Post #778932 by AceExplorer on Wed, Aug 16, 2017 10:25 AM

For non-tiki bartenders, the Mai Tai has become a free-form do-as-you-will with whatever-you-have-on-hand and make-your-own-personal-version drink. Not only are wildly varying and incorrect recipes to blame for the loss of the original, but also that a large number of bartenders just don't seem to understand fine tuning and balancing a drink. It's about booze with juices and mixers and flavors, and often without balancing and tuning the blends. The many variations of a "martini" are another example where an original base concept or guideline is being run into the ground with endless variations in today's bars.

Do any bartending schools teach even a little history of drinking? I'm only familiar with one school, and the answer is definitely not. But we also have bartenders from on-the-job training, and those folks also don't get any formal training or understanding in the rich history of cocktails, some standards, and the bigger picture. But the fault isn't entirely theirs - they are not given good materials to work with either because their customers aren't very knowledgeable or demanding. A large segment of our drinking culture today is quite uninformed.

Now back to the Mai Tai... We tiki folks have a great little secret, and once in a while we get to open others eyes wide to the glory that is a good Mai Tai. I relish those moments.