The Experience, Emeryville: Trader Vic’s Prawns + Art

The Experience:

The Lounge is calling you!

Meet your friends down at Emeryville Marina overlooking San Francisco Bay for Happy Hour and indulge in their appetizers and exotic drinks. Featured here – Crispy Prawns. A little crunch, a lot of flavor. These Crispy Prawns are a Trader Vic’s classic—lightly fried, perfectly seasoned, and made for sharing – or not! You will be transported into tiki culture by the spirited atmosphere, fusion flavors and time with friends.

Now, you have heard the stories about ‘The Trader’, aka Vic Bergeron, who started Trader Vic’s and created the first Mai Tai at Hinky Dinks. But did you know he was an artist? Get to know him on a deeper level and join his granddaughter Eve Bergeron at Vic’s Art Symposium Thursday, June 25, 5 pm.

THE ARTIST – VIC BERGERON with Eve Bergeron: Save the Date!

Eve Bergeron will share stories and images of her grandfather, Vic Bergeron, and how events in his life, travel, friendships with other artists were reflected in his own artistic expressions. On view before and after the symposium, Eve’s personal art collection of paintings, bronzes and jewelry created by her grandfather will tell you a little more about this entrepreneur and artist.

Schedule: Laynu Room

4pm: Art Viewing
5om: Symposium Presentation

So when you arrive, grab a Mai Tai, get comfortable, and enjoy the show!

About Trader Vic’s + the Mai Tai

Decades ahead of his time, Vic ‘The Trader’ Bergeron chose to offer Chinese dishes alongside the then-contemporary Continental cuisine, creating maybe the original fusion menu. Today, Trader Vic’s continues the tradition and still uses the Chinese Wood-fired Ovens featuring dishes from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia, and Japan. And, as we all know, Trader Vic’s claims to be home to the original Mai Tai.

According to the Trader, Vic Bergeron, “In 1944, after success with several exotic rum drinks, I felt a new drink was needed. I was at the service bar in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a bottle of 17-year-old Jamaican J. Wray Nephew rum, added fresh lime, some Orange Curaçao from Holland, a dash of Rock Candy Syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle flavor. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color, I stuck in a branch of fresh mint, and gave two of them to Ham and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, “Mai Tai – Roa Ae” In Tahitian means “Out of this World- The Best”. Well, that was that, I named the drink ‘Mai Tai.’”

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday: