Trader Vics takes over Hawaii..sort of....

We just returned from the Big Island and Trader Vics Rum and beverage products are everywhere!

Longs Drugs

more at Longs Drugs

Ready to drink mini bottles with booze at Kmart

Booze at Kmart

ABC Stores

There were three types of premixed(with booze) bottles you could get of Trader Vics cocktails. There were the standard 750 ml bottles and single serving ones in bottle or flask shapes.

Mr. Smiley is the most thirstiesterest of
all!
Have a nice Tiki Day!
If you like it,it is ZAZZ! If you don't, give it a RAZZ.

[ Edited by: mrsmiley 2008-09-07 18:21 ]

Zazz. While Mai Tai is the "beverage" shopper of our household, the prices look darned good in HI to me. I would have thought it would be the opposite. Wow.

Wow. Some of that stuff I have never seen on the mainland. Two possibilities: They couldn't get rid of it here -or, if some of it is new, they are testing it over there.

$8.99 for rum...wow, that's cheep !

I have only tasted that Dark Rum, and that's what it tastes like, yep, cheap. It basically has nothing in common with the original rums Vic used for his concoctions.
Back in the mid-90s, Trader Joe's had a brief period where they were selling off back stock of Trader Vic's MAI TAI RUM Blend -not the vintage type, but also not this stuff- now that was goood, flavorful liquor. Bought it regularly, and used it up, thought it would last forever...have not seen a bottle of that since.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-09-08 07:48 ]

They must really be working it. Here in TN, I have started seeing their products at various liquor stores. Mainly the Kona Coffee and Macadamia Nut and Spiced Rums, but also the pre-mixed, though not the Mai Tai. If they put out a Navy Grog, I'd at least try that. I have had their Mai Tai mix without the liquor, etc. and don't bother with it.

Wow, a good selection and affordable prices, I hate havint to depend on state run liquor stores and pine for the days where I could pick up a fifth of Jack, Pringles potato chips, and a Playboy at a Star Supermarket.

Damn! Those prices are good. $6.99 for white and gold, that's Aristocrat prices.

I always thought that everything in Hawaii was ridiculously expensive.

Yes, well, Night Train and Thunderbird are quite inexpensive, too. That doesn't mean one has reason to get excited about it. :D

It seems that just recently I noticed more and more T.V. products around, very nice...:wink: I think I may just have to stop off at star market tonight and pick up some goodies.. That $6.79 is kinda hard-core though.. usually wake up with a
mean head:(ache !

On 2008-09-10 10:43, bigbrotiki wrote:
Yes, well, Night Train and Thunderbird are quite inexpensive, too. That doesn't mean one has reason to get excited about it. :D

Rumor has it that Thunderbird is a principal ingredient in one of the Recipes in the bar book "New Wave Mai Tai", that's exciting

We're on Maui right now and same thing here. Prior years, finding even the Trader's Mai Tai mix was difficult and we often had it mail-ordered in ahead of our arrival, but this year that and the booze is everywhere.

While prices here have shot up noticeably since last year due to transportation costs ($12.99 for a gallon of milk at one place...wanna a little 6 pack of Hostess mini donuts? How bout 3.09!) the booze prices are fairly reasonable by comparison.

Some places here want up to a dollar per lime however. That can boost your Mai Tai cost up a tad.

Tourism and hotel occupancy is way down in Maui right now, due mainly to high airline ticket prices and the general turndown in the U.S. economy. That's kinda good for us...but not so good for the general workforce here. Lots of layoffs occurring. We went to watch the free live music and hula show at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel the other night...and we were the only ones in the audience! That was very unusual and rather scary. Lots of businesses are hurting, and you can plainly see it.

Road traffic is light though, and there are lots of deals going on and everyone is VERY happy to see you. So for us tourists...its a mixed bag of pros and cons.