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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Oct 20, 2014 12:37 AM
The inevitable has happened: I'm sorry to report that Lemon Hart 151 rum is being phased out from Mai-Kai cocktail recipes just 2 1/2 years after its triumphant return. While there's some speculation that U.S. distribution may resume by the middle of next year, The Mai-Kai unfortunately did not have a deep enough stockpile to hold out for that long. They had stocked up after the announcement in May of the distribution interruption, but GM Kern Mattei tells me that they have been going through a case every month. Check out this thread for the back-story and ongoing news on the status of the revered rum brand: This will affect The Mai-Kai's cocktail recipes on two levels. First, there are the many drinks that for the past 2 1/2 years have been featuring an 80-proof Lemon Hart rum that was blended in-house from the 151 rum. I've been making a similar blend at home, and the results are very close to the old 80-proof Lemon Hart that's even harder to find than the 151. Mattei says that when the current supply of 80-proof Lemon Hart runs out, which should happen soon, they will be switching to another Demerara rum, El Dorado's Original Dark. While not as highly touted as some of El Dorado's aged rums, the dark rum was nevertheless favored by The Mai-Kai in its cocktails. I'm told that most of the cask aged rums were considered too sweet. Indeed, the Original Dark lacks the added sugar of some of its aged counterparts, and its pungency will most likely be a better fit in cocktails that already have enough sweetness. I went ahead and tried El Dorado Original Dark in several of the drinks that have been featuring 80-proof Lemon Hart: The S.O.S. (pictured below) and Oh So Deadly. The result? No need to send out a distress signal over this S.O.S. There seemed to be very little difference in taste, and the Oh So Deadly also suffered no loss in quality. Since both are Demerara rums used in small quantities to supplement many other flavors, I'm confident that this switch will be very little cause for alarm. I plan to sample all the other cocktails that previously contained Lemon Hart 80, both at home and at the bar (in the interest of quality assurance, of course). If anyone else wants to conduct taste tests and weigh in, please post your comments below. I'll be updating all the reviews as time permits. Besides the S.O.S. and Oh So Deadly, the drinks in question are: Special Planters Punch, Sidewinder’s Fang, Yeoman’s Grog, K.O. Cooler, and Bora Bora. The bigger question is the status of the handful of cocktails that depend on the fiery flavor of the 151 rum: the Zombie, 151 Swizzle, Jet Pilot, and Shrunken Skull. As you probably guessed from the photo above, the new rum in those drinks is Goslings Black Seal 151, which is very dark and flavorful like Lemon Hart but produced in Bermuda instead of Guyana. I'm sure we'll all be examining these drinks closely. Three years ago, and for many years before, they were just as special without Demerara rum entirely. I expect that they'll continue the same level of excellence. And while admittedly nothing can replace Lemon Hart 151, I have confidence in The Mai-Kai in choosing the correct rums for its cocktails. So feel free to let me know what you think of the changes, and look for more updates here and on the blog. FYI, here's a link back to my coverage of Lemon Hart's return, with links to all the recipes: Okole maluna! |
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HH
Hurricane Hayward
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Wed, Nov 12, 2014 12:58 AM
I've got some bad news, but also a bunch of good news: On Oct. 31, I got the confirmation from Kern Mattei that Lemon Hart was no longer being poured in any drinks that have featured it for the past 2 1/2 years, since it's return to widespread distribution. As we know, that distribution has ceased, and stockpiled supplies are rapidly disappearing. The first good news is that none of the drinks that formerly featured Lemon Hart and now contain either Gosling's Black Seal 151 or El Dorado Superior Dark seem to suffer in the slightest. Of the 11 drinks listed above, I've tried 10 of them (both at the bar and in home recipes) and in all honesty there are very subtle differences. But not enough to change any of my ratings or cause anyone alarm.
Remember that The Mai-Kai's cocktails were without Lemon Hart, or any Demerara rum, for many years before its reintroduction. The Atomic Grog ratings were determined in the pre-Lemon Hart days, and they changed little after it came back on the market. Granted, it was a big improvement over Bacardi 151, but the good news is that Goslings remains a much better alternative than a return to Bacardi. And the introduction of an El Dorado product keeps Demerara rum in all of the drinks that featured the 80-proof Lemon Hart. I'll be updating the reviews of all the drinks in the coming weeks with more details, so refer to the blog for the latest news: Another nice byproduct of all this research: I've made a significant update to the Zombie tribute recipe to bring it much closer to what you'll taste at The Mai-Kai. I'll be posting the update soon. My current advice is to continue to use Lemon Hart if you have it, of course. If not, the drinks will be fine with Goslings and El Dorado Dark. Or, if you prefer, use a different 80-proof Demerara rum from El Dorado. There continues to be discussion of 151 substitutes, including a new rum from former Lemon Hart importer Ed Hamilton, so stay tuned.
The other bit of good news involves a new drink created by Kern Mattei and his bar staff for the recent CD release party for the Cutback surf band. On Nov. 7, I was very pleasantly surprised to find The Aloha Stomp, named after a song on the band's "Surfers Journey" release, included a shot of Lemon Hart 151. Mattei led me to believe that the drink - which also includes orange and grapefruit juices with passion fruit syrup and light rum - may continue to be available as a special order. Apparently, they stopped short of letting their supply of Lemon Hart 151 run out completely. How much longer it will last is not clear, so be sure to order The Aloha Stomp while you can. Okole maluna! |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Dec 26, 2014 12:44 AM
You can imagine where this is going. Here's my tribute to the holiday classic, Mai-Kai style ... Also, here's a preview of the upcoming 58th anniversary parties this Saturday and Sunday: Expect some photos and reports from the festivities. We're hoping to meet up with AdOrAdam (visiting Florida from the UK) and djmont (vacationing from Virginia), both making their first pilgrimages to The Mai-Kai this weekend. Also, I hope to take advantage of some time off during the next week to catch up on updates to cocktail guide, including all the drinks that no longer feature Lemon Hart rum. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Dec 27, 2014 3:11 PM
It's time for an end-of-year, super special blow-out update extravaganza on The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide. First, catching up on some promised updates discussed over on the fassionola thread: The Special Reserve Daiquiri recipe is updated to adjust the measurements of the lime juice and honey mix, which could make the drink a bit too sweet. Also, as discussed on the above thread, there's a new organic option for Raspberry simple syrup, which has been added to both the Special Reserve Daiquiri and Cobra's Kiss recipe: Next, version 4 of the Jet Pilot ... This update incorporates just a slight tweak I made recently that cuts in half the amount of bitters and Pernod. The result is the honey mix becomes more in the forefront and the drink takes on a sweeter edge. I believe this fits the flavor profile at The Mai-Kai, but if you like it spicy feel free to leave those amounts alone. I also updated the menu photo and made various additions to the narrative, including the recent replacement of Lemon Hart 151 with Goslings 151. More to come ... [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2014-12-27 20:51 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Mon, Dec 29, 2014 10:39 PM
In honor of The Mai-Kai's 58th anniversary, I posted an updated Zombie review and recipe. The tribute recipe is extensively updated, and I think it comes quite a bit closer to the drink we taste today. The switch from Lemon Hart to Gosling's 151 had little impact, believe it or not. The menu photo was updated, and several other new photos were added. Here's one that wasn't used ... The Customer Celebration Parties, which featured two full nights of imbibing in The Molokai at a 58 percent discount, were fun and festive. Saturday was relatively calm, and I got a chance to enjoy the laid-back stylings of Aloha Boyz, featuring former musicians from The Mai-Kai’s Polynesian Islander Revue. Sunday the 28th, the actual anniversary night, got a little crazy with an early, packed house pushing the staff to its limits. To the bartenders' credit, the drinks were stellar all night long. One of the other highlights was meeting and tipping back a few with some Tiki Central brethren:
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happy buddha
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Mon, Dec 29, 2014 11:18 PM
Looking forward to trying the new Zombie recipe Hurricane! You say it now contains passion fruit syrup, but I don't see it in the recipe. How much are you putting in? |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 10:28 AM
Sorry, my bad. It's there now ... 3/4 ounce. |
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Sunny&Rummy
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 11:51 AM
