Everyone has drunk them. They are served in many different variations with ever-changing decoration in various drinking vessels. We will devote only a short time to the Mai Tai - but all the more to the Tiki cocktails.
The end of Prohibition in 1933 triggered the start of the Tiki era. During the 13 years of prohibition, Americans travelled to countries near the border, such as Canada (whisky) and especially the Caribbean (rum). Now alcohol could be distilled in their own country again and suddenly no one was interested in rum any more.
Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (Gantt is best known as Donn Beach) took advantage of this opportunity to get rich on rum and opened the famous Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Hollywood. Donn, who was born in Texas in 1907, travelled a lot in the Caribbean and the Pacific region. This is how he got to know the relaxed lifestyle, which he then brought into his restaurant.
There was the first Tiki Bar in the world and exotic food (modified Cantonese and Polynesian cuisine) was offered. Rum was mixed with flavoured syrups and fresh juices and drinks like the Hurricane, Painkiller and Zombie were created. In the 1930s, this was something new in Los Angeles and the restaurant/bar quickly became a place-to-be.
In 1934, "Trader" Vic Bergeron also opened a similar bar in Oakland, which was called Hinky Drink's and renamed Trader Vic's in 1937. Polynesian cocktails and food were also offered there. Both bar operators managed to turn it into a franchise and expanded worldwide.
Mai Tai
What else do Trader Vic & Donn Beach have in common? They both claim to have invented the Mai Tai. There are many myths and stories around this topic and the most famous is that Trader Vic mixed the Mai Tai for his friends from Tahiti. They enthusiastically shouted "Mai Tai Roa Ae!" which translates as "This is not of this world!".
And finally . . .
...a little fact about cocktail umbrellas. These became popular in the 1930s and were supposed to protect the ice cream from the sunshine on relaxing days at the beach so that it wouldn't melt so quickly. We'll leave it open whether this is actually the case...
