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A tiki-themed bar setting with a Big Wave beer and creative cocktails on a wooden counter.

Mai Tai

Curated Recipe
Glass
Rocks
Difficulty
Medium
ABV
~20%
fruitysweetcitrusearthy

Ingredients

  • 1½ ozaged jamaican rum
  • ½ ozaged martinique rum
  • 1 ozfresh lime juice
  • ½ ozorgeat
  • ½ oztriple sec or cointreau

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice or regular ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds. Pour unstrained into a double rocks glass or tiki mug — the ice goes in too. The Mai Tai is traditionally served over crushed ice, which dilutes and chills the drink as you sip. Garnish with a spent lime shell (the squeezed lime half), a sprig of fresh mint, and a cocktail umbrella if you're feeling festive. The mint is for aromatics — hold it near your nose as you drink.

Sips & Tips

Technique

The Mai Tai is a split-base cocktail — two different rums create complexity that a single rum can't achieve. The Jamaican rum provides funk and fruit; the Martinique rum (rhum agricole) adds grassy, vegetal notes. If you can only use one rum, choose a quality aged Jamaican like Appleton Estate. The orgeat is the heart of the drink — use a quality almond syrup, not the artificial stuff.

Balance

Trader Vic's 1944 recipe is the gold standard: aged Jamaican rum, fresh lime, orgeat, and orange curaçao. The proportions here are faithful to that original. The orgeat should be present but not dominant — it adds sweetness and almond character without making the drink cloying. Fresh lime juice is non-negotiable; bottled juice produces a flat, one-dimensional Mai Tai.

History

The Mai Tai was created by Victor 'Trader Vic' Bergeron in 1944 at his Oakland restaurant. He reportedly served it to friends from Tahiti, who exclaimed 'Mai Tai — Roa Ae!' meaning 'Out of this world — the best!' in Tahitian. The drink became the defining cocktail of the tiki movement and remains one of the most beloved tropical cocktails in the world.

The Mai Tai is the cocktail that launched a thousand tiki bars. Made properly — with quality rum, fresh lime, and real orgeat — it's one of the great drinks. Cheers.

Variations

Single Rum Mai Tai

Use 2 oz of a quality aged Jamaican rum (Appleton Estate 12 or Smith & Cross) instead of the split base. Simpler to make, still delicious — the Jamaican rum's funk and fruit carry the drink on their own.

Dark Rum Float

Make the Mai Tai as normal, then float ½ oz of dark rum (Gosling's Black Seal or Myers's) on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon. The dark rum adds a dramatic visual layer and a rich, molasses note on the nose.

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