Mai Tai
The crown jewel of tiki culture, a complex blend of aged rums, citrus, and orgeat that evokes a Polynesian sunset in every sip.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Aged Jamaican rum
- 1 oz Aged Martinique rhum agricole
- 1 oz Fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz Orange curacao
- 0.5 oz Orgeat syrup
- 0.3 oz Simple syrup
- spent lime shell (garnish) garnish
- mint sprig (garnish) garnish
- edible orchid (optional) (garnish) garnish
Pairs With
Serve with Chinese five-spice duck, sesame-crusted tuna, or Thai coconut curry—the Mai Tai's complex spice profile and aged rum depth complement rich, aromatic Asian cuisines.
Instructions
Add both rums, lime juice, orange curacao, orgeat, and simple syrup to a shaker
Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 12-15 seconds
Pour the entire contents, including ice, into a double rocks glass
Add more crushed ice to form a mound above the rim
Garnish with the spent lime half, a mint sprig, and an orchid if available
Tips
Orgeat (almond syrup) is the secret ingredient -- use a quality brand like Small Hand Foods or make your own The original Trader Vic recipe calls for two distinct rums; using both adds depth that a single rum cannot achieve Avoid premade Mai Tai mixes at all costs; they bear no resemblance to the real thing