THE BIRTH OF THE ORIGINAL MAI TAI

Though others have stepped forward to claim the credit, steal some thunder or try to appropriate his legend, the simple fact is that there was only one Victor J. "Trader Vic" Bergeron --- the world traveler and world-class Epicurean whose adventures and achievements earned him the title, "The Trader."

He was the one who created the bracingly refreshing rum cocktail known as the Mai Tai. The Trader first concocted his Mai Tai in 1944 in his Oakland, California restaurant, using a bottle of 17-year-old J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica, an unusually amber, medium-textured but hardy rum.

In creating his new cocktail, Trader Vic employed what was becoming the ever-present hallmark of all his food and beverage recipes; a light touch, meant to enhance but never disguise nor overpower the fine original taste of his main ingredients.

Carefully seasoning the rum with a fresh lime, Dutch Orange Curacao, a hint of Rack Candy Syrup and a dollop of French Orgeat, The Trader gave the drink a delicate suggestion of almond: poured over shaved ice, vigorously hand-shaken and decorated with a sprig of fresh mint, the Mai Tai was born---but not yet named.

That delightful task fell to Tahiti native Carrie Guild, who, with her husband, Ham, was among the Trader's ever expanding universe of friends from all over the world. Carrie took one sip of the new drink and said, "Mai Tai, Roa Ae," which, in her native tongue, meant roughly, "Out of this world, the best." How could Trader Vic not call his invention the Mai Tai?

Throughout the rest of the 1940's, the Mai Tai's popularity grew throughout the western United States. Then, in the late 1940's, The Trader introduced his Mainland-made drink to Hawaii through his work for the Matson Steamship Lines. The Mai Tai rapidly became the preferred cocktail on the Islands, causing some quasi-historians to believe, as the years passed, that the Mai Tai originated there and was brought to the continental U.S.!

These days, The Trader's original Mai Tai is available in all 30 Trader Vic's restaurants throughout the world. The bottled mix is available at finer food and beverage stores and HERE at www.tradervicsgourmet.com.

	MAI TAI MIX LITER
	Item #: 62360 Created half a century ago, but as bracingly contemporary as ever, this is The Trader's original formula - and the most ...  [read more]
	Price: $5.75	Qty: