Let's say you buy a new mix from a high-powered salesman and get started using it in a special drink that's really got something. The drink becomes a headliner and is selling good when all of a sudden the firm supplying your fancy mix goes broke or some other damn thing and you're stuck. Your special drink is out the window, and it's tough to build up a substitute. Better stick to liquors and their various combinations and the ingredients that nature always supplies and forget all the fancy stuff." Later, Trader Vic's began marketing their own line of mixes (originally, good stuff), and he had to reverse himself in the 1972 revised edition of the Bartender's Guide, "I originally held that it was better to make each individual drink. But with the changes in time and bars, I have changed my recommendations. Now I advise you to use mixes. They're usually good, they're fast and they're consistent... every drink is going to be the same - just as long as you use the same mix... " This "revised" advice doesn't address the original wise warning: If you create a wonderful drink around a proprietary mix, and the essential mix becomes unavailable (or changes formulation - same thing), you're screwed. Now, it's the very Trader Vic's brand of mixes that have gone crappy, and left us stranded, trying to find or "build up a substitute" so we can still enjoy those "special drinks" Victor and his bartenders invented. [ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2008-04-15 06:13 ]

There've been several threads, bemoaning the changes (for the worse) in the various Trader Vic's mixes and syrups. Since some of the recipes in the TV Bartender's Guide (1972 rev. ed.) require the mix, the continuing slide in quality has led to attempts to reverse engineer the mix, from memories, in order to recover the taste of the original drink. Ironically, the ol' Trader himself warned us about just this type of problem, over 60 years ago.

In the original 1947 edition of his Bartender's Guide, he says,

"I've a little advice to offer on fancy mixes. I've always fought these things and speak from painful experience. Outside of grenadine, orgeat, and simple syrup, you'll eventually run into grief. Let's say you buy a new mix from a high-powered salesman and get started using it in a special drink that's really got something. The drink becomes a headliner and is selling good when all of a sudden the firm supplying your fancy mix goes broke or some other damn thing and you're stuck. Your special drink is out the window, and it's tough to build up a substitute. Better stick to liquors and their various combinations and the ingredients that nature always supplies and forget all the fancy stuff."

Later, Trader Vic's began marketing their own line of mixes (originally, good stuff), and he had to reverse himself in the 1972 revised edition of the Bartender's Guide,

"I originally held that it was better to make each individual drink. But with the changes in time and bars, I have changed my recommendations. Now I advise you to use mixes. They're usually good, they're fast and they're consistent... every drink is going to be the same - just as long as you use the same mix... "

This "revised" advice doesn't address the original wise warning: If you create a wonderful drink around a proprietary mix, and the essential mix becomes unavailable (or changes formulation - same thing), you're screwed.
Now, it's the very Trader Vic's brand of mixes that have gone crappy, and left us stranded, trying to find or "build up a substitute" so we can still enjoy those "special drinks" Victor and his bartenders invented.

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2008-04-15 06:13 ]

Post #373585 by Limbo Lizard on Mon, Apr 14, 2008 8:22 AM