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Tiki Central / General Tiki / Trader Vic's letter Mai Tai recipe

Post #542054 by martian-tiki on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 5:11 PM

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Apologies for posting this in its own thread - but that is actually my question.
A keyword search turned up no Royal Hawaiian Honolulu location in "locating tiki."
And I don't know what thread this would be best suited for otherwise.
Recipes, Trader Vic's? It did seem worth preserving in some manner on this forum.

The text of the letter is below the attached images.

(This is currently on some auction website for $1600 - so I anticipate any thread replies by expert archeologists may comment on that as well.)

Also this website complements the information in the letter
Let's Set the Record Straight on the Mai Tai
by Victor J. Bergeron
"Trader Vic"
San Francisco 1970
http://www.kevdo.com/maitai/vicshistory.html

From the auction listing

1956 Original Trader Vic's Signed Mai Tai Recipe Letter

The letter reads as follows

(Letterhead) Trader Vic's

20 Cosmo Place, San Francisco 9, California

May 24th, 1956

Mrs. Edwin B. Hausfeld

4727 Glenway Ave.

Cincinnati 38, Ohio

Dear Hausfeld:

Your letter addressed to Jack Fischbeck of the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu for reply. I am only too happy to send you the recipe for the Mai Tai as served here and at the Royal Hawaiian. Both Mr. Fischbeck and I are pleased that you have enjoyed this libation.

MAI TAI

Mix in 16 oz. tumbler with shaved ice:

Juice of one lime - drop half shell in glass

Dash of Rock Candy Syrup

Dash of Curacoa

Dash of Orgeat Syrup

1 1/2 oz. Trader Vic's Puerto Rico Rum

3/4 oz. Meyer's Planters Punch Rum

Stir and decorate with fresh mint.

Cordially,

(TraderVic's)

VJB:s

Mrs. Hausfeld recently passed at 92 and apparantly enjoyed the Mai Tai so much on her visit to the Royal Hawaiian that she wrote the concierge for the recipe (Mr. Fischbeck). He then forwarded the letter to Victor Bergeron, aka Trader Vic, at his San Francisco location. Mr. Bergeron then wrote this nice letter back to Mrs. Hausfeld with the recipe, probably only too happy to promote the drink he claims to have invented. So here you have an original, signed letter from the inventor of one of the most famous mixed drinks during the height of the Polynesian/Hawaiian craze of the 1940's and 50's. A very rare piece of memorabilia.

Seller info
Member id laz-e-bid

[ Edited by: martian-tiki 2010-07-12 17:12 ]

[ Edited by: martian-tiki 2010-07-12 17:36 ]