Not to insult the mighty margarita and its supporters, because I like 'em plenty, but I'm going to assume that the people voting for them over mai tais also consider Aztecca to be good Mexican food.
Not to insult the mighty margarita and its supporters, because I like 'em plenty, but I'm going to assume that the people voting for them over mai tais also consider Aztecca to be good Mexican food.
Look, it's pretty hard to top a well crafted marg on the rock with all the top shelf ingredients. In my house we go through gallons and gallons of Sauza Horinitos Repasado. BUT nothing says I'm on vacation and really to chillax like a stiff ass mai tai.
Don’t like Mai Tais but have to give props to the Eastern European bartender at Earls. She finished them off with 151. Not good tasting, but did the trick
Here's the thing - this is an amazing drink category. It's essentially the 'good yummy' drinks category.
In this category the Mai Tai is really undeniable. My three favorite drinks are: Manhattan, Mai Tai, Daiquiri.
The unfortunate reality of the modern world is that no one really knows what any of these things are.
Mai Tai is 2oz Jamaican Rum 1oz Lime Juice .25 Strong Simple Syrup .5 Curacao (which basically just isn't available in the form it originally existed in) .5 Orgeat
At my illegal bar we made them: 1.5oz Smith and Cross .5oz Zaya 12 year (which the whole formula has now changed) 1oz Lime .75 Orgeat (made it) .5 Curacao (we got a good --40%ABV-- triple sec and added Regan's Orange bitters and some sugar - it's the closest you can get).
The recipe you should use for a daiquiri is:
2oz Flor de Cana 4 (white) 1oz lime juice (.75 if you like less tart) 1tbsp SUPER FINE sugar (if you don't use superfine it doesn't dissolve right)
If you do this and shake it, double strain, then serve it up, it is incredible.
---
One of the really difficult things about drinking in the USA is that after prohibition cocktail culture got destroyed in America.
I mean, we had a 12 year or whatever ban on it and during/since that time so much has changed. Booze changed proofs, tastes changed, brands went out of business, etc...
Basically bartender went from a guild-style profession to a tips-driven crowd management profession.
99% of bartenders you will encounter literally don't know how to make 10 drinks correctly. It's a weird state of affairs.
I'm not a cocktail nerd because I love being fancy (many 'craft' cocktails, I abhor), but just because when you have drinks that have been correctly made they make sense and are good. For me it was like 'oh wow, THIS is why this exists. oh, damn, it's good'.
One thing me and my snobby cocktail friends like to do is go to bars and order daiquiris and just see what we get. We have a collection of pictures. If the bartender asks for guidance we just say 'oh, whatever you think is best'. It's insane to see the variation.
Because the actual drink is CUBAN STYLE RUM (Daiquiri Beach in Cuba is what the fucking drink is named for), fresh lime juice and sugar. And that's it. It's an interesting perversion that it has come to mean something else to people.
I think we are in an interesting time for drinking. It's kind of like what happened to food over the past 30 years. We came out of the hell that was the 70s where everything was canned and the American dream was to have everything be microwaveable, frozen or instant...
Drinking is still mostly in that state. But it's changing pretty rapidly (as food did) because there is some recognition (you see it here) - you don't have to be a category expert to understand that whatever they serve as a daiquiri at Applebees isn't as good as it should be.
@Dennis_DeYoung just picked up some almond syrup and locally made Orange Curaçao that is 35%
Watching a Food Fact or Fiction show on Food Network about the invention of the mai tai and the hated rivalry between Trader Vic and Donn Beach on who actually invented the damn thing.
Watching a Food Fact or Fiction show on Food Network about the invention of the mai tai and the hated rivalry between Trader Vic and Donn Beach on who actually invented the damn thing.
Next up, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
I just made the DDY recipe. God damned delicious. Way better than the shitty Rose Bowl Mai Tais.
Watching a Food Fact or Fiction show on Food Network about the invention of the mai tai and the hated rivalry between Trader Vic and Donn Beach on who actually invented the damn thing.
Next up, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
I just made the DDY recipe. God damned delicious. Way better than the shitty Rose Bowl Mai Tais.
The Rose Bowl Mai Tais were free though and got the job done.
Watching a Food Fact or Fiction show on Food Network about the invention of the mai tai and the hated rivalry between Trader Vic and Donn Beach on who actually invented the damn thing.
Next up, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
I just made the DDY recipe. God damned delicious. Way better than the shitty Rose Bowl Mai Tais.
The Rose Bowl Mai Tais were free though and got the job done.
Comments
crushedmuddled.Next up, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls