Kona Mai Tais
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Iconic, tropical deliciousness that speaks of the charm of Polynesia, with every sip. A little sweet, a little sour, a rummy pow! Okole Maluna! Or when I'm not in Kona, Bottoms Up!
Mai Tais are fun. Mai Tais are dreamily tropical. Mai Tais are sublimely potent. Mai Tais whisper Hawaiian sweet nothings, every darn time. A-LO-HA!
"Trader Vic" Bergeron claimed to have invented the Mai Tai in 1944, at his restaurant, Trader Vic's in Oakland California.
"In 1953 Trader Vic brought the Mai Tai to the Hawaiian Islands, when he was asked by the Matson Steamship Lines to formalize drinks for the bars at their Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels. Any old Kama'aina can tell you about this drink and of it's rapid spread throughout the Islands."
I say, "Mahalo nui loa, Trader Vic!"
To me Mai Tais and Hawaii just go together. It's just the way it is. Might I add, Mai Tai tastings at any of the various restaurants and beach bars on any of the Islands is mahvelously, tastily, delightful.
When we are in Kona, one of my favorite spots to sip Mai Tais, oceanside while listening to good Island tunes, is Don's Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Kona Resort. "I'll have a 'flight' of Mai Tais, please!" Ta da! I usually smile out loud, even before I start sipping. Cheers!
And, might I add, though, of course, Mai Tais are perfectamundo when vacationing in beguiling tropical places, they always go over well at summer time BBQ's, picnics and parties, back home. Or sometimes around Christmas when everyone is dreaming 'white', it's way too fun to throw on John Cruz, Bruddah Iz or Jack Johnson, and get to luau-ing. Jingle those bells!
As you can probably guess, from our blessed years of living on the Big Island, as well as sneaking away to Kona, whenever we can, I have had way too much fun experimenting, and playing around, with Mai Tai ingredients. A damn fine heady pursuit of excellence, if I do say so myself! And though I do still like to change things up a bit, from time to time, this recipe has pretty much become my go-to. Go-to for friends and family, for Island or Okanagan gatherings, or just for moi.
My Mai Tai test kitchen has been busy this week. Just in the last few days it came to be that mai tais had to be made, to make sure this recipe was just right, for you. So, in the last couple of days Kona Mai Tais were savoured, celebrated and lingered over, on a big, wonderful, gecko-tickled, oceanview lanai, up mauka. Okole maluna! (bottoms up!)
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KONA MAI TAIS ~ Makes 1 cocktail
1 1/2 ounces Gold Rum
1-2 ounces Pineapple juice
1 ounce fresh squeezed Lime juice
1 ounce Disaronno (Amaretto)
1/2 ounce Curacao, Triple Sec, or Grand Marnier
1 ounce Dark Rum
Mix gold rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, Disaronno and Curacao in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shakey, shake, shake. Strain into ice-filled glass (Tiki glasses are fun!). Slowly pour in dark rum, so it floats. Garnish, all Islandy. Aloha!