Author’s Response to Criticisms

RE: Scrounging the Islands with the

Legendary Don the Beachcomber

Host to Diplomat, Beachcomber, Prince and Pirate

by

Arnold Bitner 

Some people still refuse to believe, or acknowledge the fact that Don the Beachcomber was the inventor/creator of the original Mai Tai, or did many of the things attributed to him in his biography.  Everything written in Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber is supported by documents in his collection of newspaper clippings, letters he received, his military records, photographs, awards and testimonials by others.

Here is an example from a non-believer:

“An interesting and entertaining little book (Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber), though it would be nice if, with the alleged statements from Donn himself, the author included some information as to where he gathered them. As it is, I'd have to take a LOT of salt with some of this stuff. The outragous claim that Donn the Beachcomber rather than Trader Vic had invented the Mai Tai, based upon some unsupported hearsay in a gossip column published long after both were long gone, is hardly convincing. Especially after Vic had won a court case on just that same claim against a company trying to cash in on their own brand of "Mai Tai Mix" packaged under Donn's name! While this is a nice book to read, keep an open mind & read the appropriate chapters of "The Book of Tiki" first.”

“…it would be nice if, with the alleged statements from Donn himself, the author included some information as to where he gathered them.”

The “alleged statements” come directly from Donn Beach through his handwritten notes in his personal files, which are a part of the Don the Beachcomber memorabilia, and belong to his widow, Phoebe Beach. 

“The outragous claim that Donn the Beachcomber rather than Trader Vic had invented the Mai Tai, based upon some unsupported hearsay in a gossip column published long after both were long gone, is hardly convincing.”

Trader Vic and his descendants say Trader Vic first invented the Mai Tai while on a cruise in French Polynesia in 1944.  On Don the Beachcomber food and drink menus which are a part of the Don the Beachcomber memorabilia in Phoebe Beach’s possession, all dated several years prior to 1944, the Mai Tai is listed as an after dinner drink.

In actual fact, during the war years from 1941 thru 1945, while Don the Beachcomber served in the Armed Forces in Africa and Europe while setting up Rest and Recreation Camps for combat weary airmen of the 12th and 15th Air Forces, several people began to rip-off his ideas and creations and characterize them as their own.  Donn Beach, a.k.a. Don the Beachcomber, was a very kind and gentle man, and well respected internationally by all who met him, came to know him and do business with him.  He always looked upon the actions of the rip-off artist as a complement, and never once complained or wish them ill-will.  This sort of thing simply was not a part of his personality.

It was not Donn Beach, a.k.a. Don the Beachcomber, who started the controversy about the creation of the Mai Tai, but there are those who like to keep it an on-going debate, to what benefit, who knows?  The information presented on pg. 84 of Scrounging the Islands with the Legendary Don the Beachcomber, and considered “hardly convincing” by one individual, came from a letter written by the well known syndicated columnist, Jim Bishop, a copy of which is a part of the Don the Beachcomber memorabilia.