The search for the perfect Mai Tai: April 2013

I started to really think about which tiki bar I would talk about first. I think it’s only appropriate to start with the classics!

Stop #1 on my tiki journey is a little spot on the Pacific Coast Highway named Don The Beachcomber. A friendly place that is usually quiet during the day but definitely picks up at night. The origins of the restaurant can be found here Don the Beachcomber Wiki. This location actually has been there since the 20s but was originally called "Sam's Seafood"; it changed titles for about a year and was known as "Kona" before recently joining the Beachcomber Chain. The service is great with just about everyone checking in with you to make sure everything is all right. There are 2 parts of the location. One part is a restaurant room and the other part is the actual bar. They also have 2 banquet rooms for social events.

The tie this company has to the Mai Tai is a long one. While Don had claimed he invented the Mai Tai, a certain fellow restaunteur by the name of Trader Vic claimed he was the one who created this tiki staple. They were friendly enemies throughout their careers. According to the Bartending wiki this is as close to the original Don The Beachcomber's recipe as it gets:

Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai

This version is much closer to what Don the Beachcomber served in his restaurants. It can be garnished with various fruits, as in the above recipe. Falernum is flavored Caribbean syrup with a very different taste from the Orgeat syrup used in the Maitai #1.

Ingredients

· 2 oz (or 1/4 cup) water

· 3/4 oz or 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1 oz or 2 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice

· 1 oz or 2 tablespoons sugar syrup

· 1 oz or 2 tablespoons dark rum

· 1-1/2 oz or 3 tablespoons golden rum

· 1/2 oz or 1 tablespoon Cointreau or triple Sec

· 1/4 oz or 1/2 tablespoon Falernum syrup

· 2 dashes or scant 1/2 teaspoon Angostura bitters

· 1 dash or scant 1/4 teaspoon Pernod or other anisette-flavored pastis

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a tall highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fruits and serve with a straw.

Of course I’m sure the recipe is much different. I don’t really care for whoever invented it first but as you can see there are quite a few ingredients that go into this drink. Because there are so many different versions of the Mai Tai recipe for me it is about finding the recipe that creates the most balance. The drink is also very sweet. Upon my first visit, I ordered a Mai Tai and what stood out to me the most is the initial bitter flavor from the grapefruit. After... I felt maybe my drink was a little too sweet and bitter for my liking. I will always say that the Trader Vic's Mai Tai is the best I have ever had until I find a better one. My trip was not wasted - I love the laid back atmosphere of the midday crowd and its perfect for those days when you just want to take a long lunch and have some cocktails.

Unfortunately for my wallet, whenever I go to a tiki restaurant I can't just have one drink! I had 3 other drinks on other visits while I was there and I have to say their Jungle Jetsetter is simply delicious. This is another sweet drink but to me has the after taste of cherry juice that is refreshing. I also like to pair it with the pulled pork and sweet potato fries.

Another tiki ritual is the mug it comes in! On my last visit I went up to the bar and saw the barrel. Now there is a drink called the Barrel but I wanted my last drink of the day to be something I was familiar with. I ordered the barrel with the Don's improved Hurricane. The drink was pretty good. Any alcohol was barely tasted but that didn’t matter because I got my drink in a barrel.

Check out my pics and if you are in the SoCal area I highly suggest this restaurant. I can do without their mai tai but they have delicious drinks that will definitely make up for that. I have also had the scorpion and the vicious virgin. The scorpion definitely packs a punch where the vicious virgin just maybe a weaker version of it.