You guys look like you are having fun. Wish I could have made it down. Looking forward to trying the new Zombie tribute recipe. The Atomic Grog writeup indicates 4 drops of Pernod in the recipe bullets, but a little further down says to use 4 DASHES to put the anise flavor on the forefront. I assume the recipe bullet should read 4 dashes and not 4 drops, yes? Mahalo! [ Edited by: Sunny&Rummy 2014-12-30 13:11 ] |
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mikehooker
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 4:17 PM
Four dashes seems excessive but four drops might not put it at the forefront with all these ingredients. So what is it Hurricane??? |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 9:50 PM
Yes, "drops" is my preferred measurement for Pernod (with an eyedropper). I'll change the reference to the more inexact "dashes." |
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Sunny&Rummy
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 10:30 PM
So a drop here is not a literal drop but a dash out of a bitters bottle? That is more like 8 drops (~ 1/16 tsp), so four dashes would be more like 30+ eyedropper drops. That does seem like a lot of Pernod. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Tue, Dec 30, 2014 11:10 PM
I always go with drops of Pernod and dashes of bitters. I don't trust my dash hand with the Pernod. At The Mai-Kai, Kern tells me, they use some sort of small bitters bottle for Pernod, but they're trained to use a light touch. |
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Scaramouch
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Wed, Dec 31, 2014 6:50 AM
In many of the Beachbum recipes, it calls for a similar ratio of bitters to Pernod: a dash of Angustura bitters and 6 drops of Pernod. I was trying to figure out how to convert that into a like-measurement ratio, so I could premix the two, put them into a bitters bottle, and then just use it and add two dashes to a cocktail. Seems like it would save having to get out the dropper - especially if you are making 3 or 4 at a time. Anyone have any experience in premixing Pernod and Angustura Bitters, and if that would be ok to leave on the shelf for awhile? |
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mikehooker
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Wed, Dec 31, 2014 8:10 AM
I keep pernod in a sterilized travel size contact solution bottle. Easy to get consistent drops out. I always do one test drop in the sink first to test my squeeze and then put the necessary drops into the shaker/mixing containter before any other ingredients to be safe I don't overshoot.
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Sunny&Rummy
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Wed, Dec 31, 2014 9:08 AM
I have all but abandoned the eyedropper and dispense Pernod out of an empty Ango bottle using the 1 dash = 6 drops rule of thumb. I do allspice dram the same way. If a drink calls for a lighter touch I usually dropper from the bitters bottle. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Jan 1, 2015 12:27 AM
Scaramouch: That's a good idea in theory, but there are probably too many combinations of Pernod to bitters to make that viable, except for those that call for 1-to-1. The amount of each could vary greatly depending on the drink and the other ingredients. mikehooker: I really like the inventiveness of using the contact solution bottle. Sunny&Rummy: You're living on the edge with those dashes of Pernod :>) FYI, if anyone is interested: There are quite a few dropper bottles available on Amazon for less than $10 ... |
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thePorpoise
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Thu, Jan 1, 2015 11:16 AM
I just pour into a 1/8 teaspoon for bottles with no drop dispenser. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Jan 1, 2015 11:13 PM
Up next, the Shrunken Skull ... No major recipe changes, but lots of new info, including three new photos plus the new menu photo. Among the updates:
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rockydog101
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Fri, Jan 2, 2015 8:23 AM
Please don't kill me, but how would this taste with Rose's Grenadine Syrup? I know that syrup is considered garbage, but it's what I have on hand right now. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Jan 2, 2015 10:45 PM
Well, it probably wouldn't taste like it's supposed to taste like. It might be halfway palatable mixed with some Pama Liqueur, but also way too watery. A rich grenadine is pretty essential in this one. |
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AdOrAdam
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Sat, Jan 3, 2015 6:33 AM
I went to the Mai Kai twice last week & can confirm... Hurricane Hayward has some of his tribute recipes bang on target! The Mai Kai has a slight reputation for inconsistent drink quality according to a few other threads on TC; by applying his recipes with a few tweaks to meet your individual tastes I think its fair to say you can actually get drinks better than at the Mai Kai! Many thanks to HH, keep em coming :) |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Jan 3, 2015 11:07 PM
Mahalo AdOrAdam! Unfortunately, when making the drinks at home, you'll need to provide your own sarong-clad maidens to serve them to you. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Jan 24, 2015 10:07 PM
Tonight, we entered a new era. Just when I was coming to grips with Goslings 151 replacing Lemon Hart 151, the playing field has changed significantly with the arrival of Hamilton 151 and Hamilton 86, both distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd. in Guyana.
Okole maluna! The official blog of The Hukilau [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-02-06 01:23 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Feb 6, 2015 2:15 AM
If you've been following along over on the "LH 151 replacement" thread, you'll know that importer Ed Hamilton has run into a snag with his rums from Guyana, forcing him to stop bottling with the original label. In a nutshell, he's not allowed to legally use "Demerara" in the name, even though the rums come from Demerara Distillers. The taste, however, speaks for itself. Both the 151 and 86 proof rums are certainly fine replacements for Lemon Hart Demerara rum. I plan a full update of all The Mai-Kai drinks that feature Demerara/Hamilton rums over on The Atomic Grog once the rum is back in the distribution pipeline with a new label, probably by early next month. It's not known if The Mai-Kai has enough of its initial supply of the Hamilton rums to last until then, so I'd rather hold off on updating all the reviews until we're sure the rums are flowing freely without interruption. In the meantime, here are some quick comments on the above four cocktails, plus a photo of the soon-to-be-a-collectible bottle and its disputed label ... 151 SWIZZLE: When compared side-by-side to the same drink containing Gosling's 151, the version with Hamilton 151 is decidedly richer, smokier and boasts extra heat. JET PILOT: The high-octane Hamilton 151 adds complex smoky flavors and depth to this drink, which can become too sweet when mixed with Gosling's 151. ZOMBIE: Hamilton 151 fits the Zombie flavor profile better than Gosling's, and it blends much better with the sweet elements in The Mai-Kai's version of the classic. It amps the drink up a notch, making if very smooth and spicy. SHRUNKEN SKULL: The floater of Hamilton 151 makes this drink much smoother and balanced than Gosling's did. It blends perfectly with the tart and sweet elements. The differences noted above are understandable since all of these drinks were designed to be mixed with Lemon Hart 151. But how does Hamilton 151 stack up against the original? We put them to the test in the Zombie ... The result? The Lemon Hart version seemed to be smoother and more mellow, while the Hamilton 151 Zombie packed a little more kick and was just a tad rougher around the edges. But the differences are definitely subtle. If you enjoy just a little extra heat, you'll find the new rum right up your alley. Still to come, notes on the other Mai-Kai cocktails switching over to Hamilton rums:
Bonus: I had originally thought that all of the above were mixed with the lower proof Demerara rum. But during my research, I've discovered that one of them actually features the 151 rum, while another contains both 151 and 80-proof (or Hamilton 86). Look for updated reviews and recipes soon. Okole maluna! |
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Tonga Tiki
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Sat, Feb 7, 2015 1:17 PM
Hurricane... I was at the Mai-Kai 3 weeks back and had a 151 Swizzle. It didn't have the long cinnamon stick that it normally does. The server said she thought they were on order. I noticed yours didn't either. Do you know if they are eliminating that nice feature? |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Feb 7, 2015 10:00 PM
We've noticed the same thing for quite a few months and recently asked manager Kern Mattei about it. He says they have had trouble getting the long sticks from their supplier, but he thinks they may be back in stock soon.
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Feb 7, 2015 10:27 PM
Very cool event coming up Feb. 21 thanks to the Fraternal Order of Moai - Gumbo Limbo Chapter:
We've had the Suffering Bastard before at several past events. Here's the review, photos and tribute recipe: Tonight, I got a preview of the Fog Cutter ... Looking forward to seeing how Mariano handled the Sling. Kern says these drinks were popular requests back in the day, so they kept recipes on hand but never added them to the menu. The official blog of The Hukilau [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-02-07 22:28 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Thu, Feb 19, 2015 3:30 PM
The Mai-Kai's head mixologist, Troy Gallant, will be competing tomorrow night (Feb. 20) against some of the top Tiki bars and bartenders from across the country at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The Mai-Kai's competition includes Lost Lake (Chicago), Tiki Mondays With Miller (New York City), Frankie’s Tiki Room (Las Vegas), Royal Kona Resort (Hawaii), The Rum Line (Miami Beach), and The Broken Shaker (Miami Beach). Here's a full preview of The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown, hosted by Emeril Lagasse and featuring guest judges Jeff “Beachbum” Berry and Martin Cate ... |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Feb 22, 2015 12:57 AM
The Mai-Kai did not win, but a good time was had by all at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Congrats to Judge’s Choice winner Brian Miller and and People’s Choice winner The Broken Shaker.
More photos on The Week in Tiki thread: Full coverage and recap to come. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Feb 22, 2015 1:01 AM
Great turnout tonight for the "secret cocktail" party. For the first time in who knows how long, The Mai-Kai served a lot of Singapore Slings ...
Full coverage of the event ... |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Feb 27, 2015 10:48 PM
Here's the full recap of “The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown” hosted by Emeril Lagasse at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, plus a tribute recipe for The Mai-Kai's Molokai Swizzle:
It was a rare opportunity for Troy Gallant to step out from behind the back bar and into the spotlight. Though the Molokai Swizzle didn't take home the top prize (congrats to Brian Miller and The Broken Shaker), it was near the top of several ballots and was No. 1 on my informal ranking. Great classic ingredients and perfectly balanced. Here's the direct link to the recipe: |
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mikehooker
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Sat, Feb 28, 2015 4:58 PM
Chelsea wants Moonkist Coconut tonight and I might as well give this one a go. Any recommendations for a Morgan black substitute? I've got the regular kind and Kraken as my spiced options. Maybe a couple others buried deep in the pantry as well. |
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mikehooker
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Sat, Feb 28, 2015 5:09 PM
Scratch that, it's Sailor Jerry I have, not Capt Morgan. Here's my vast spiced collection that I always tend to forget about...
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Feb 28, 2015 11:20 PM
Mike, Kraken or Calico Jack are probably your best bets. It needs to be a dark spiced rum. Also, FYI, due to popular demand I've updated the Rum Barrel review with revised recipe instructions (pulse blending instead of shaking, among other updates) and a bunch of new photos ...
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mikehooker
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Sun, Mar 1, 2015 11:43 AM
Ended up making three versions of the Moonkist Coconut last night. Will have to save Molokai Swizzle for another night (tonight?). So I previously reported on the "What are you drinking now" thread that I preferred your Moonkist tribute recipe over the published Mai Kai recipe in Esquire as the rum and coconut proportions were much more balanced and using Cayman Reef, Flor de Cana and Fee's falernum earned the drink a solid 7 on my ten point scale. (I actually keep tabs on most every drink I make, with ratings, ingredients and measurements so if it scores low, I know what I did and can tinker later to try and improve, or if it scores 8 and above, it's something I put into regular rotation). Well since then I picked up Mt Gay Eclipse, Cruzan light and Velvet falernum so I wanted to mess around a bit. I started off making two cocktails, both with Mt Gay and Cruzan, exact proportions of everything, but one with Fee Bros and one with Velvet. While I've been preferring Velvet in many of the spicier drinks I've been gravitating to lately, I had a feeling the sweetness of the Fee's would be the winner in this drink. And by a very slight margin, it was. In a blind taste test Chelsea felt the cocktail with Velvet tasted "boozier," which makes sense since it is a liqueur, but with such a small amount (1/4 oz) I don't think it adds that much actual alcohol content, but may sway the flavor in that direction. So the Fee's won out but the drink wasn't as good as we remembered when we rated it a 7. So I made another one, this time with Fees and the Cayman Reef. It was the best of the three but still not quite on par with the Flor de Cana version. I'm out of Flor de Cana or I would have made one more version to the exact spec that earned it the 7 rating just to verify my initial findings. Looking back over the past couple months, I think a lot of the drinks that I would normally use de Cana as my white aren't quite as good with Cruzan. I figured they would be mostly interchangeable and I think I remember you mentioning at some point that Cruzan is what the Mai Kai uses in their well for white. Is that so? When you make this, what are the rums and falernum you prefer? I'm thinking I need to go back to Flor de Cana as my base white.
