Post #713330 by Destro100 on Tue, Apr 8, 2014 5:54 AM

Sorry about the hiatus - life got in my way for a bit.

Tropical Drink:

Drink 51: Mai Tai (Royal Hawaiian)

Ingredients I used:

Fresh lime juice
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh orange juice
Dole Pineapple (cans - unsweetened)
Pierre Ferrand Orange Curacao
Routin 1883 Orgeat
El Dorado 12 year Demerara Rum
Simple syrup (1.5-1 sugar to water ratio)
Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
Flor De Cana 4 year white rum

I can see how this recipe was based upon the original Mai Tai. I can also see how it helped foster the de-evolution of the classic recipe into the monstrous versions many places today refer to as a Mai Tai. These bastardizations miss a key element of the original's success. The original Mai Tai manages to find balance within elegant simplicity; it also tastes complex and yet at the same time distinctive. You know when you're drinking a real Mai Tai.

This drink attempts to increase the complexity of the original but never finds a distinctive, or even interesting voice.

This drink was serviceable but it fails to impress in any significant way. The drink is out of balance. There is a whole lot of citrus flavor coming from the lime, lemon, orange, pineapple, and curaçao. The citrus combination borders on being too sour. At the same time there is too much sweetness from the curaçao, orgeat, juices, and simple syrup. Finally, the combination of rums gets muddled and the rums lose their distinctive qualities. While the beauty of the rum is lost, a strong flavor of alcohol remains - not in a good way.

Rather than achieving a harmony, this combination leads to a battle between the sour, bitter, sweet, and alcohol with no winners emerging. Not even me.

My personal rating: *** (3) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:

4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 3 drinks so far
Chief Lapu Lapu / Kikuya Lapu / Mai Tai (Trader Vic)

4 - EXCELLENT - 10 drinks and counting
Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch /Aurora Bora Borealis / Outrigger / Bourbon Special / Beachcomber's Gold (Hollywood and Palm Springs) / Hell in the Pacific / Krakatoa / La Florida / Tortuga / Mai Tai Swizzle

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 13 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Punch / Coronado Luau Special / Hawaii Kai Treasure / Coconaut / Castaway (slightly modified) / Don's Special Daiquiri / Banana Daiquiri / Captain's Grog / Viking Fog Cutter / Navy Grog / Hurricane / Lani-Honi / Mariposa Fizz

3 - GOOD - 13 drinks and counting
Eastern Sour / Astro Aku Aku / Kapu Kai / Western Sour / Beachcomber's Gold (Waikiki) / Red Tide / Samoan Fog Cutter / Gold Cup / Headhunter / Fogg Cutter / Noa Noa / Aku Aku Lapu / Mai Tai (Royal Hawaiian)

2.5 - ABOVE AVERAGE - 4 drinks and counting
Jasper's Jamaican / Derby Daiquiri / Carioca Hawaiian Cocktail / Hawaiian Room

2 - AVERAGE - 6 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes / Rum Runner

1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 2 drinks and hopefully not too many more
Boo Loo / Royal Daiquiri