The Original Mai Tai from 1944
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- čas přidán 29. 05. 2023
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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
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#tastinghistory #maitai
I guess when asking why all the rum is gone, we can ask Vic 😂
And Max, if he keeps this up.^^
Alas Arne, my heartburn won’t let me
@@TastingHistory 😂😂
@@TastingHistory Aww. 🙁
Headed to Hawaii on Thursday! Never had a Mai-tai before, but I might have to try one :)
Been a while since we had a Drinking History episode it feels like, really glad to see it continue.
Yessss it’s been a busy period with the book and other upcoming fun projects to be announced
@@TastingHistory I think you ought to do a collaborative episode with the folks at How To Drink, I bet it'd be a real hoot.
@@vectorwolfi was just thinking this.. max and Greg together would be so entertaining
@@TastingHistory Oooooo I can't wait to see what those other upcoming projects are!
I think because they get less views for some reason
Hi Max, my Mom has the recipe for Trader Vic’s Teriyaki Spare Ribs. If you are interested I will share. My Grandma (Dad’s mom)was a cute divorcee’ back in the 40’s and 50’s. While she was living up in Alameda, she really enjoyed going to Trader Vic’s regularly., and Vic gave her the recipe at the Oakland restaurant when she just smiled, batted her eyes and asked. Grandma gave it to my Mom when she was up in Alameda for wedding plans in 1954. Mom made it for me on my birthday every time I asked! (edited from earlier: Mom corrected me on who flirted the recipe out of Vic.)
OK, now that is a story worth telling.
@@carloshenriquezimmer7543 Never pay for the story.
How about sharing it with everyone who is now craving those ribs!
Off the top of my head, the ribs ,after being marinated, are cut into doubles, parboiled and then roasted. The marinade is equal parts chinese soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple juice. Ginger to taste.
@Tasting History with Max Miller hope you see this, Vics Ribs Recipe!
The final time I saw my Grandad, our last conversation was when asked if he needed anything, him asking for a Mai Tai. It took a few minutes to realize what he was saying, but when we did, we all died laughing. It's my last memory of him, and I'm glad it is. Any time I hear about the drink now, I think of him. If I ever have one, I'll be sure to toast his honour. Thanks, Max, for bringing back that delightful memory of that delightful man! ❤
Tell me you made him one
@Terminal Lumbago He couldn't have alcohol that near the end, unfortunately. It would've interfered with the medication.
I’ve never had a Mai Tai before:) but your post makes me want to try one!
I mean if it’s “ask for on your deathbed” good, that’s a solid recommendation 😉
I’m so glad your family got some laughs in a hard time:) your grandfather sounded like quite the character and I am so sorry for your loss ❤
I just made this one, cheers to your gramps 🍻
That's how I feel about Long Island Iced Teas. My grandpa almost only drank Long Island's if he was drinking.
To be fair to Vic, I don't think he ever claimed to have got the drink or the idea _from_ Tahiti, only that his tahitian friend loved it and gave it the name.
Also, the Beachcomber connection is pretty plausible. Despite the difference in ingredients, the overall taste of the Q.B.Cooler is supposedly in the same general vicinity as the Mai Tai. So what likely happened is that Vic had one, liked it, then played around with what he had on hand to approximate the taste and got his recipe.
Maybe Vic started with a daiquiri and decided to make it more complex. The Mai Tai is one of many cocktails, including the daiquiri, with disputed origins.
While the connection to the Cooler is absolutely plausible, at the same time it'd be like saying a Painkiller is just a stolen Pina Colada, it probably does have a connection, but it's more likely that someone just wanted to approach the same idea in a different way.
Rhum agricole in a Mai Tai is actually another Trader Vic marketing spin; he said he was using Martinique rum, suggesting the fancy agricole, but his notes say it's "the color of coffee," which could only be molasses-based rhum traditionnel. Martin Cate has some great detail on this Smuggler's Cove.
Ha I came here to say this!
Thank you! Came here to say this as well. This video is spreading more misinformation about the Mai Tai. There is no Agricole in a Mai Tai. If you’re going to make a video about the history of the Mai Tai, you shouldn’t get a major thing wrong like this.
Couldn't a Rhum agricole be aged in barrels to the point of being black like coffee? It's not like molasses based rum is coming out the still with any colour.
@@dennman37 No, it couldn't. You'd have to age it for 20 years or something and maybe it still woudln't be that dark. What he was probably using (according to Martin Cate in his Smuggler's Cove book), was "black rhum traditional"/ Rhum Negrita, also a Martinique rhum. Just not agricole (which wasn't redily available in the US at that time) Vic only had one listed on his menu list of Rhums and he probably wasn't going to use it in such a popular drink due to expense.
@@joelowery999 Yes, but at least it's closer than 98% of Mai Tai recipes out there. I'll accept agricole (though probably not use it personally in mine) over a float of "dark rum" or something with pineapple and orange juice.
This is the style of mai tai we make at home. My dad went out of his way to find one as similar to the original as he could for our cocktail collection, but we use a combination of light and medium rums instead of the agricole, which I only learned about at a tasting a few days ago! I found it a little harsh for my tastes so I’ll stick to the regular but I definitely hope to try that version too!
Clemente VSOP is a really nice and smooth Agricole rum, do an ounce of that and an ounce of Appleton Estate 8/12 years and you get a really nice Mai Tai.
If we're doing stuff about Trader Vic's, you should do a Tasting History episode on Crab Rangoon, which was invented at Trader Vic's but is largely associated with American Chinese cuisine.
And is now often a shadow of it's former self. I've had it recently with no crab?!
@@melissalambert7615 Most of the time I get Crab Rangoon, it's just a cream-cheese wonton. Even if it does have meat, it's not real crab, but surimi instead -- just like most of the kani salad I can get around here.
seriously? this is great bar talk content
Pagan Min would like to have a word with you.
Enjoy the Crab Rangoon.
seeing this on my home page made me INDESCRIBABLY giddy. I thank you on behalf of all cocktail nerds for helping us bring this classic recipe to the masses 💛💛
I went to one of the two remaining Trader Vic's in the U.S. just this last month and had the "original" Mai Tai! It was a surprise when it came to the table because it wasn't as colorful as I had always seen Mai Tai's be in past (probably because, as you mention, moat places now make it with loads of fruit juices), but it tasted much better than it appeared. Happy to see you do a video on this pop culture drinking phenomenon of yesteryear!
Yeah, most people these days have their presentation expectations set by those bright orange and yellow "Hawaiian" Mai Tais with the dark rum float. They are tasty, but the Trader Vic's original is sheer perfection.
We used to go the the Trader Vic's in SF when I was a kid -- my father liked nice restaurants. He died in 1969. Anyway, the salad dressing was sold in bottles and it was a staple in our house.
I can't speak for Mai Tai cocktails in Hawai'i, but the Mai Tais sold in the 1970s and 1980s from Marin County south to at least the Mexican border were more or less what Max describes here: moscato-colored confections of one or two types of rum (on a grad student's budget, not nearly as elevated rums as the ones in Vic's recipe), ice, orgeat syrup, and no more fruit juice than the lime for which Vic called. Knockoff recipes abounded, and for years I made a point of keeping a bottle of orgeat syrup on hand, Just In Case.
"...the burn is almost an afterthought, an AFTERBURN if you will..."
Fucking nailed it.
Anders Erickson has a really cool video on how he makes a Mai Tai. In it, he did use the lime shell as a garnish; he inverted it, filled it with a high-proof rum and then lit that rum on fire!
Yep lime shell boat. Scrape the pulp out if you can, I use key limes from my tree they're tiny
Old school actually.
I'm so glad you covered the "OG" version of the Mai Tai. I knew you'd love the story of the acrimony between Vic and Donn.
FWIW, there's a great story of Donn and one of his proteges (in Donn's later years) being in California and calling in to Trader Vics and making the reservation under Donn's name. Almost as a joke.
The person on the other end of the line was no less than Vic's nephew, who first asked if they were kidding as to who they were (they obviously weren't) and then wouldn't take no for an answer and called his Uncle Vic to the restaurant to act as their host.
Reportedly Vic and Donn had a rather jolly evening trading good-natured softball barbs at each other. 😅😅😅
He didn't use the correct rum in it.
it's a running joke now for my husband and I to find the mai tai recipes on menus and see how off they are from the original (we love the '44!). it's such a refreshing drink, and now that our mint patch is taking off we've been able to enjoy them w/fresh mint from our garden - a real treat!! (not to mention making several missionary's downfalls). thanks for the great episode!!
How could your mint patch not take off...that stuff grows like weeds! Which reminds me, with summer coming I need to steep some mint in vodka.
@@Shrike58 when your husband mows over the mint patch thinking he's dispersing the mint further into the yard but that only works if it is flowering so it is decimated ;) we'd have a yard of mint if it would just spread more - I feel like our grass is particularly invested in sticking around even when we'd rather just have herbs for a backyard. what has been growing like a weed for us is lemon balm, my gosh. need to figure out what cocktails to make from THAT... 🤔
Drinking history is such a refreshing series! You always go above and beyond with your work Max! Wish you best of happiness of Hawaii!❤❤❤❤
Thank you Daniel 🍹
@@TastingHistory My pleasure man! 😃😃😃
"Refreshing", huh... bet you didn't even realize the pun you made
Trader Vic’s recipes are awesome. My Husband and I went to the original Trader Vic’s bar on our honeymoon in 1973. I still have the bartenders guide I bought there. Love what you do.🖤🇨🇦
Love the video. The end reminds me of Favell Lee Mortimer, who was a bestselling author for books describing other countries, their people and culture ("The Countries of Europe Described"). The twist of the story is that she only left England twice in her whole life but still made a pretty penny from writing outrageous stereotypes of other nations as though they were facts. I would love to see an episode dedicated to "The world's most horrible food" or something along those lines based on food mentioned in the books.
Karl May wrote a whole bunch of American Old West books (Cowboy and Indian type) back in the 1800s that are still popular today, and he not only had never been to the US, but he acted liked he was his "Old Shatterhand" character (after pulling off a Talented Mr Ripley's worth of impersonation of all sorts of other folks to commit fraud when he was younger-- basically he turned to writing after being in charge of the prison library). People are always willing to believe what matches what they already think of a place.
As a mixologist I absolutely love this series! Please do more 🙏
“As a mixologist”
@@socialswine3656 disciple of Sir Mix A lot
I looked up at the right time to see two people walk across Max's poster like floating stock images. LOL
Best flavored rum I ever had was "Pusser's" rum. Especially the dark rum. It was the rum used by the Royal Navy and has it's own interesting history.
Pussers is the southern comfort of rum. If you want a really good rum, get appleton estate or smith & cross
Nah nah Galleon. Makes you feel like a stallion. (Jamaican. m)
Pusser's is fantastic
Amen, that’s my favorite.🥰💕❤️👍👍
If youre open to trying something different, I'd highly recommend Old Monk rum. It's got an amazing history and arguably one of our best exports.
Hello! I was waiting in line for the meet and greet and there were so many people… probably should have gotten there a little earlier!! Wish I could have met you! it’s amazing that 300 people were waiting in line for that sign. Please do another meet and greet in NYC soon! I would love to see you!! You’re awesome!
I just made Mai Tais yesterday! I like to make my own orgeat based on the one in Liquid Intelligence, but with a few additions. And I don't worry much about the rum - any aged Jamaican rum or even a blend like Appleton Estates Signature is delicious. It's my favorite summer cocktail!
Max is one of those CZcamsrs who you always want to hear him speak about his sponsors. He has such great style, and you KNOW whatever product he advertises is tried by the man himself.
And this episode had me wanting to get some bottles of Hawaian rum and to make websites.
I'm soooooo hoping for a Drinking History Cocktail book 😱
Ooh
@@TastingHistoryMe Too! I would like to place my preorder now please! Including a few variants of some drinks (geographical, cultural, time period) would be appreciated.
Ooooohh, it would be the only cocktail book that I would try. For me the best cocktail is cinnamon flavoured whisky with apple juice. So it would be nice to maybe grow up and discover more ambitious tastes 😂
@@Noel.Chmielowiec Jamie, start up a pre order queue! He's still TH's intern right?
@@dmckim3174 I have no clue, but can I be on the list, please? 😂 I'm still waiting for payday to order Max's cookbook, so I can wait 😂
Speaking of beachy tropical recipes I’d love to see a ceviche episode 😮
Max you should make an episode about the caipirinha. Nothing like having a caipirinha on the beach with friends.
National Cocktails Series! Let's go Max!
Yup.
I have also requested a Pisco sour using the Pisco with the Easter Island Moai cap!! That Max has/had a bottle of in his old bar.
I LOVE the capirinha. The version I had probably wasn't even that genuine (it was made in Canada, but it at least used cachaça), and it was still one of the best drinks I've had!
That sounds vaguely rude (in the titillating sense). But I have no idea what a c.........a is, anyway.
@@Franny95639 A caipirinha is a Brazilian drink that is made with cachaça. Cachaça is a distilled liquor made from sugar cane.
Thanks to Greg and the How to Drink crew, the discovery of quality rum was one of my lockdown hobbies, and the original Mai Tai has become one of my favorite drinks to make for us and/or our friends. I also use the Liber orgeat. Playing with the rum blend has been a never-ending source of fun, but lately I've stuck with making half of the blend the Plantation OFTD and experimenting with the other rum.
I have to say Tahiti was a great place to visit. I highly recommend the Bali Hai Hotel on the island of Moorea (you get a t-shirt if you finish a boom boom drink) also the Bloody Mary pub is just down the road where some of the deserters from the Bounty founded a pub and the drink by the same name was invented.
YES!!! Love it! Thank you, Mr. Miller. I just never know what you will come up with next!
Thank you from Ukraine.
I have been here for over a year and your videos keep my spirits up!
Thank you David 🍹
My heart is with you and yours.
@@TastingHistory you’re welcome my friend. I am not kidding when I say that your videos keep my spirits up. I am so proud of you for what you have done over your CZcams career and the success of your book which I am not able to receive due to shipping issues into a war zone lol.
I will keep watching! Bless you my brother and thank you for everything you do. You have a huge heart for all to see.
Wishing you the best!!
My heart hurts for what you are all going through.
Slava Ukraini!
I've donated to the drone fund a few times already, and I'll do it again soon.
I think I'd really like to see some videos on Soviet cuisine, if that's possible. Perhaps some more recipes from that Soviet cookbook you mentioned in the borshtch episode?
I imagine a lot of Soviets would've liked to see some at the time, too. Starvation being bad, and all....😁
I've lived on Oahu my whole life, and I've never heard this story before. I'm glad to learn more. Thank you
Max, I went to Barnes's and Nobel yesterday, and guess whose book was prominently displayed? I wanted to shout, I know that guy! He is a great person. Congratulations Max!
MY FAVORITE DRINK!
So happy someone doing a legit background on it. Many make it the contemporize way
This makes me happy because I cocktail bar I loved at uni for special occasions (The Adamson in St Andrews) would make their mai tai like the true mai tai, rather than the mai tai people know today.
Mai tais are a perfect way to show off different rums, any amount that adds up to 2 oz. I usually do 1 oz Smith & Cross, 0.5 oz Barbary Coast 100 proof rhum agricole, and 0.5 oz Cruzan black rum, all shaken together with the usual specs. The cruzan is made with blackstrap molasses and really brings that heavy dark flavor, mellows the whole thing out and adds a nice extra note in the flavor profile.
Also a drink that works really well with substitutions. The Tia Maria is a delicious tequila version, also a big fan of the Tennessee Mai Tai that uses whiskey. I’ve done it with dry sherry for a lower proof drink and that was also fantastic.
A friend of mine made the first Mai Tai I ever had, perhaps using this traditional recipe. It was delicious. It easily out classes every other Mai Tai I've I tried since. Thank you for posting!
This is crazy, had just gotten into Mai Tais and their history! Perfect timing!
There’s a Trader Vic’s in my city, one of the last designed by Vic and has some of his artwork on the walls. It’s like walking into a time capsule. The Mai Tai is delicious but strong!
All the trivia about Trader Vic's is really interesting. Y'know, the other day I saw a werewolf drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic's.
His hair was *perfect.*
Not only do I enjoy this for my own entertainment, but it gives me the knowledge behind the cocktail to pass on to my bar guests. Sometimes they just want to talk. And I enjoy history so that’s what we’re talking about tonight!
Didn't even realize this came out less than a minute ago
This would have been an excellent opportunity to collab with Greg from 'How to Drink'. The Mai Tai is his favorite drink and he's extolled upon it several times on his channel.
Have you considered making a chronological playlist for your episodes? I for one would love to start as far back in history and possible and work my way forward.
I grew up in Southern California in the 60's/70's. Trader Vic's was my family's favorite restaurant for special occasions. I remember the "Pupu platter". My mom always drank Mai Tais. She loved them so much she named her Yorkshire Terrier "Mai Tai".
I feel like this is foreshadowing a collab with HTD Greg
Max should do an April Fool's episode on "Food of the 1970's" and just have a giant pile of white powder on a mirror. 😁
Things in aspic. Whole fish with olive slices over the eyes. Spicy dishes containing an entire quarter teaspoon of Tabasco sauce.
@@roecocoa Or three drops Tabasco.🤣
drinking history: the three martini lunch
@@gwennorthcutt421 Now _that's_ authentic.
I thought that was the 80s.
Years ago, about 40 now, my brother in law was a manager at Appleton Estates. We had the whole family and friends tour where I discovered the process of making good rum and the joy of AE dark rum. Oh, my. Have used AE rums for everything since then. It was a grand awakening for someone who had previously only had Bacardi.
I always love watching Max's viewpoints and deep dives into the history of the foods and drinks he makes. It's really just so pleasant to get good insights on the truths or iffyness of these things!
Would you be willing to look into Latvian food like piragi and kaposti??? My husband’s family would love it!
Having watched this video, I so want to make this cocktail exactly as is in the video. Thank you so much for doing the research and showing us the exact products, Max!
He didn't make it correctly.
I don't drink but I love listening to you + the history parts
I am so happy you made the decision some years back to do this full time. I watched when you didn’t know which way to go. Aren’t you glad you did? Woowooop👍🏻
My grandfather made Mai Tais at home in the early 1970s. Don't know what was in them, but they look more like the originals than the modern ones.
there's nothing better than hearing Hawaiian names; except to hear Max pronounce them so prettily
I have seen several other people do videos on the History of Tiki drinks, Mai Tais, Don, and Vic. I have also done quite a lot of research myself. While focused on just the Mai Tai, this has to be one of the most accurate videos I have seen on the subject. Well done!
And yet he used the wrong rum in his mai tai.
I absolutely love you, and your channel. Education and fun at its finest.
My own version of the Mai Tai is using the Smugglers Cove recipe, but my rum is a Kraken Dark Rum, I substitute the Curacao with Cointreau and my Orgeat is home made.
I will add a Jamaican rum to this but somehow my country was a little dry on the Appleton Estate, can not find it anywhere.
Always keep it classy max! Cheers up!🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love ya!❤❤❤
Well done again Max! A great follow-up to your epic Luau from Hawaii!! Old Trader Vic would be proud!!
My Dude! This is an absolutely fantastic channel in every way! Thank you for making it.
Had been waiting for a drinking history episode!
Been a busy period, more soonish 🍹
I particularly appreciated your Film Noir impersonation. 😂
Cocktails and their history are so interesting. I enjoyed this history lesson very much!
Hello Max, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the videos that you make. My fiancée and I watch your videos every time they come out. You always put a smile on our face. I hope you and your husband are having a wonderful start of your summer!
Drinking history!
I don't drink a lot of hard liquor anymore. When I bought the orgeat syrup years back for my Mai Tai found it was also really nice with club soda and lime.
Loving the drinking history!😊
Omg the little Tropius plush, I love Tropius so much 😭
And his little banana 🍌
Love your series! thanks for your efforts
That final quote from Vic is allegedly still true, some friends of mine went to Tahiti in 2015 and they returned vowing never to go back and urging others never to go there at all.
I beg to differ. I found Tahiti sunny, the people were delightful and the food was good. Vic sounds like an Ugly American to me. We didn’t go to big tourist spots but rather rented a car and explored on our own or a week.
People are so surprised that it rains a lot in areas that have lush tropical forests. If it doesn't rain a lot, you get California where the hills turn brown by the end of spring. (Not counting the "State of Jefferson" counties that are really the southern end of the Pacific Northwest.)
It sounds delicious, you had me at 'liquid marzipan' 😂 I think it would be nice to hear more about cocktails like this, or maybe, if known, how it happened that first cocktail was made? In my country they are popular when you go to the club or bar, but at home no one I know bothers (but in my friends group only mead, whisky and moonshine are popular, we don't bother with small alcohol percentages if we drink at all), so I think it would be interesting to see how other cultures invented them.
mixing alcohol with other things (often other alcohol) is a habit old as time, but if you want to know about the birth of the modern cocktail, that would be from the prohibition in america. the bootleg liquor and "bathtub gin" (home distilled) would often not taste as good, so mixing with lemonade and stuff became popular. the irish coffee was also made during this time for plausible deniability - they sold the "coffee", laced with whiskey
Got your book today. Excited about trying the recipes. As a former History and English composition instructor at a local community college, I appreciate the historic references. Thank you for producing this wonderful work.
Perfect for summer! I love Island drinks in the early evening after working outside all day.
We need a crossover with how to drink.
1:00 I knew Max was an immortal time traveller; he brought the Hawaiians rum in the 1790s!
Please do a Tasting History about literally any of the food in Alaska. My wife and I honeymooned there for nine days from Fairbanks to Denali to Anchorage and it was nine full days and nights of having your breath taken away.
Awesome another video to watch while I work out at the gym
I'm NGL the more Americana, classico restaurant lore eps like this or the Caesar Salad history really do something for me, really refreshing change of pace from the more archaic recipes
What an excellent way to make a trip to Hawaii into a business expense.
I know a pair of travel agents who started an artisan import business when they closed the travel agency so they could keep expensing trips.
I went golfing on the big island. It was New Year's eve so we went to a sports bar for the evening. I had 7 double mai tais since I was very thirsty and each had both light and dark rum layered at the bottom. The fruit juice etc was all above that. Luckily we were staying at a condo across the street. Our food bill was about 70$ for 4 of us, the drink bill was around $240. (This was in the early 80's) When we wobbled back into our condo, I drank a full quart of water. Then went to sleep and felt fine in the morning. My friends who had had a variety of drinks were too overhung to get out of bed.
I love it when you do cocktails! Thanks Max!
As someone born, raised & living in Hawaii, I’ve honestly never had a single Mai Tai before. I really ought to try at least one.
The mai tai has never been a favorite for the reasons you listed a modern twists, but this gives me a reason to do an empirical study on this recipe. I gotta find out if I perfer it and try the Kuleana Rum, right 😂.
Let us know what you find!
@@PhotonBeast I'm checking out how to get the rum locally before I see about ordering online, but I will give an update.
I stumbled upon this channel by accident can’t remember what I fell asleep watching but I woke up to ur titanic video and have binged watched ever since. I love history and food and more importantly I love how u make ur videos bro. If I have a bad or good day I’m watching ur vids even if I already watched them. Something about them calms me, thank you.
I went to the Trader Vic's in Emeryville, it was pretty nice! I also found out that there's going to be a Trader Vic's opening in West Hollywood in a few years. Great that there's a place like Vic's that's been around mostly unchanged for decades.
Another original vs different drink I'd like to see is the Singapore sling. The raffles recipe is much different than what my dad drank in the 70's and 80's, and apparently varied from bar to bar.
TOTALLY! The 40s Raffles version is a beautifully crafted cocktail. The disco/fern-bar era overly fruity-sweet version is basically a pineapple jolly rancher. Dreadful.
now that's a tasty thumbnail lime
It was quite a hit to see the bottle of Trader Vic's Mai Tai mix. My Dad was the plant chemist for a specialty food packing company in Oakland that made and bottled that mix in the 60s for Trader Vic. Since he needed to take regular samples and test them for consistency with the recipe, he'd pull a random bottle off the line, take it into the lab, pour out a few milliliters to test, and put the cap back on. When he was done with testing, he'd put the bottles out in the lunchroom for the employees to take, if they wanted. Most of those ended up coming home (which we didn't mind), as people were very nervous about taking anything that had "been in the lab." I mean, who knows what bizarre rituals might have been done to them? Worked out for us. We got Vic's Hot Buttered Rum and Tom & Jerry batter before Xmas. Sometimes we'd even get most of a #10 can of Trader Vic's Javanese Dressing. I think that wasn't for sale--it was packed for the restaurant. It was wonderful! Fresh green onions and ginger, soy sauce, red wine (I think).
I had a "refresher" on the Mai Tai when I first went to Hawai'i about 2003. Aloha Airlines (RIP) served complimentary (!!) Mai Tais, starting pretty much as soon as you got off the ground. Maybe that's why they went bust? Truly the "spirit of Aloha!"
I grew up in San Francisco and one of my parents’ favorite restaurants was Tiki Bob’s. They had a cocktail called the Scorpion and they brought it out in a large bowl with straws so everyone could share. I got a straw although I was underage. It was so good, a rum drink that was sorta sweet with fruit juices like a Mai Tai. Takes me back…
You cut a cross in the base of the lime shell, then invert the shell and shove the sprig of mint into the cut cross, then put the lime shell onto the top of the crushed ice in the glass. It then looks like a little deserted island with a single palm tree growing out of the crown of the island. :) and obviously has a straw to drink around the island garnish. That's how I serve my original maitais. (and I can't be bothered with Orgeat, so I just add two small drops of almond essence instead).
You can't be bothered to go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of orgeat for 7 bucks?
And the orgeat has the sugar in it that is necessary to balance the cocktail.
@@jimklemens5018 I've never seen a grocery store with Orgeat! :) Mind you, I live in the UK - not noted for it's cocktail culture. I use sugar syrup. :D
@@amcconnell6730 If your grocery store doesn't have any orgeat (almond) syrup, you can make it yourself:
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 cup sugar
Heat on the stove until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract. If you want to get fancy, add 1/4 teaspoon of orange blossom water and 1/4 teaspoon of rose water.
I absolutely loved this video, Max. Tiki drinks are such a fascinating thing to study between the cultural appropriation and the overall insane storytelling lifestyle that was Vic Bergeron.
Thank you for making this video, and for being an incredible historian.
But, is it cultural appropriation if the drinks are of entirely new recipe?
Just because it uses flavors or inspiration from a culture doesn't mean they were appropriated.
Otherwise you would have to say anything that uses potatoes, corn, or tomatoes in their recipes is culturally appropriated from the Americas.
Or anything showcasing the complexity of ginger or the versatility of rice being culturally appropriated from Asia.
@@DH-xw6jp I was referring less to the drink itself and more to the overall falsehoods of what Tiki bars represented - and in particular the fantasy lands Donn Beach and Trader Vic passed off as Polynesian culture. :)
@@SquarePegs but you specifically said "tiki _drinks"_ was fascinating to study, not tiki bars.
@@DH-xw6jp Yes, let's get hung up in the semantics of it after I explained what I meant to say.
@@SquarePegs but that's just it.
I was responding to what you _actually said,_ not what you "meant" to say.
It was you that decided to move the goal posts.
Max we appreciate that you are making the website yourself and not your 'brand team'. We are fans because your are still a real humans.
I always wondered what a Mai Tai tasted like. Thank you for making this Max, along with the history of the drink as well 😊 I look forward to the history portion of your videos.. it’s always so detailed and fascinating! 😊❤
Why is there a king that's name is like the power been in Dragon ball? XD kamehameha
Drinking History, Hawaii (feat. Hawaiian Shirt) and Drinks? What a fun vacation! Is it ok if I invite my friends too?
Let’s go 🏝️
Trader Vic's in SF was our favorite place to go when I was a kid (I was born in 1951) As a family we went to nice restaurants by the way- Trader Vic's or the Clift House. Anyway, at Vic's they made the salad at your table and that salad dressing was sold in local grocery stores and a staple in our house.
SOOO happy you covered this recipe!!
My family has long had an affinity for tiki bars and vintage Hawaii, and conveniently, one of my aunts has lived just off the beach on Oahu for the last 40-odd years. Due to this, any time somebody in the family dies we rent a boat, chuck the cremated remains in the ocean then head back in for a few rounds of tiki drinks, usually mai tais and chi chis. Consequently, they taste like funerals to me. However, because we have ridiculously fun funerals that involve very little actual mourning and truly are a celebration, this is a delightful thing!
I was hoping for a kava/'awa drinking history episode, but I can't fault you for going with the Mai Tai. Kava can be most charitably described as an acquired taste, and I say that as a person who loves the stuff.
New viewer/subscriber here but a lifelong rum fan and the best amateur bartender I know. Thanks for the history and thanks for the great production values of your channel.
I really love researching and making old cocktails! I'll make this this weekend!