For my birthday, The Queen Of The World got me (among other things) a really interesting book:
It's way more interesting than you might think. For example, if there hadn't been rum, there very well may not have been an American Revolution. Really.
The book charts the history from the early funky and maybe undrinkable stuff to how rum conquered the New World in the early twentieth century - and how Prohibition almost changed it into something unrecognizable.
But it ends on a high note, with Tiki drinks - particularly the Mai Tai - is a chapter that is clearly a love letter to the lost Tiki Bar era. It's great fun, and great entertainment. This book comes highly recommended.
And the original Trader Vic Mai Tai is nothing like what you get in a bar today, unless you seek out one of the few great old Tiki Bars that Curtis writes about. But we do have a recipe from Trader Vic, highlighted in this excellent Tasting History video from Max Miller:
Both book and video are heartily recommended, Me Hearties.
9 comments:
Looks like a fun read. And it belongs on my bookshelves between two other very fun books:
A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage and
Steak, by Mark Schatzker, subtitled One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef.
Happy Birthday!
What no Dad joke?
Rum a way to upsell cane sugar.
Greg, I really enjoyed "The History Of The World In Six Glasses."
Same idea, and rum was one of the glasses.
- Borepatch
Happy belated Birthday young feller!
If there was no rum, what would the British sailors have gotten instead of their "rum ration"? without the rum ration, would Britain have been able to rule the seas?
I can recommend Zaya rum from Trinidad if you want to try it neat or on the rocks. For Rum and Coke - I like Mount Gay, it is not "too good" to mix, and I like the hint of vanilla in it.
I will have to try the Mai Tai recipe, that was a good video history lesson. I didn't know the origin of the name, but I disagree with Trader Vic -- Tahiti is a beautiful place.
I cannot bring myself to mix aged sipping rums.
Zacapa 23 is at the top of my list. Neat.
I will mix rums that are aged up to 8 yrs. Up to 12 yrs aged, mixing depends.
And, happy birthday.
Smuggler's Cove, a rum bar in San Francisco, also published a good self titled rum book.
I went to the Trader Vic's in San Fran that created the Mai Tai. I had to get one. I don't like the Mai Tai in general, but love other rum drinks. Didn't like the O.G. Mai Tai, but recognized it as a good Mai Tai.
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