The Mai Tai is a notorious tiki drink, created at Trader Vic’s in California circa 1944. Meant to invoke images of seaside bliss, it is a perfect drink for summer. Our pool is a poor substitute for a Caribbean beach, but it has the advantage of a sand-free bathing experience!
It’s name is a derivative of the Tahitian word mait’i that means “excellent.” There are many variants because the recipe was secret for so long, but this one is the real deal without superfluous additives.
Why the notoriety? One variant uses 151 proof demerara rum for the float. A few of those and you might experience a float of your own. Ours and the original use standard proof dark rum. The primary reason for it’s stellar reputation is because it tastes good!
Mai Tai
Let a Mai Tai fuel your beach dreams!
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 oz white rum
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz orange curacao
- 1/2 oz almond orgeat syrup
- 3/4 oz dark rum
- 1 sprig of mint
- 1 lime wheel
Instructions
- Pack a double rocks glass with crushed and cubed ice
- Add the white rum, orange curacao, orgeat syrup and lime juice to an ice filled cocktail shaker
- Shake and strain into the rocks glass, leaving room for the dark rum
- Float the dark rum on the top using a bar apoon
- Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime