Trader Vic arrives in the mail!

Aloha!

I am happy to announce that I got my first ever order of Trader Vic products in the mail, and damn it...the world has just become a better place. This is the one and only way to make a Mai Tai at home. I've tried several other ways to make Mai Tais at home, but this is THE way. I ordered two bottles of Orgeat, two bottles of Rock Candy syrup, and one bottle of Navy Grog mix. I'll get to the Navy Grog on another day. For now it's Mai Tais. Not sure what TV puts in this stuff, and I'm sure they put something cool in there, but it's a world better than using Torani Orgeat and homemade rock candy syrup. Sorry Torani...you're a good brand, but the Trader RULEZ! The Mai Tai I am drinking now tastes the closest to what I had when I was at the Trader Vic's in Atlanta over the summer.

I promise to never again use Rose's Grenadine in a Mai Tai. That stuff is for sissies, Kingston Trio lovers and Jimmy Buffet fans. Not only that but it taste like someone dumped granny's perfume in the cocktail shaker.

The only thing cooler than this is....well nothing. Except I just got the 2nd season of The Monkees on DVD, and that runs a close second. (Ever see the episode Frank Zappa has a cameo dressed like Mike Nesmith??)

Mahalo!! :drink:

Congrats! I can sort of share in your excitement: today my Tiki Farm Martiki Cocktail Shaker arrived in the mail, and she's a BEAUTY! Nothin' like cocktail fixin's in the mail, huh!

Now, how do I order a handsome mail-order bartender? :wink:

On 2003-12-11 19:31, donhonyc wrote:
I promise to never again use Rose's Grenadine in a Mai Tai. That stuff is for sissies, Kingston Trio lovers and Jimmy Buffet fans. Not only that but it taste like someone dumped granny's perfume in the cocktail shaker.

Err...

Why are you using ANY grenadine in a mai tai?

Santa is going to put a rock in your stocking, and it ain't lava!

:)

I love the Kingston Trio. And they could kick your ass, pal! Without getting a wrinkle in their matching striped shirts!

No, I really do love them. I suppose they are damn untiki, but Otto does have a picture of them posing with the Arthur Lyman group in an LA record store.

The T.V. mai tai mix in the bottle is a winner, beleive it or not.
Remember to use a whole fresh sqeezed lime.
A tiki cheers to ya!

In the SF bay area, trader joe's grocery stores have trader vic's dark rum. I haven't been able to find this anywhere else. If you haven't tried this yet, it is pretty cheap and has a nice, sweet flavor. If you like your drinks on the sweeter side this works well.

also, in case you run across the trader vic's premixed mai tai (also at trader joe's), it has a totally different flavor than the mai tai mix. my wife and I didn't like it, but to each his own.

Martiki, the Kingston Trio RULES. And as you are a San Franciscan, of course you must proudly celebrate them as part of your glorious Foggy Grotto cultural heritage!

Plus how can one resist those cute matching striped shirts! Sigh The lost art of manly folk music...rivaled only by Bobby Darin's testosterone-mad cover of "La Bamba." When the great Bobby rolls those R's it sends shivers down my spine!

Grrr, baby.

folky tikivixen

"where have all the tikis gone, long time ago..."

Whoa!!! Okay...I shoulda cooled out on the Kingston Trio comments. Sorry about that, Bay people. Didn't notice any comments on the Buffet remark though. Who luvz ya baby.

Tikibars...I realize the mortal sin of using grenadine in a Mai Tai, but I was using to a) see what it tastes like and, b) because I was too lazy to make the rock candy syrup myself and my current stock had literally dried up on the shelf... blah, blah, blah. Long story short, that stuff tastes like pee-pee in my coke and I won't use it again.

Once again, I gotta say that you tiki people on the west coast have the upper hand. There are no Trader Joes here, nor is there a place to find Trader Vics stuff retail.

'Scuse me but I gotta go put in another order before my stockpile runs out.
:drink:

i think there may be a trader joe's in wayne, nj.

btw, how long did it take to receive yr tv's order?

There's TJ's locations in New York & New Jersey.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2003-12-12 08:28 ]

On 2003-12-11 21:55, Formikahini wrote:
Congrats! I can sort of share in your excitement: today my Tiki Farm Martiki Cocktail Shaker arrived in the mail, and she's a BEAUTY! Nothin' like cocktail fixin's in the mail, huh!

Now, how do I order a handsome mail-order bartender? :wink:

(picture me puffing pipe, parted hair, reading paper in red sateen bathrobe and pajamas, sitting in Heywood Wakefield chair, Ward Cleaver-esque voice) "Why, I think that Kingston Trio are a fine bunch of lads...and that Vic, heh, he always gets me 'goin".

On 2003-12-11 19:31, donhonyc wrote:
Except I just got the 2nd season of The Monkees on DVD, and that runs a close second. (Ever see the episode Frank Zappa has a cameo dressed like Mike Nesmith??)

Mahalo!! :drink:

I couldn't resist a post that mentions Zappa.... I'm actually listening to "Cosmik Debris" as I write this.

http://www.samgambino.com

Once again, I gotta say that you tiki people on the west coast have the upper hand. There are no Trader Joes here, nor is there a place to find Trader Vics stuff retail.

Not sure where you are, but there are Trader Joes in the midwest too, Cleveland and Chicago for sure, probably elsewhere.

Unlike Buffett, the Kingston Trio actually are sorta close to the authentic "tiki" aesthetic. I bet their LPs frequently occupied the same music shelf as Marty and Arty in many atomic age homes. Of course they're not exotica, but their songs often represented snapshots of other exotic cultures from the viewfinder of early 60s America - a similar kind of escapism. In a slightly topical note, their song Scotch & Soda has always been one of my favorite cocktail flavored numbers by anybody, folkie or EZ or otherwise.

Just an opinion.
-Randy

On 2003-12-12 02:12, tiki-oski wrote:
also, in case you run across the trader vic's premixed mai tai (also at trader joe's), it has a totally different flavor than the mai tai mix. my wife and I didn't like it, but to each his own.

If you want to approximate that Trader Vic's feeling, add a couple of shots of dark rum to that premixed Mai Tai. 8)

Speaking of getting Tiki-Mail:

I was looking through my daily dose of Christmas cards, and I noticed an envelope from Kahiki! They sent me a holiday card with coupons inside- $2.00 off any product, not too shabby as far as coupons go. Best X-mas card yet.

-Z

Wow! Right on Randy- I was just going to mention that Rebecca & I had our first dance together at our wedding to "Scotch & Soda". It's the greatest.

Plus Vixen & Lava- Scotch and Soda was written by the Trio...in Fresno! no foolin'!

[ Edited by: martiki on 2003-12-12 16:16 ]

Thanks people, for all the info. Ya know...my girlfriend mentioned to me that there were Trader Joe's out on Long Island but I never connected the dots on that one because she always referred to it as the 'rich hippie health food store' or something to that effect. So I never thought 'oh yeah...they probably carry Trader Vic's products'. Next time I'm out there, I'm gonna give them a buzz and take a ride over if they have the goods in stock. Yeah once you go with the Trader Vic's products there ain't no turnin back. That's fer sure.

Incidentally I tried the Navy Grog mix last night. Pretty good! Except that I would suggest using a little more mix than rum to get that weirdo Navy Grog flavor kick.

cheers people! :drink:

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2003-12-13 21:48 ]

Don't forget to garnish you mai tai with mint leaves. It is critical.

Cheers,

KT

I was just at Trader Joe's last night and I happened to see the Trader Vic's rum and premixed Mai Tai for the first time. I also saw that Joe's has its own brand of rum ("Rum of the Gods"). Has anyone tried it? If so, how is it?
Also, this TJ's in Pismo Beach is nicely decorated in tiki style (tiki torches, misc. nautical, palm thatch, bamboo, and native masks). If you're ever in the area you should check it out.