[ Edited by: mikehooker 2015-03-01 11:46 ] |
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wupput
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Sun, Mar 1, 2015 10:15 PM
Damn that looks delicious. I'm going to have to try one sometime soon with Plantation and probably El Dorado white and Fee Bros. Edit: I see this recipe calls for coconut milk, not Lopez or similar, is that right? Not sure where I can get pure coconut milk.... [ Edited by: wupput 2015-03-01 23:37 ] |
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mikehooker
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Tue, Mar 3, 2015 12:17 AM
I made the mistake of using (sweetened) Silk coconut milk from the carton when I made my first Moonkist. Once we found the canned unsweetened kind at Trader Joe's it made all the difference.
I just looked on the coco lopez site and see in addition to the cream of coconut (which I use in Coconauts and Painkillers and would probably make this drink too rich), they make a canned coconut milk. Not sure if that is sweetened or not but I would think an unsweetened kind would be your best bet. It shouldn't be too hard to find in an asian or specialty market. Curious which brand Hayward prefers. |
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wupput
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Tue, Mar 3, 2015 10:10 AM
Thanks. I'll check out that Trader Joe's brand. I've found Trader Joe's pineapple juice (not from concentrate) excellent for mixing.
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sat, Mar 14, 2015 3:04 PM
Sorry guys, just catching up on all this discussion. Very happy to see some action on this thread! First, regarding the coconut milk, it's typically not too hard to find, at least down here in South Florida. Beachbum Berry recommends Thai Kitchen's organic brand, which I've tried and is very good. I can usually find something just as good and cheaper, though not organic, in one of the ethnic sections of our local Publix. Here's one I just picked up: I'm sure there are comparable brands at other stores like Trader Joe's. Just beware of anything labled "light" as that might also cut out some of the fat and flavor. The can above has 90 calories and 9 grams of fat per 1/4-cup serving. I've got to go you-know-where before happy hour ends, but I'll be back later to weigh in on the rum question. The official blog of The Hukilau [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-03-15 00:33 ] |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Mar 15, 2015 1:07 AM
Mike, looks like I'm due to revisit the Moonkist Coconut. I'll admit, it's quite some time since I've had one. Been busy lately dissecting all the drinks featuring Hamilton's rums from Guyana. I've got a lot of updates coming on those, including several updated recipes that folks might enjoy. I'm definitely impressed with your discipline and dedication to rating all the drinks you make. I've done exactly the same thing for years. When I'm looking for something good, I just look in the files with the high ratings. Re falernum, I think the consensus is that Fee Brothers is the best option to replicate what The Mai-Kai uses. Perhaps they use Fee, but it's definitely a rich and sweet falernum that's a bit different than Velvet. Beachbum Berry wrote in one of his books that the Fee recipe is very close to what Donn Beach would have used (and probably Mariano too), which seems good enough for me. I lean toward Flor de Cana as a base Spanish-style white and gold rum (I actually stock all the golds: 4-, 5- and 7-year-old). It's step above Cruzan, Bacardi, Don Q and many others IMHO. Very solid mixer. The 2-year-old Cruzan is fine, but I prefer the old 5-year-old version and still have a few bottles left. Haven't tried the "new" 5-year-old "dark" from Cruzan but noticed it's a little pricey. For the same price, I'd stick with Flor de Cana. Other solid gold Spanish style mixing rums include Ron del Barrilito, Bacardi 8 and Bacardi Select. But those might actually have a bit too much flavor to use as a simple base rum in the Moonkist and some other drinks from The Mai-Kai. The well gold rum is Ron Carlos, a very cheap brand that's bottled in Florida from Cruzan stock. I think what gives the Moonkist its nice gold rum flavor is the Barbados rum, most likely Mount Gay. (There are some other great Barbados rums out there to try, like Plantation, Cockspur, Doorly’s and The Real McCoy.) It's common for The Mai-Kai to use cheap white and gold base rums since you can barely taste them, and I'm sure that's cost effective. But then they'll use a great gold or dark rum, such as a Demerara, dark Jamaican or aged gold rum to add a signature flavor. When mixing these at home, however, I wouldn't be afraid to experiment with better rums, as long as they're the same style.
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wupput
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Wed, Mar 18, 2015 7:44 PM
Hurricane, just FYI I love your Tribute to The Mai-Kai’s Shrunken Skull! That was a huge hit in our household. I used Cruzan and Hamilton 151 and made my own cinnamon syrup. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Fri, Mar 20, 2015 1:17 AM
Mahalo wupput .... glad you like it. The Hamilton 151 really makes a difference in the Shrunken Skull. It's definitely smoother than when the drink featured Goslings, and stronger than when it had Lemon Hart. |
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Hurricane Hayward
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Sun, Mar 22, 2015 12:17 AM
Shrunken Skull vs. Shrunken Skull: The verdict: It's a stalemate. Compared head-to-head, it's almost impossible to tell the difference. The Hamilton 151 version has just the slightest amount of extra heat. |
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wupput
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Sun, Mar 22, 2015 5:49 PM
Hurricane - just tried your tribute to the Mai Kai's 151 Swizzle. Wow!! Just amazing. It immediately became one of my favorites. Not even sure if I want to try the Grog Log version. The problem though is that I can't get Kohala Bay here in California, as far as I can tell. I'm not even seeing Smith and Cross at Hi Time's website. I used a 3:1 Coruba to El Dorado 12 for this version and it certainly wasn't bad or anything - it was delicious. But I'm not sure if that's getting the flavor profile right or if there's a better alternative. |
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Loki-Tiki
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Mon, Mar 23, 2015 9:02 AM
You'd have to have Kohala shipped to California, but it can be had: http://www.sunsetcorners.com/browse.cfm/kohala-bay-rum-1.75/4,8627.html RE Smith & Cross: http://www.hitimewine.net/SMITH-and-CROSS-JAMAICA-RUM-750.html |
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wupput
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Mon, Mar 23, 2015 11:53 AM
Thanks Loki-Tiki. Their search engine is funny - Smith and Cross came up with nothing, but Smith & Cross - yep! I'll pick up a bottle. I've been reading about it and really interested in trying it. |
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HH
Hurricane Hayward
Posted
posted
on
Tue, Mar 24, 2015 1:09 AM
wupput, glad you enjoyed the 151 Swizzle. I've got a possible update coming on that tribute recipe. After tasting it with Hamilton 151 a few times, I realize that it's a little more complex than my last update reflects. It's a bit inconsistent coming out of the bar, unfortunately, but when they nail it, it's amazing. Martin Cate rates it as his favorite at The Mai-Kai: I'd encourage your to pick up Kohala Bay if you can. The substitution is close, but not quite the same. Also, FYI: Hamilton makes a funky Jamaican rum that's similar to Smith & Cross. |
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wupput
Posted
posted
on
Tue, Mar 24, 2015 3:13 PM
Thanks Hurricane. I have seen Hamilton's Jamaican at Hi Time Wine. Given a choice between Smith & Cross or Hamilton's Jamaican which would you recommend for those Mai Kai tribute drinks? I'd love to try Kohala Bay but that shipping from FL - ouch. [ Edited by: wupput 2015-03-24 19:06 ] |
