Mai Tai – A Beautiful Mess

I love a classic Mai Tai cocktail. If you haven’t tried this classic recipe, I highly recommend it! This drink is one of the most famous tiki cocktails of all time. Blended with rum, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice and orgeat (a nuanced almond syrup), this recipe is fresh, balanced and dare I say… Perfect.

Legend has it that when the first Mai Tai was served, the customer shouted “Mai Tai!” which means “the best of this world” in Tahitian. A Mai Tai is a classic cocktail that you will be proud to have in your home bar.

More fruity drink recipes: Rum Runner, Blue Hawaiian, Pina Colada, Daiquiri

Ingredients

• White Rum – This recipe calls for both light rum and dark rum and we highly recommend using both.
• Orange liqueur – You can also use any orange liqueur you have on hand like Orange Curaçao, Grand Marnier or Cointreau.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed, of course.
• orgeat syrup – A rich, nutty almond syrup.
• Dark rum – To float on top.
• Garnish Ideas – A wedge of pineapple, a cherry, a slice of lime or a sprig of fresh mint make a great garnish.

The best glassware for serving a classic Mai Tai is one old-fashioned double glass. I also used them gold cocktail picks to hold my cherries and a slice of lime for garnish.

Best Rum for a Mai Tai

The dark rum that floats on top of your Mai Tai is a big part of the flavor. There are two great options for this ingredient.

Old rum – Also called añejo rum. The aging process creates more complex and rich flavors.

Dark rum – Also called dark rum, it has a dark color and a rich, smoky flavor. Note: Be sure to avoid spiced rums, which can also be dark in color but are not what you want for this recipe.

Directions

1. In a shaker with ice, add the white rum, orange liqueur, lime juice and orgeat. Shake for 10 to 15 seconds.
2. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice.
3. Slowly add the dark rum to the top of the drink. It will naturally float to the top like a dark float.
4. Garnish your drink with a sprig of fresh mint, a maraschino cherry and lime slices. Other optional toppings are a pineapple wedge or a mini umbrella.

What does a Mai Tai taste like?

Maybe you had a Mai Tai at a restaurant that was too sweet or a generic rum punch (possibly made with orange juice or pineapple juice). Try to erase these examples from your mind because they do not reflect the classic recipe. This cocktail is a well-balanced, fresh, rum-based cocktail. This drink is nuanced and sophisticated. You will taste flavors of hazelnut, almond, citrus and hints of vanilla.

Story of a Mai Tai

Trader Vic (Victor Bergeron) is sometimes credited with creating this drink at the Trader Vic bar in the 1940s. While this may be true, the foundation for this famous recipe was laid by Donn Beach at the Beachcomber bar in the 1930s.

In 2007, the bar at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel gained notoriety and set a Guinness World Record in 2008 for selling the most expensive cocktail ever made: a $1,475 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, featuring rum Wray & Nephew original 17 years old. The original recipe featured this rum.

Tips for making

• Dark rum will naturally float to the top of your drink if you add it last.
• If you want to use a fancy rum in this drink, opt to upgrade to the dark rum that floats on top.
• The best ice cream to serve in a Mai Tai is shaved ice.

Presentation suggestions

Recipes that go well with a Mai Tai.

FAQs