Mai Tai

No cocktail is more synonymous with tiki culture than the mai tai. Its origins date to the 1940s, the heyday of all things tiki. Despite its tropical flair and Tahitian name, the drink is from California. There’s some controversy surrounding the cocktail’s inventor, though. Many agree Vic Bergeron created the mai tai in 1944 at his legendary Oakland bar, Trader Vic’s.

Fellow tiki pioneer Donn Beach of Don the Beachcomber (aka the original tiki bar) claimed to have invented a version of the mai tai in the 1930s. His version used overproof rum, triple sec, falernum, Pernod, lime juice, grapefruit juice and bitters.

Whoever is responsible for the mai tai, this rum drink is phenomenal for beating the heat!

What’s in a mai tai?

The original mai tai ingredients differ from the standard recipe most of us use today. Vic Bergeron’s original 1944 mai tai recipe called for aged Jamaican rum sweetened with rock candy syrup.

Mai tais have evolved over the decades, and modern versions use not one but two types of rum: white rum for the base and dark rum as a float. Otherwise, mai tai ingredients remain largely the same, with almond-flavored orgeat syrup, lime juice and orange curacao rounding out the drink.

Mai Tai Ingredients

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• Rum: What’s the best rum for mai tais? Light rum (also called white rum) accounts for much of the cocktail’s base. A splash of caramelly dark rum floats atop the drink.
• Orgeat syrup: This sweet almond-flavored syrup is a fixture in several tiki drinks, including the Fog Cutter and Scorpion. It’s made with almonds and either rosewater or orange flower water, which gives the nutty syrup a gorgeous floral undertone.
• Orange curacao: Not to be confused with Cointreau, triple sec or Grand Marnier, orange curacao is a liqueur made with dried laraha peel, a type of bitter orange from the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. It’s sweeter than triple secs like Cointreau, ideal for mai tais.
• Lime juice: Remember, freshly squeezed citrus is king!
• Garnishes: Put the finishing touch on your mai tai with a lime wheel and a sprig of fresh mint. Other popular garnishes include maraschino cherries, pineapple and orange slices.

Directions

Step 1: Shake with ice

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Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the light rum, orgeat, orange curacao and lime juice.

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Shake for 10 to 15 seconds or until condensation forms on the outside of the shaker.

Step 2: Strain into a glass

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Fill a double rocks glass with ice. Strain the cocktail into the glass.

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To float dark rum on top of the mai tai, slowly pour the liquor over the back of a spoon. Garnish with fresh mint and a lime wheel. You’re ready for a tiki party!

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Mai Tai Variations

• Add fruit juice: Some mai tai recipes use pineapple juice, orange juice or a combination of the two. When adding fruit juice, cut back on the curacao so your drinks aren’t too sweet.
• Make a honi honi: The honi honi is another recipe that comes to us from Trader Vic’s. Essentially, it’s a mai tai with bourbon instead of rum.
• Use amaretto instead of orgeat: Nutty amaretto is an Italian liqueur usually made from apricot kernels, almonds or peach stones. The amaretto will make your mai tais more potent, thanks to additional alcohol.
• Try overproof rum: Speaking of stronger mai tais, you can substitute the dark rum float for overproof rum to give your cocktails a kick.

Can you make mai tais ahead of time?

For the perfect make-ahead mai tai, measure out the ingredients, minus the ice and dark rum, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to break out the cocktail glasses, shake the mai tai with ice, strain into a double rocks glass, top with dark rum and garnish. This method works whether you’re making a single cocktail, mai tais for two or pre-batching for a party.

Mai Tai Tips

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In what kind of glass should you serve a mai tai?

There are a few glassware options for serving mai tais. A double rocks glass is large enough to hold the cocktail, plus plenty of ice to keep it cool—a blessing during sweltering summers. It’s the traditional glass for the classic tiki cocktail, and you can find fabulous vintage-style glassware. A highball glass or Mason jar is a good fallback when double rocks glasses aren’t available.

What can you serve with a mai tai?

This cocktail stands up to bold flavors and anything hot off the grill. Dishes like char siu pork and pineapple chicken complement the drink’s sweetness. Heat-laced Asian recipes like coconut mango Thai beef curry and spicy ginger soy ribs are equally delicious. Trust us when we say you can’t go wrong with mai tais and chicken wings.

Sweet, savory huli huli chicken is a no-brainer with mai tais, and we adore sipping on these cocktails with a tuna poke bowl—pretty much any Hawaiian recipe is a knock-out with Polynesian-inspired tiki drinks.