Latest news with #Deadshot
The Spinoff
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The Mai Tai: How it's made and where to find a good one
Cocktail lover and restaurant host Kate Underwood on a drink you've probably seen on menus, but possibly never tried. Imagine creating a cocktail so good that it drank the world dry – of rum at least. That's exactly what Victor 'Trader Vic' Bergeron did in 1944 in Oakland, California when he poured the very first Mai Tai. Come with me to uncover more about this beverage and to try a few too. Origins Victor Bergeron first created the Mai Tai to celebrate the richness of a bold 17-year-old Jamaican rum, blended at the time by & Nephew. As the tale goes, Bergeron mixed the drink for Tahitian friends who were visiting him. After one sip his friend yelled 'Maita'i roa a'e' meaning 'out of this world, the best!' and so, the Mai Tai was named. Ingredients I'm a cocktail fan and they're a big part of what we offer at Forest – the Auckland restaurant I co-own and host alongside chef Plabita Florence. Even so, I realised I didn't know much about rum. In looking into the Mai Tai though, I've learnt that dark rum is made from fermenting molasses and water. It darkens with age, taking on flavours from the bourbon and oak barrels where it's stored. White rum is the filtered, un-aged version, used in mojitos and daiquiris. Lighter again is rhum agricole, made from fresh sugarcane juice. It's grassier, more vegetal and is crafted predominantly in Martinique. In some Mai Tai recipes, a combination of these are used. And what else is in the Mai Tai? Dry Curacao, specifically Pierre Ferrand, a brandy-based spirit made with candied orange and bitter peel, which imparts citrus notes. Orgeat is next. Pronounced 'or-zha' or 'or-zhaht', this creamy almond-based syrup is infused with orange blossom, which adds a fatty mouthfeel. Fresh lime juice is essential and sometimes simple syrup is added for balance. Crushed ice is served high in a mound like a snow cone for aesthetics and to help with dilution. To finish, the Mai Tai is generally garnished with a lime half and sprig of mint to represent an island and a palm tree. In the Pacific, mixologists often add pineapple juice and exuberant garnishes for sweeter palates. Where to try a Mai Tai If metaphorically escaping to a tropical island sounds particularly enticing right now, you're in luck. The rum scene in Aotearoa has blossomed over the last decade. If you want to drink great rum in Tāmaki Makaurau you'll find it in venues like Deadshot, Bar Mea, Captain's Bar, Panacea and Pineapple Bar. If you're in Pōneke, head to Hawthorne, and in Ōtautahi both Casa Publica and Austin Club have great rum offerings. I went along to three Auckland spots to try this special cocktail and to learn more about how it's made. These three bars have joined forces with Appleton Estate, to create a Mai Tai to commemorate National Mai Tai Day (August 30th) which began in Oakland, the birthplace of the cocktail. These specials will be on offer for all of August. Here's what I thought about them: Deadshot My Mai Tai adventure began on a Sunday afternoon in Ponsonby at Deadshot. Bar manager Taite Malty believes that 'people often try cheap, poor quality rum in their youth, but there are more styles than most of us have heard of making it super versatile.' Fellow barman Peter has some serious cocktail knowledge, explaining that 'with classic cocktails, half the fun is the story'. The rum of choice for Deadshot's Mai Tai special is the Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 2003. It clocks in at 63% ABV which is far stronger than the standard 40%. Just one tiny sip of this rum, which is barrel-aged for 18 years, made my cheeks instantly warm. It's fiery in a non-abrasive way, backed up with a smooth sweetness. With 45ml of this special rum, this Mai Tai is a strong brew, but it's expertly balanced with nutty, zingy flavours from the freshly squeezed lime juice which is kept for no more than five hours. The orgeat is made in-house here with almond milk and sugar. It's infused with orange blossom and almond essence. Grand Marnier offers the orange curacao component. Deadshot's Mai Tai is finished off with an elaborate garnish of lemon, orange, mint and cherry which all add to the fragrance. This cocktail kept developing as it sat, getting smoother, more fruity as the ice melted. Captain's Bar Next I headed to Wynyard Quarter. Tucked inside the Park Hyatt is the luxuriously cosy Captain's Bar. With a whopping 70 rums onsite, their rum menu is broken into fruity, oaky, floral and spiced sections. Assistant manager Sura Basnet introduced me to their Mai Tai which she described as more feminine in design – New Zealand botanicals like mānuka honey and kawakawa are used alongside their house-made pistachio orgeat. Captain's Bar's Mai Tai is built around Appleton Estate Signature and the eight-year-old Reserve, which is pre-batched and poured over a single large ice cube. The absence of crushed ice really allows the smooth texture to be fully appreciated. The drink is milk-clarified, a process which removes impurities resulting in a crystal clear liquid. The solids leftover are then turned into the garnish – a disc of pistachio and milk powder tuile, delicately perched on the rim. To finish, this Mai Tai is topped with a maraschino cherry and a tiny sprig of mint, an ode to the traditional island and palm tree garnish. I liked this sweeter, more delicate approach, and the way the honey and pistachio both came through. Bar Mea 'People are finding rum again,' Jonny Park, general manager of Bar Mea, explained to me when I arrived. We sat outside looking out over the Viaduct. Bar Mea is one of very few venues serving the Appleton Estate 17-Year-Old Legend. This rum was crafted by head brewer Joy Spence to emulate the 1940s & Nephew rum that inspired the original Mai Tai. With only 1500 bottles produced globally in 2022, they are packaged in boxes decorated with hummingbirds, which frequently visit the distillery in the Nassou Valley in Jamaica. Jonny generously let me try a drop of this special nectar. It smelt like spiced caramel, and was both blazing yet delicate on the palate, a welcome contrast to the brisk winter breeze. Bar Mea has not one but three Mai Tai's on offer this month. The first is for rum aficionados. It's made with a generous 60ml pour of this rare spirit, is served in a blue bespoke mug you can take home and rings in at $115. The second is a classic take on the 1944 original, and the third is a hot-buttered rum where the lime is replaced with cinnamon. I tried the second, served in a green ceramic tiki-style mug, it was delicious and full of revitalising freshness. I'm confident you couldn't go wrong, whichever one you choose. Turns out I've been unknowingly bypassing the Mai Tai on drinks menus for years. As the Captain's Bar menu rightly suggests, 'raise a glass and let your taste voyage begin' – the Mai Tai is a mid-winter escape in a glass.
Geek Dad
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – Secret Six #4: Cats and Shots
Secret Six #4 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: So far, most of Secret Six has been dedicated to the story of the trio of young heroes who were ripped apart by Absolute Power – Jon Kent, Jay Nakamura, and Nia Nal. But now they're separated, with Nia captured by Checkmate along with Deadshot and Black Alice, and Jay using his intangibility to stay one step ahead of them and infiltrate the base where they're being taken. As for Jon, he made the tricky decision to escape with Catman last issue – and now the two unlikely allies have to make their way back to their friends. The main threat at the start of the issue is Jeanette, probably the most obscure member of the Secret Six but a character Maines obviously likes. She's a banshee, whose inhuman form is like something out of a horror movie. And her wail has a lot more to it than just sound – it's essentially a pained song of grief about her horrific execution centuries ago. Close shave. Via DC Comics. But the heart of this issue is between Catman and the young Superman, as they try to stay under the radar and get back to the base before it's too late. Catman's always been a great character ever since Gail Simone got her hands on him way back when, and his snarky, gruff nature makes him a perfect fit for Jon's more optimistic personality. We knew that there was some sort of nasty falling-out with his mate Deadshot before this series began, and the issue finally lets us in on that secret – and people who felt there might be something more going on between these two than we thought will be very happy to read this issue. Catman's been one of the DCU's more UTR queer characters for a while, although he did have a great Pride story in one of the previous anthologies. Overall, this title hits on the same thing that made the first Secret Six run work so well – the oddball mix of personalities. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Geek Dad
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Review – Secret Six #3: Betrayal in Checkmate
Secret Six #3 cover, via DC Comics. Ray: I love it when comics manage to combine concepts that should never work together. Nicole Maines' Secret Six is a follow-up from the Gail Simone run and Tom Taylor's Suicide Squad in a lot of ways, but it's also a fascinating look at the dysfunctional dynamics in DC's teen heroes right now – which makes it the best successor to the Teen Titans franchise DC has had in a long time. The core trio of Jon Kent, Jay Nakamura, and Nia Nal have enough issues with each other to fill a magazine rack at this point, and Black Alice is mainly there to stir some shit and enjoy the chaos. And now they have to infiltrate a Checkmate gathering, one where Amanda Waller's fate is being determined as powerful players try to get her power and positions back – and the two factions of the team have completely different intentions for what comes next. And it's all about to come to the fore in the messiest way possible. Cloak and dagger. Via DC Comics. Of course, there are some other characters here too – Catman and Deadshot – and they have some issues to work out too. There are some fascinating reveals about exactly what happened to Deadshot when he was dead (when he wasn't a zombie over in Task Force Z), that calls into harsh relief the stakes they're playing with here. This issue also has a great edge to it, as the characters were all wronged by Amanda Waller's regime in one way or another and all have their own idea of what justice looks like. As things fall apart between Jon and Nia as he realizes just how far she's willing to go, we start to even see some common ground between her and the vengeful Jay. There isn't all that much plot advancement in this issue, but there's some great character work and a twist ending that hints at the return of a major player from the Gail Simone run – which is more than enough to make me excited for the next issue. To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week. GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
