Post #689820 by TropicDrinkBoy on Mon, Aug 12, 2013 12:44 AM

I don't know if the Maui and Guava Mai Tai recipes are secret. I've never bothered to ask because the concept of a Maui or Guava Mai Tai is an abomination to me. There are so many bastardized Mai Tai's in the world that when I go to Trader Vic's I'll be damned if I order a Mai Tai that is anything but the original Trader Vic style! I'm willing to give them a pass on those two drinks because I realize they have to do whatever it takes to appeal to John Q. Public and the last few years have been very tough ones, especially for the restaurant business.

And that brings up an area where I think Tikiphiles misunderstand Trader Vic's. As much as I admire Trader Vic's for their drinks, honest strong drinks unlike the watered down crap served at most restaurants, they have always been even more appreciated for their cuisine. Victor Bergeron wrote at least six cook books compared to the two versions of his Bartender's Guide. When you go to Trader Vic's you can indulge to whatever degree that suits you. One can go just for drinks during happy hour, drinks and reasonably priced and interesting food in the lounge, or for an upscale dining experience with entrees prepared in their Chinese ovens, exotic cocktails and first rate service in an exotic South Seas environment. Boutique cocktail bars have their place but without food or with only crappy greasy food and sky high drink prices their appeal is limited.

I agree that Trader Vic’s Food Products doesn’t do the restaurant any favors by selling Trader Vic Dark Rum at retail. At liquor stores around here it is the least expensive rum on the shelf and could easily be improved but in their bars they use at least five Trader Vic rums that are not available at retail. I've sampled them and they are suitable for their purpose. I just took inventory of my rum collection and I have 41 different high quality rums at this time and all variety of liquors and modifiers. I've given up trying to keep track of everything long ago. I frequently make the same drinks at home that I've been served in their bar/restaurant and I often conclude that their version tastes better. In my opinion they're doing a very good job.

Many of the drinks you ordered are decent drinks but not what I consider the best on the menu. Their Zombie is a relatively weak fruit punch and bears no resemblance to any of the Donn Beach Zombies. The Menehune Juice and Potted Parrot are great for the souvenirs and suitable for someone unaccustomed to complex flavor profiles and strong drinks. The Trader Vic's Grog is also a sweet approachable drink for the casual drinker.

When I go to Trader Vic's I frequently order all variations of their traditional Mai Tai, including the off menu "Old Way" with a float of 151 and the Honi Honi. Additional favorites are the Tiki Puka Puka, Navy Grog, E'ville Awa (Emeryville's special drink), Queens Park Swizzle, Raffles Bar Gin Sling, Tortuga, Siboney, Port Light, Eastern Sour, Moku Nani, Samoan Fog Cutter, Maui Fizz and yes, Trader Vic's Grog. Several of these are currently off-menu in Emeryville but they can be had by special request if it isn't too busy. Finally while the Trader created the concept of communal Tiki drinks and the Scorpion Bowl is his most famous communal drink I prefer the Tiki Bowl.

Next time I hope you can try a few of their more interesting drinks, an entree with before and after dinner cocktails, and enjoy more of what Trader Vic's has to offer.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-08-12 00:48 ]