The New-Wave Mai Tai

By way of The Tasty Island (one of my favourite food blogs), comes word of a new book called The New-Wave Mai Tai by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi.

"Sit back and savor the taste of the tropics with The New Wave Mai Tai. Learn about the rich history of rum, the principal ingredient in the mai tai. Delve into the origins of the mai tai and hear both sides of the eternal debate: Who created the quintessential Island libation - Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic? In addition, this colorful book contains over 50 recipes for new twists on the old classic: try a Mai Tai-Jito, a Sassy Wahine or a Smooth Shredder. These creative cocktails go beyond what either Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic could ever have imagined."

Hmmm. Whaddya think? Do we need 50 new Mai Tai variations? Is the Mai Tai the new "Martini"?

I always subscribed to the age-old adage "Why fix it if it ain't broke!" which in this day and age of constant software and other technological updates does not get heeded much anymore. So it does not surprise me if this need to "improve" does reach even the holiest grails of the Tiki tradition.

On 2008-07-14 18:28, Sweet Daddy Tiki wrote:
Hmmm. Whaddya think? Do we need 50 new Mai Tai variations? Is the Mai Tai the new "Martini"?

Sadly, yes. The Mai-Tai is being Martini-ized every day a bit more.

I dont mind so much the 50 variations, some of them are probably quite good. I just hope that each of the 50 versions has a name other than ____ Mai-Tai (chocolate Mai-tai, pear Mai-tai, etc....)

When the day comes that a double old-fashioned glass is referred to as a Mai-Tai glass, that will be the end of it.

Until that day, however, I am doing everything I can to keep the Mai-Tai the drink it is with all of the glory and splendor it deserves. I will buy this book if for no other reason than to know my enemy. And in knowing my enemy I will know how to combat the continued degradation of my favorite rum drink.

what happened to the art of creating a new name for a new drink? Most cocktails are slight variations on the cocktails that preceded them. A little more lime in this one, demerera instead of jamaican, an added spiced, a different liqueur, and a new drink is born. So should a new name to go with it. The building blocks used in the Mai Tai are found in many other great cocktails in different amounts, with a different name. So have people gotten so lazy as not to think of an new name?
Lame I say.
But alas, if the only contribution or alteration to a drink is an additional juice, maybe a little added puree, or a cheap super sweet common liqueur, maybe it should have the original name involved, but at least go for names like the Southern Delight Mai Tai (pureed peach in a Mai Tai), the Dragons Tongue Mai Tai(Mai Tai with with cinnamon schnapps and a dash of chili oil) or the phita beta kappa kappa mai tai(mai tai with coors light, jagermeister, a dash or ranch dressing, drank while being balanced on your head by your "friends".)

Last night my pal wanted a Gimlet.

I am happy to oblige all requests, but (naturally) I refuse to buy Rose's lime swill.

So I began to make a lime syrup of fresh lime juice and simple syrup. Then I got the idea to use John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum instead of simple syrup.

This is not a Gimlet.

This is a Rio Gimlet (so sayeth the creator: me).

New drink, new name.

New drink, new name.

New drink, new name.

There can be only one Mai Tai.

(PS: Rio Gimlet = 1.5 gin, 1 Taylor's Falernum, .75 lime, 1 dash orange bitters).

Is it time for the New Wave again?

"...This colorful book contains over 50 recipes for new twists on the old classic: try a Mai Tai-Jito, a Sassy Wahine or a Smooth Shredder..."

Since few people can make a decent tropical drink or have ever even been served one in a bar I'd say new recipes are exactly what we need. (I wonder what fascinating ingredient one would add to a Mai Tai to make a Mai Tai-Jito?)

• "...These creative cocktails go beyond what either Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic could ever have imagined."*

I read that as: * "...These creative cocktails go beyond what either Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic would ever have considered serving in their establishments."*

Yes, I am judging a book by its press release, but the cover wasn't available.

Oh wait, here it is:

Wow. How very...New Wave.

I think I'm going to hurl.

I think it's funny that in her about the author, it says

When she s not researching and writing stories, you ll usually find her at Hilltop Equestrian Center in Waimanalo where she is an avid student of dressage.

She's also the author of 101 Great Tropical Drinks, which start with this Mai Tai recipe, with telling history...

Oh god.. not the Mai Tai!!! Then again, it probably won't matter much because most bars can't make a proper one anyways.

On 2008-07-15 00:06, Haole'akamai wrote:
She's also the author of 101 Great Tropical Drinks, which start with this Mai Tai recipe, with telling history...

Hahaaa, those Hawaiian locals always fall for that Bitner/Beach b.s -It's just a shame when it gets printed and perpetuated.

ACK! A marga-maitai-ritatini.

o hell ya! makes ya wanna partay! crank up the Buffettttt :wink:

When every bar in town starts making the real Mai Tai, then we need a few new varieties.

These creative cocktails go beyond what either Don the beachcomber or Trader Vic could ever have imagined.

That statement means they have no clue.

The Mai Tai has been around for what, 40-50 years? The guy(s) who invented it made some variations and lots of people were making thousands of them every month to guests. If there was an improvement ot variety worthy, it has been made.

I think we are speaking of a figurative Mai Tai here. That drink you get on vacation in Hawaii with the pineapple juice and dark rum floater and a flower in it. No real recipe, just whatever sweet thing with rum and juice they make and you recreate at home later. I bet this is 50-gaggingly sweet drinks and one slightly sour one...

ima gonna go to t.g.applebee tuesday's and order a mai-tai-jito to go with my extreme bacon jalapeño potato wing stuffer side salad

I like the variations on drink themes. Having said that, I too like the idea of sticking with the exotic drink tradition of renaming a drink, even if it is only slightly different from another drink. That's what makes the whole tiki cocktail thing so fun--all the creative names.

Many of these drink recipe books are like buying an album...there are a few good songs, but you don't like every song on the album. Sometimes these types of books can yeild an interesting recipe...sometimes.

If the cover had one big traditional looking mai tai, followed by several smaller photos of slightly different looking mai-tai-like cocktails, she might have sparked my interest.
But slathering the high gloss dust jacket with clear ice-less 'chick' drinks with no creative garnish in sight, in martini glasses and champagne flutes? Definitely screams Tiki Bob's Cantina.

As in she did it all for the $ and anything less(more?) wouldn't be her target audience.

i smell the bargain bin at barnes and nobles and christmas gifts received that get dropped off at goodwill the next day

I would love to get one of these for christmas..... it looks like it is going to have real pretty picutres.

The first person to ask me for one of the drinks inside of it is getting beat with the book..... just look at the pretty pictures while I make you a 'real' drink.

On 2008-07-15 11:20, Digitiki wrote:
I like the variations on drink themes. Having said that, I too like the idea of sticking with the exotic drink tradition of renaming a drink, even if it is only slightly different from another drink. That's what makes the whole tiki cocktail thing so fun--all the creative names.

Sometimes these types of books can yeild an interesting recipe...sometimes.

Uh-huh, maybe "Modern Mai Tai-Tails of the Mutated Basterd Son of MaiTai"... :drink:

On 2008-07-15 11:03, Swanky wrote:
The Mai Tai has been around for what, 40-50 years?

• James T.

http://www.tydirium.net
Big Stone Head / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple
Also drink with us at: http://www.cocktailsnob.com

[ Edited by: tikibars 2008-07-15 21:33 ]

On 2008-07-14 18:28, Sweet Daddy Tiki wrote:
By way of The Tasty Island (one of my favourite food blogs), comes word of a new book called The New-Wave Mai Tai by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi.

Well, I got one thing positive from that link. :D

Photo courtesy of SoccerTiki

Actually Unga Bunga, The tasty Island Blog is a great food blog, done by a really cool 4th generation Hawaiian named Pomai. There's tons of info on how to cook traditional dishes, as well as great spots to eat in Oahu for the "real deal" local stuff.

Oh, and there's the subjects of those photos too. :)

Chip, you read my mind -- I think we're all getting copies for Xmas from our well-meaning but Tiki-ignorant friends and relatives.

"Look, Peg, more Mai Tais -- you LOVE those, right???"

http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/06/features/story02.html

Theres one of her new recipes in this article, you be the judge.

From the article -

"A launch party for the book will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 at Planet Hollywood Honolulu's newly renovated tiki bar, coupled with a bartender showdown to choose the mai tai of the month. Tickets are $17, which includes two mai tai samples and a pupu buffet; or $29 VIP, which adds a copy of the book."

"Bartender showdown" - I can see the Tom Cruise-like Bottle juggling Tom-Foolery Now.

oh, and don't leave out the Damn-Fool Boobery!

And you can bet all the rums are Bacardi, and the mixers De Kuyper or something like that. YAY!!!

On the good side, lets hear it for the Coconut Twins!

On 2008-07-15 00:06, Haole'akamai wrote:
She's also the author of 101 Great Tropical Drinks, which start with this Mai Tai recipe, with telling history...

I recognize that one! It's the Surf Room Mai Tai recipe from Intoxica! At least everyone agreed that the recipe comes from the Royal Hawaiian.
Wait.... Is Jeff Berry writing under a pseudonym? Sort of like Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman? :)

On 2008-08-06 08:37, Mongoloid wrote:
http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/06/features/story02.html

Theres one of her new recipes in this article, you be the judge.

How do you crush a vanilla bean? I've only used them a few times, but they don't strike me as "crushable". Also, filling a collins glass with lemon and lime juice is going to make for a pretty sour drink, and only 1/4 oz. sugar syrup? Ouch.
I'd be interested in the opinion of someone who actually tries this. And succeeds in crushing a vanilla bean.

It's appropriate to have a painted tiki go with a "new wave" mai tai, and they could play some Jimmy Buffet to make the experience complete.

Oh, there's a painted tiki in that pic?

Here's an article from today's Honolulu Advertiser about the book release event on Wednesday night:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080819/LIFE15/808190308/1076/ISLANDLIFEFRONT

The author seems nice, but this quote bothered me:

*"The recipes in the book were selected from more than 90 suggestions, said Tsutsumi, who still prefers a chardonnay to a mai tai.

"I tasted some, not all," she said. "I would have been flat on my back."*

Wrote a book of Mai Tai recipes, and didn't try them all. Jeff Berry she ain't.

That is telling. And inspiring.

Available soon at your local bookseller:

My Exploration of the Surface of the Moon by Woofmutt

"In this astounding book Woofmutt gives a detailed account of his exploration on foot of the moon's surface. Though he has never actually been to the moon Woofmutt has frequently gazed upon it from his backyard. The book also contains several recipes for dishes using "moon cheese" Woofmutt "brought back from the moon" which is actually white Cheddar he purchased at his local Safeway. "

said Tsutsumi, who still prefers a chardonnay to a mai tai.

WTF! Someone sent me a bunch of recipes for a drink I don't even like so I decided to write a book about them......

Man, I need to start talking to publishers because they seem to be hard-up for books right now.

Big Bro.... hook me up with a couple of your publihser contacts please, I got a killer idea for a book about Margaritas.

And we all say in unison, Jeff Berry, hurry up and get that next book completed!

The New-Wave Mai Tai by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi has got to be one of the best books that I have ever seen....................FOR ME TO POOP ON!

http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/24/news/heckathorn.html

Now she gets her own party? She had never even had a mai tai until she had almost finished writing the book?