{"id":3916,"date":"2012-05-19T15:45:01","date_gmt":"2012-05-19T19:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/?p=3916"},"modified":"2024-03-14T18:53:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T22:53:39","slug":"mai-kai-cocktail-review-tasty-tahitian-breeze-is-packed-with-tropical-flavors-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/2012\/05\/19\/mai-kai-cocktail-review-tasty-tahitian-breeze-is-packed-with-tropical-flavors-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Mai-Kai cocktail review: Tasty Tahitian Breeze is packed with tropical flavors, history"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated March 2024<\/em>
\nSee below:<\/B> Our Tahitian Breeze review<\/A> | Ancestor recipes<\/A> | Tribute recipe<\/A>
\nRelated:<\/B> Mai-Kai cocktail guide<\/A><\/p>\n

Though it appears on the surface to be a simple, light and breezy rum drink, The Mai-Kai’s Tahitian Breeze is actually a complex creation with roots that date back some 90 years to the world’s first Tiki cocktails.<\/p>\n

\"Tahitian<\/div>\n

A close cousin of the Hidden Pearl<\/a> in both look and taste, the Tahitian Breeze evolved from Donn Beach’s Tahitian Rum Punch, one of the original drinks served at Don the Beachcomber<\/a> in Hollywood, Calif., in the 1930s.<\/p>\n

Mariano Licudine<\/a>, who created The Mai-Kai’s original 1956-57 menu,<\/a> started working for Donn Beach<\/a> in 1939 in Hollywood, then spent 16 years at the Don the Beachcomber in Chicago. So he most likely knew the Tahitian Rum Punch very well as it evolved over the years.<\/p>\n

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Below are two distinctly different ancestor recipes, plus a tribute that pulls elements from both. Though it tastes deceivingly simple and balanced, the Tahitian Breeze is a prime example of a Donn Beach “rum rhapsody,” a perfectly orchestrated concerto of exotic flavors. <\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Tahitian<\/a><\/div>\n

The official menu description<\/FONT><\/I><\/p>\n

TAHITIAN BREEZE<\/b>
<\/p>\n

One of the classic tropical drink creations, a delightfully refreshing blend of light rum, passion fruit and fresh juices.<\/p>\n

Okole Maluna Society review and rating<\/B><\/p>\n

\"Tahitian<\/a>
Tahitian Breeze. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, November 2010)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Size:<\/B> Small<\/p>\n

Potency:<\/B> Medium<\/p>\n

Flavor profile:<\/B> A melange of tangy (passion fruit, guava), sweet (vanilla, banana, honey), and strong (light and gold rum) flavors.<\/p>\n

Review:<\/B> A very complex and intense array of flavors lurk beneath a sweet facade. The result is perfectly balanced, very similar to the Hidden Pearl.<\/a><\/p>\n

Rating:<\/B> 3 1\/2 out of 5 stars (see how it ranks)<\/a><\/p>\n

Ancestry:<\/B> An descendant of an early 1930s Don the Beachcomber cocktail, the Tahitian Rum Punch, the Tahitian Breeze dates back to The Mai-Kai’s original 1956 menu.<\/p>\n

Bilge:<\/b> At The Mai-Kai, it’s possible to be seated in the Tahiti dining room and have a Tahitian Breeze cocktail along with the Tahitian Cheese Tangs appetizer, then savor the Lobster Tahitienne entree, and end your evening with a Tahitian Coffee<\/A>.<\/p>\n

Agree or disagree? Share your reviews and comments below!<\/a><\/B>
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ANCESTOR RECIPES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>
Two versions of the Tahitian Rum Punch by The Atomic Grog. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, May 2012)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tahitian Rum Punch<\/strong>
\n(By Don the Beachcomber<\/a>, from Beachbum Berry’s Intoxica<\/I><\/a> and Remixed<\/I><\/a>)<\/p>\n