Oakland: Home of the Mai Tai (Not Just the Drive-By)

Written By Will Viharo
Mano, Andre, Will
Mano, Mike, Andre
"Oakland: Home of the Mai Tai, Not Just the Drive-By." I've been saying this for years. Why? Because it's true! Vic Bergeron invented the original Mai Tai recipe at his Oakland restaurant (Trader Vic's, formerly Hinky Dink's) in 1944, as he plainly states here. Now it's a grassroots movement, spearheaded by Mano Thanos, co-owner of The Conga Lounge in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland (for which I do freelance PR, along with Forbidden Island of Alameda.) He's been trying to get the City of Oakland to officially proclaim the Mai Tai the Official Cocktail of Oakland - just like the Sazerac is now the Official Cocktail of another crime-plagued but colorful and cosmopolitan city, New Orleans - but to no avail. Enter the Thrill - and we got a meeting with Andre Jones, chief of staff for councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. Now the high ball is really rolling...




Recently Mano, his brother and business partner Molokai Mike, and myself met with Andre at my bayside condo in Alameda, AKA "Oakland's Own Hawaii" to discuss this prospect. Mike made everybody two different Mai Tai formulas - the original created by Vic, and the Conga Lounge's popular "re-mix" - both delicious, both made in Oakland. Perhaps abetted by this alcoholic inducer, Andre was wide open to the prospect of this proclamation. He agreed it's perfect PR: the popular image of the Mai Tai - exotic, alluring, relaxing - brilliantly counters all the negative imagery that the local and national press too often focus on vis a vis Oakland. It suits the multi-cultural nature of this much maligned town, too often dismissed as San Francisco's ugly little sister. Myself, I was raised in New Jersey so I know what it's like to live on the wrong side of a body of water. Oakland deserves a break. This could even make national news (I'd love it if Bay Area native Rachel Maddow mentioned it on the "Cocktail Moment" segment of her TV program!) Andre claims this should be an easy pitch to the rest of the city council, given its innate and accurate positive publicity. Andre said Ms. Kaplan would be equally receptive. The story right now is the right people got the message. Now it just has to go to a vote...

Between this and the new bid to take over the Parkway Theater by pals '0' mine, this has been a good week for Oakland, at least behind the scenes. I'll report back. Be here. Aloha.
Will Viharo

WILL "THE THRILL" VIHARO is a freelance writer and the author of several "gonzo pulp" novels including "A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge," "Freaks That Carry Your Luggage up to the Room," "Chumpy Walnut," "Lavender Blonde," "Down a Dark Alley," and the “Vic Valentine, Private Eye” series, the first of which, "Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me," has been optioned for a film by Christian Slater, reissued in 2013 by Gutter Books, which also published the new Vic Valentine novel "Hard-boiled Heart" in December, 2015.

Two science fiction novels, "It Came from Hangar 18" and "The Space Needler's Intergalactic Bar Guide," were written in collaboration with Scott Fulks, who added real science to Will's pulp.

Will's own imprint, Thrillville Press, has issued a three volume anthology series featuring all of his standalone novels called "The Thrillville Pulp Fiction Collection," along with another omnibus called "The Vic Valentine Classic Case Files," which include four novels from the 1990s, "Fate Is My Pimp," "Romance Takes a Rain Check," "I Lost My Heart in Hollywood," and "Diary of a Dick," plus a recent short story, "Brain Mistrust."

More recently published books include the Vic Valentine "Mental Case Files" trilogy comprised of "Vic Valentine: International Man of Misery," "Vic Valentine: Lounge Lizard For Hire," and "Vic Valentine: Space Cadet"; the original story collection "Vic Valentine, Private Eye: 14 Vignettes"; the erotic horror noir novella "Things I Do When I'm Awake"; and a collection of erotic horror noir stories, "VIHORROR! Cocktales of Sex and Death."

Additionally Will has had stories included in a variety of anthologies including "Fast Women and Neon Lights: Eighties-Inspired Neon Noir"; "Mixed Up!"; "Long Distance Drunks: A Tribute to Charles Bukowski"; "Deadlines: A Tribute to William Wallace"; "Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs"; "Knucklehead Noir" and "Weird Winter Wonderland" (both Coffin Hop Press); and "Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror."

Viharo's unique brand of "gonzo pulp fiction" combines elements of eroticism, noir, fantasy, and horror. For many years he has also been a professional film programmer/impresario and live music booker. He now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and cats

https://www.thrillville.net
Previous

I Married an Angel: 8 Years of Heaven (and counting)
Next

Do You Know the Way to THRILLVILLE?