The mai tai was originally said to have been created in the 1940s to showcase the best of blended rums. Over the years it’s been transformed and bottled juices and mixers have corrupted the recipe.
With a renewed global interest in Tiki cocktails, the classic mai tai recipe has returned to the fore, traditionally including a mixture of different rums. The aim is to find your ideal mix of flavor and complexity. White rum paired with a dark overproof rum brings together crisp notes with a bold intensity. Or you could try mixing spiced rums with fruit-forward flavors, such as coconut rums, to combine spicy and sweet notes.
Ingredients Breakdown and Origins
The list of mai tai ingredients does vary from recipe to recipe, but we’ve shared a classic base in the recipe above. Generally, you’ll find a mixture of dark rum, lime juice, orange curaçao, and almond syrup in a mai tai, along with additional ingredients based on the bartender’s personal recipes.
In the recipe above we’ve suggested using orgeat, which is a form of almond syrup. Orgeat is more complex, with fruity and floral notes, made with almonds, sugar, and orange flower water. It introduces more depth to the final flavor profile for a richer final cocktail.
Orange curaçao is a distinct orange-flavored liqueur, with a zesty and bitter flavor profile which complements the sharpness of the lime juice and spice of the rum. If you can’t find this ingredient in your local grocery store, however, you could swap in orange juice.
It’s one of the best mixers with rum, with its sweet and citrus flavor profile balancing the intensity of your chosen rum. Though it’s worth knowing it’s not a like-for-like replacement and will make your mai tai sweeter.
As for its origin, Victor Bergeron, known fondly as Trader Vic, is thought to have invented the drink at his bar in the 1940s. He was fond of a specific style of rum, and when this supply was used up, he started blending other rums to create a similar profile.
Whichever rum you choose to use, you should be aware that different brands will have different levels of alcohol which will affect the final content of your cocktail.
Serving Tips for Cocktail Hour
How you decide to garnish your mai tai may come down to what’s in your mai tai recipe. In the recipe above we’ve suggested using a lime wheel, to nod to the freshly squeezed lime juice in the cocktail.
However, some mixologists will use other ingredients in the cocktail, such as pineapple juice, and finish their mai tai with a pineapple wedge on the side of the glass. A fresh mint sprig also pairs well with the fruity and tropical flavors of this cocktail, adding a desirable freshness.
Lastly, if you want to take inspiration from classic cocktail garnishes, garnish your mai tai with a bright red cherry to contrast with the yellow hue of the cocktail.
Mai tai is one of the most popular cocktails worldwide and you’ll find it listed on many menus during cocktail hours across the globe. Once you’ve mastered this classic, explore a whole world of popular cocktails, including a margarita, with our selection of the top 20 cocktails.
Intended for ages 21+. Please drink responsibly.
