What's the deal with Trader Joe's selling Trader Vic syrups

Anybody out there know what the straight dirt is on Trader Joe's retailing Trader Vic products? I have been to two Trader Joe's here in the northeast. One in Wesport, Connecticut, and another in Wayne, NJ. Neither had any Trader Vic's products. From what I have been hearing from some of you West Coast/Cali folks, Trader Joe's carries the products out there. Wonder why that is...

Meanwhile, I am as desperate as a dry settler in Death Valley to find a place here in the New York City area (preferably IN New York City) that retails Trader Vic's products, but as far as I can see I could search this town far and wide and the only Trader I would find would be some hyper-agressive dude on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange selling shares of Martha Stewart Omniscandal stocks.

So for now I am still mail ordering products from 'Chez Bergeron' in Emeryville, CA. (wonder what it's like out there...).In fact, just re-ordered some stuff tonight. My fave products are the Orgeat, Rock Candy, and Passion Fruit syrups. These days I have been favoring the so-called 'Tonga Zombie' recipe from "Intoxica". It's so easy to make as well as mighty dee-lish and (believe it or not) lower in calories than some other drinks. Therefore the Passionfruit well runs dry pretty fast around here. The Mai-Tais are taking a back seat for now. I was mixing them by 'feel' for a while which made them pretty damn sweet. That was okay, but when I started following the recipe from the 'Grog Log' to the letter I ran into problems. I favor the sweeter Mai Tai, but I do want to stay true to the recipe. So instead of a 1/4 oz. of Orgeat and Rock Candy I use a full 1 oz. I still go with the 1/2 oz. of curacao, but I don't think I will truly mix this thing right again until I go back to Trader Vic's in Atlanta and taste the real deal. Maybe the next time I can remember the taste so I can go home and compare.

cheers :drink:

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-05-21 23:49 ]

Yup, here in Santa Barbara, CA. our Trader Joe's has a syrup or two of Vic's, but most importantly they have the Trader Vic's Authentic Dark Rum (supposedly a blend of Jamaican and Martinique rums). I just got a bottle of the stuff and it is GREAT! Super dark color, unique taste and smell, and smooth as hell.

I am having a hard time finding anything other than Vic's Mai Tai mix in stores. I did find one liquor store that has the Rock Candy and Passion Fruit syrup, at about $8 a bottle. I was desparate so I bought them, but I plan on buying straight from Vic next time because even with shipping it will probably be cheaper.

-T.J.

On 2004-05-21 23:45, donhonyc wrote:
Anybody out there know what the straight dirt is on Trader Joe's retailing Trader Vic products? Trader Joe's carries the products out there. Wonder why that is...

cuz they are reasonably priced and quite popular, maybe?

On 2004-05-25 03:50, lanikai wrote:

cuz they are reasonably priced and quite popular, maybe?

Thanks for the info but I already knew that. What I meant was why do the Trader Joe's on the West coast carry these products and the ones on the East coast don't.

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-05-25 11:40 ]

On 2004-05-24 00:57, Tonnikan Jinn wrote:
Yup, here in Santa Barbara, CA. our Trader Joe's has a syrup or two of Vic's, but most importantly they have the Trader Vic's Authentic Dark Rum (supposedly a blend of Jamaican and Martinique rums). I just got a bottle of the stuff and it is GREAT! Super dark color, unique taste and smell, and smooth as hell.

I'm with Tonnikan Jinn on this one. I was at the Trader Joe's by my house one day when I stumbled across it. Grabbed two bottles and promptly forgot to get everything else on my shopping list. When I tried it with my Mai Tai recipe... Ahhhhhhhh - a choir of angels sang. Absolutely perfect for Mai Tai's. The price is right too.

I only saw the Mai Tai mix there, but I usually pick up all the TV mixes @ BevMo anyway.

[ Edited by: MachTiki on 2004-05-25 13:47 ]

On 2004-05-25 11:39, donhonyc wrote:

On 2004-05-25 03:50, lanikai wrote:

cuz they are reasonably priced and quite popular, maybe?

Thanks for the info but I already knew that. What I meant was why do the Trader Joe's on the West coast carry these products and the ones on the East coast don't.

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-05-25 11:40 ]

oh sorry.
I believe it may have something to do with regional tastes and also based on how well a type of product does in one geographical locale. If a product or product line does not produce x amount of dollars per month, in relation to its x amount of shelf space, they won't carry it. Since Trader Vic's has been a staple at Trader Joe's for years, it may indicate this was tried on the east coatst and it didn't pull its weight.

I sell now and then to Trader Joe's so will ask a contact there.
Now ya got me intriqued!

Thanks lanikai.

I figured it may have been a regional thing. If Trader Vic products don't sell well out here, what does? Probably Thunderbird or MD 20/20. Yeah...that's real East Coast.

I think I'm a west coast person trapped in an east coast's person's body. I always thought that New York City is like the
Roach Motel...once you check in, you can't check out.

"..I think I'm a west coast person trapped in an east coast's person's body. I always thought that New York City is like the
Roach Motel...once you check in, you can't check out...."

Then we'll send sum good aloha vibrations yer way...

je' like that scene in My Dinner with Andre which I happened to watch last nite. Andre made the same point. self imprisoned New Yawkuhs.
The west coast bekons! If not da tropics, at least move to S.D. Great city!

Never saw 'My Dinner with Andre". Wow! I totally forgot about that film. That was a LONG time ago, but I remember when it was a new film. Yeah. we're all trapped here on the island. I have a good friend who was the quintessential New Yorker and he moved to L.A. back in '98 and never looked back. He's real close with his family and they still live out here. I don't know how he does it. I guess being an actor helps, although he hasn't struck gold quite yet. Some good parts on commercials and stuff, but he ain't living in a mansion yet. I love L.A., and in some ways I think I really belong there, but I just can't extricate myself from the E. Coast. I have an absolute blast when I'm out there visiting. So maybe at some point I can crow-bar myself outta here...who knows.

[ Edited by: donhonyc on 2004-05-26 01:38 ]

I'm guessin it's not a West Coast thing, but more of a california thing.
Aint got them here at our TJ's.
Please send them this way.
Pea...