Trader Vic's Premium Original Recipe Mai Tai Mix
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I’ll admit I had a real bias against Mai Tai mixes. Maybe it was all the really poor Mai Tais over the years, or just denial that it could be done right. Ok, I’ll repent. Forgive me Trader Vic!

Trader Vic’s Premium Original Recipe Mai Tai Mix is available at better liquor and beverage stores. This is the mix used with ice cubes, rather than crushed ice. The color of the mix is a deep gold color, and it looks very natural and organic. The mix tastes fresh, testament to the quality of ingredients as well as the glass (rather than plastic) bottle it comes in. We used the high-quality Appleton Rum to test this mix with.   Original Recipe Mix is available at better liquor and grocery stores for less than $4 per bottle.

To make a Mai Tai using Premium Original, you use four ounces of mix with two ounces of rum along with the juice of one lime. This is a very good ratio. You can taste the rum, but instead of tasting too strong, it combines perfectly with mix to create a smooth, sweet concoction. The mix also comes with recipes for a Mai Tai Wine Cooler as well as a non-alcoholic Mai Tai.

We’re not too proud to say that of all the Mai Tais we have drank so far (including some made from scratch using the original recipe), Premium Original suits us the best (so far...). Far better, of course, than many of the lousy Mai Tais we’ve had at bars and restaurants, but also better than any Mai Tai we’ve had.That’s right, better than the Mai Tais served in the Trader Vic’s restaurant itself. Those Mai Tais use a different mix which is a higher concentrate and a different color. Maybe we just prefer cubes versus crushed ice. You will not be disappointed by the Premium Original Recipe mix.

The atmosphere rating supposes that you sip your Mai Tai with the proper mood accouterments; a sunset, a hammock, or a Martin Denny record.

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Atmosphere:
Date Visited: October 19, 1998
Reviewed By: Kevin Crossman