Trader Vic's Rums

I was looking over the TraderVics.com site and was reading the history/info on the Mai Tai,
http://tradervics.com/maitai1.htm
and it gives the evolution of Trader Vics Mai Tai recipe, and at the very bottom it gives the "Present Day Formula of the Mai Tai". In it, it shows 3 ingredients:
2 ounces Trader Vic's Premium Gold Rum
4 ounces Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix
Juice of one large lime

Trader Vic's Rum?
I've NEVER seen Trader Vic's Rum. I always ask the clerk at just about every liquor store I go to if Trader Vic's makes anything in the drink line other than mixes and always get the same answer: "no, I've never seen one"....so I pick up the phone and call Trader Vic's direct (1-877-762-4824)...

I speak to Gayle Barber and she tells me the following information:
Trader Vic's has had rum out for a little over 2 years (actually it's name is licensed out to a "manufacturer" to produce it). Trader Vic's Restaurants uses all of the rums, but no one really notices that the bartenders are pulling out TV's labeled rums.

The Trader Vic's Rums out now:

• Premium Gold
• Silver
• Spiced
• Dark

Soon to be released: Trader Vic's Mai Tai Rum!

I was totally shocked (and excited)! Why? Well, I've scanned just about every post here at TikiCentral that had the word "RUM" and not one mention of Trader Vic's Rum! Yes, there's mention of just about every other rum, but not Trader Vic's!

Gayle gave me a distributor in California to call (which I did) to find out what stores carries the TVRum line. I called and left a message, and am waiting for a call back. I will edit and update this post as soon as I hear back from the distributor.

Now note that the information I get will be for Southern California, so those of you outside of my area will probably need to call Trader Vic's direct for YOUR local distributor.
Remember the DISTRIBUTOR doesn't sell direct to the public, they can only give you a list of stores that carry what they DISTRIBUTE.

more info to follow...

[ Edited by: SugarCaddydaddy on 2003-01-13 12:50 ]

That's good info. I have some mixes but haven't pryed them open yet. When we were at the Hukilau in Atlanta, Vics was running out of rum so they sent one of the natives down to the liquor store for a case of Ron Rico! Funny, but from what I could tell nobody noticed...

I know that Trader Vic's rums are available at both the Vendome liquor in Beverly Hills and at the Beverage Warehouse in Mar Vista. I have only seen the dark rum and the spiced rum there. Most other liquor stores that I have been to do not carry the TV rums, just the mixers. Although I have not been there, I have heard that Hi Time liquors in Costa Mesa carry items than Vendome or Warehouse.

Here's a thread from this summer concerning trader vic's rum..
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=569&forum=1

Thanks Kahukini~
I wonder why the TC search didn't pick that up?....

SugarCaddyDaddy

I wonder why the TC search didn't pick that up?....

My guess?

User error. :)

*** * * The Polynesian Popster * * ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-01-13 19:09 ]

I know the rum selections at Hi-Time very well, and as of the week before Christmas, they did not carry any Trader Vic's rums. They may have in the past at some point (or possibly carry some as of today), but I've been trekking down there regularly for about the past 4 months and have never seen any.

I'd like to try it, but, despite the TV name, it just doesn't sound promising...

Hey, wait a sec... Trader Vic's uses "Mai Tai Mix"? You mean they don't even follow Vic's OWN recipe? Ohhh... so THAT'S why my Mai Tai's taste so much better than theirs!

(and if you don't believe me, there's one a-waitin' for you here at the Castaway Lounge... come by and feel free to compare!)

Hey Doc, et. al.

I picked up some of the Trader Vic dark rum at Hi Time in November and I really liked it. It was really smooth and mixed really well in my mai tais. Needless to say, I ran out before I knew it. Went to Hi Time just before Mele Kalikimaka and I did not find it either, but I hope to pick up some soon. I swear, that is some fine stuff for the price!

Aloha,

Arty

Hey, wait a sec... Trader Vic's uses "Mai Tai Mix"? You mean they don't even follow Vic's OWN recipe?

They've been doing this for quite a while now. TV's uses their Mai Tai mix to make the taste of their Mai Tai's more uniform throughout their restaurants. You can still order a traditional Mai Tai made the original way - you just have to specify this when you order it.

Actually, according to the manager at Palo Alto, (25 year TV veteran), they make their own house mix from scratch that's different from the bottled mix. He said it was more concentrated, whatever that means. I mean, I doubt they simmered it into a reduction. Anyway, this was at Palo Alto and Emeryville- not sure it applies to all outposts.

Sounds like something they would do over there in Palo Alto! Aren't they the bastard child of the TV chain?

*** * * The Polynesian Popster * * ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-01-14 12:02 ]

The Polynesian Popster wrote:
"You can still order a traditional Mai Tai made the original way - you just have to specify this when you order it."

Not exactly. When you order an "original" at Trader Vic's they don't use the mix. However, they still use the cheap Trader Vic's brand rums (or Whaler's). The original recipe used 17-year old Wray and Nephew rum from Jamaica. Since that isn't available anymore in the U.S. the newest "original" recipe is made with 1 oz. Martinique rum (Rhum St. James is the most available) and 1 oz. aged Jamaican rum (Appleton Estate Extra or similar).

I would agree with Doctor Z that nothing beats a Mai Tai made at home from the original recipe. I have compared all 3 of the Mai Tais at Trader Vic's. The one made from a mix, the "Original", and the "San Francisco Style" made with a float of Whaler's (they used to use Myers' until the last few years). I really don't taste much of a difference. They are all pretty good as they are made with fresh lime and no pineapple juice or grenadine!

Speaking of Whaler's rum, I hate it! It's cheap rum made in the U.S. and darkened with caramel coloring. It tastes awful compared to Myers' so I can't understand why anyone would use it (especially Trader Vic's) except because it's cheap. Besides, Myers' isn't very expensive.

OK, well the last few times I have been to Beverage Warehouse they have had the TV rums, but only the dark and the spiced. Bev Warehouse also carries most of the better rums, including the St James Martinique rum, the Mt Gay Sugar Cane, all three ages of Barbancourt and the Noa Noa Tahitian.

I use Noa Noa to make my mai tais. It has a very unique aged taste and makes a great sipping rum as well as a great mai tai. I usually add a darker rum to it too. Usually Myers's, or maybe demerarra. If I make it from the TV's mix rather than from scratch, I add a couple shakes of Orange Bitters to enhance the flavor some.

It's true that TV's mix is different from the store bought mix. I noticed that both watching them pre-mix mai tais at the Bash and watching them mix at the restaurant bar. The restaurant mix is darker and more syrupy than the bottled mix. The bottled mix is also more sour. So, when using the mix I add a little more orgeat and the orange bitters and get a taste that is closer to what is served in the restaurant, even though the color doesn't match.

Trader Vic's Rums 1/15/03 UPDATE

Here's what I've found out so far:
I spoke with Debbie at Metro Distributing. They PREVIOUSLY had the distribution of the Trader Vic's line, but have just moved out of state. The line will now be handed to Echo Wine Distribution...so I call Andy at Echo Wine. Nice guy and gives me the following info:

The "handing over" of the TV Rum line to his company will take a short while (a few days), then from shipment to him of the rums, THEN to his retailers will be a total turnaround time of (approximately) a few weeks.

I emphasized the fact that just a few bottles of the TV Rum is found sparsly at a few retailers and then never seen again! I spoke to him at length about TikiCentral.com (spreading "The Word" one member at a time, right TikiBong?), and told him with all the members here in California, I'm sure alot of us would buy at least one bottle of each(?) Rum, for either actual tasting/mixing, and/or as an additional display to our in-home Tiki Bars. He was excited that a consumer would go through great lengths to find a rum, and said he will follow through and will call me back with updates as to his distribution here in California. I also asked him to give me a list of his retailers who will not only carry the Rum, but also those who will ship to those not close enough to drive to pickup a bottle.

As for the actual manufacturer? Well, here's what I found out:
Johson Brothers is the actual manufacturer, also known on liquor labels as "U.S. Distilling Company". Some of you might have wanted to know, some of you don't care. Either way, there's the name of the manufacturer.

More info to follow and I'll repost.

SugarCaddyDaddy

This Daddy's Caddy & The Tiki Transporter

Hmmm...I should have been TraderFrank

[ Edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2003-01-15 11:32 ]

I noticed you guys mentioned Hi Times liquor store. That is definately the best liquor store around in my area. Sten can testify that they carry absolutely everything. I have never tried the TV rum but my favorite as of now is the Sailor Jerry spiced rum. If you are 'not in the know', Sailor Jerry is a world famous tatoo artist in Hawaii that specializes in classic tattoos. Check out http://www.sailorjerry.com. If anything, you should buy the rum just for the sake of having the cool artwork on the bottle.

Spike

[ Edited by: Luckydesigns on 2003-01-15 12:05 ]

Luckydesigns wrote:
I noticed you guys mentioned Hi Times liquor store. That is definately the best liquor store around in my area...my favorite as of now is the Sailor Jerry spiced rum...If anything, you should buy the rum just for the sake of having the cool artwork on the bottle.

Yes, Hi Times is my fav too. They are suppose to be one of the stores obtaining Trader Vic's Rums.
Sailor Jerry's is actually pretty good in my opinion. It mixes well with coke (how I usually start my initial taste test). I too love the bottle:

SugarCaddyDaddy

How ironic I should stumble across this post right after whipping up some Trader Vic's Mai Tais. I was breaking in some new bar stuff I got for Christmas and decided to check out the TV recipe on the mixer bottle for a change & asked myself the same question: "Where do I get Trader Vics rum (light or dark) I've been using my old standbys - Bacardi & Meyers . Called my local liquor "superstore" - Beverages & More here in San Diego and they don't carry it and wasn't aware there was such a product.

Well, it's been 1 month since I've spoke to Echo Wine, who was kind enough to call me to let me know that I (we) have not been forgotten in reference to locating Trader Vic's Rum. He said that the process is slow-going, but is moving forward to have TV Rum in the Orange and Los Angeles Counties. He said he'll call back when an order is actually ready to leave his distribution center. The TV Rum's themselves have not reached his location....yet.

Just to let you know.

SugarCaddyDaddy

I think the Palo Alto TV is the last one owned by the family all others are franchises. Not too many left in the U.S. but a lot of them in the middle east and europe. A friend and I wanted to franchise a few of them but the price was outrageous just for the licensing rights. Thats why we may open the PA's or Pacific Andys, its much cheaper.

On 2003-02-19 15:14, Pacific Andy wrote:
I think the Palo Alto TV is the last one owned by the family all others are franchises.

Really? I was always told that the family owns the Emeryville outpost and the rest are franchises.

Cynful,
You're correct. The Palo Alto TV's is owned by a friend of the Bergeron family. Apparantly, the owner was a collector of oceanic art and relentlessly pressed the TV chain to allow him to open a restaurant so he could display his collection. After years of pressure, the TV chain finally gave in and ok'd the opening of the Palo Alto restaurant. Although a Trader Vic's, from what I understand, Palo Alto is sort of the 'bastard child' hence, its variation from the rest of the restaurants in the TV chain.

*** * * The Polynesian Popster * * ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-02-19 19:48 ]

TVPA may be a bastard but they still make a mean Mai Tai! Wish they were there when I was I was in school.

Back to the rum...

Went to Hi-Time this past weekend and still no Trader Vic Rum!

Damn! I gotta get me some of that rum!

Arty~
Supposidely at this point no one will have the TV Rum (even Hi-Time, and I was there today), until Echo Wine gets their initial supply for distribution. Echo Wine has been pretty good about keeping me informed on the upcoming delivery, so whatever is out it some remote stores now is from older delivers by the old distributor. U.S. Distilling Company and Echo Wine now just have to "get it together" and get the TV Rum out to the marketplace.
SugarCaddyDaddy

Thanks for the info, Sugar!

I haven't been following this thread very closely and now I know I'm just going to have to settle for Myers right now.

Mmmmmmm. Myerrrrsss...

sorry my mistake, I knew one of the two where still owned by the family. Either way they want too much for the franchise in other areas.

On 2003-02-20 15:01, Pacific Andy wrote:
sorry my mistake, I knew one of the two where still owned by the family. Either way they want too much for the franchise in other areas.

Check out this thread for more info:

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=1563&forum=1&start=30

-martin

THanks for the update.

Finally an update!

I got a call from the distributor, whom I thought by now forgot about me since this post began in January, and he tells me that Hi-Times Liquor has the Trader Vic's Mai Tai Rum and The Dark Rum in stock. Wow! I was totally surprised! I take the 15 minute drive and there it is, only 1 case of each (for now) until they see how well it sells, according to Keith the buyer at Hi-Times.

The Trader Vic's Royal Amber is $6.99+tax.
The Trader Vic's Dark Rum is $10.99+tax.

Ok, I shouldn't let the price interfere with my perception of how well they taste, but I'll soon find out later tonight as to how they taste.

Only 1 case of each (less 1 bottle of each now), available.

Hi-Time Cellars / Hi-Times Liquor
250 Ogle Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-650-8463

SugarCaddyDaddy's Schedule of Stuff!

[ Edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2003-06-06 18:23 ]

I was at Trader Joe's in Campbell yesterday and they had the dark rum for $8.99.