What drinks do the various Mai Tai premade mixes actually resemble?

In the thread concerning a "true Mai Tai", it was pretty much a given that the original TV recipe was the "true Mai Tai".

But my question is, of the various prefab Mai Tai mixes, what drink would they most closely emulate. I'm sure the prefab mai tais are much sweeter than most good polynesian drinks would be, but I was just curious.

Any ideas?
TG
http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com

I haven't drank, (drunk? drinked?) for years. But as memory serves, you'd be better off mixing a mai-tai with cough syrup.

I could be wrong, but the search for a decent premix is probably a waste of time & money.

you'd be better off mixing a mai-tai with cough syrup.

I could be wrong, but the search for a decent premix is probably a waste of time & money.

Being as a Mai Tai is basically old Jamican rum, orgeat almond syrup, symple syrup, triple sec and lime juice, a pre-mix would seem useless.

Not that I know what the pre-mixes are like, I will say that I have had a look around and the goop that is being past off as a Mai tai is heart breaking. Many of these concotions are closer to bad planters punches, I even had one where they put BANANA LIQUEUR in it! :P A Funky Monkey maybe, Mai Tai NO WAY! :roll:

On 2003-11-04 00:02, Rattiki wrote:

you'd be better off mixing a mai-tai with cough syrup.

I could be wrong, but the search for a decent premix is probably a waste of time & money.

Being as a Mai Tai is basically old Jamican rum, orgeat almond syrup, symple syrup, triple sec and lime juice, a pre-mix would seem useless.

Not that I know what the pre-mixes are like, I will say that I have had a look around and the goop that is being past off as a Mai tai is heart breaking. Many of these concotions are closer to bad planters punches, I even had one where they put BANANA LIQUEUR in it! :P A Funky Monkey maybe, Mai Tai NO WAY! :roll:

Cool, thanks.
tg

The Trader Vic mix taste pretty good to me. Have you tried it?

*On 2003-11-04 00:02, Rattiki wrote:*Being as a Mai Tai is basically old Jamican rum, orgeat almond syrup, symple syrup, triple sec and lime juice, a pre-mix would seem useless.

But what if you made a premix of orgeat, simple syrup, and orange flavors, that you could mix with fresh lime and aged rum? That would taste pretty good in a pinch. That's what the Trader Vic's mix is. When fresh lime is used (as specified on the bottle) the TV mix isn't bad. It's certainly much better than that retchid pineapple and grenadine concoction one gets in most bars. When I was in Hawaii we made a ton of Mai Tais with the Trader Vic's mix because the only good Mai Tais we found there were at the House Without a Key bar and New Otani Hotel Banyan Bar, both in Waikiki.

On 2003-11-04 12:40, thejab wrote:

*On 2003-11-04 00:02, Rattiki wrote:*Being as a Mai Tai is basically old Jamican rum, orgeat almond syrup, symple syrup, triple sec and lime juice, a pre-mix would seem useless.

But what if you made a premix of orgeat, simple syrup, and orange flavors, that you could mix with fresh lime and aged rum? That would taste pretty good in a pinch. That's what the Trader Vic's mix is. When fresh lime is used (as specified on the bottle) the TV mix isn't bad. It's certainly much better than that retchid pineapple and grenadine concoction one gets in most bars. When I was in Hawaii we made a ton of Mai Tais with the Trader Vic's mix because the only good Mai Tais we found there were at the House Without a Key bar and New Otani Hotel Banyan Bar, both in Waikiki.

I agree, TV mix is the one and only winner.

I guess nothing beats an expert mixing on the spot, but I like the TV Mai Tai in a bottle. And it's at Trader Joes every so often as well as TV dark rum.

I think Tiki Ryder was refering to the TV Pre-Mixed Mai Tai, with rum, that's sold at Trader Joes in CA.

But what if you made a premix of orgeat, simple syrup, and orange flavors, that you could mix with fresh lime and aged rum? That would taste pretty good in a pinch. That's what the Trader Vic's mix is. When fresh lime is used (as specified on the bottle) the TV mix isn't bad. It's certainly much better than that retchid pineapple and grenadine concoction one gets in most bars.

I agree that it is better than the "retchid pineapple and grenadine concoction one gets in most bars" as that is NOT a Mai Tai. Sort of like serving ketchup as hollandais sauce. But I guess as a long time bar & restaurant professional I feel premixes are like prefabed anything with stabilizers etc., fresh is just better. Also you get to know how to make these classic drinks that are being bastardized or forgotten, but I guess we could just pop everything into a microwave oven like my exwife did :)