Mai Tai
The legendary tiki cocktail created by Trader Vic in 1944. A complex blend of rum, triple sec, orgeat, and lime that transports you to the tropics with every sip.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aged Jamaican rum
- 0.5 oz Dark rum
- 0.8 oz Triple sec
- 1 oz Fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz Orgeat syrup
- spent lime shell (garnish) garnish
- mint sprig (garnish) garnish
- cocktail umbrella (garnish) garnish
Pairs With
Pair with grilled coconut prawns, poke bowls, or Vietnamese spring rolls—the Mai Tai's complex rum profile and almond notes harmonize with tropical and Southeast Asian cuisines.
Instructions
Combine aged rum, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and orgeat syrup in a cocktail shaker
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds
Fill a rocks glass or tiki mug with crushed ice
Strain the cocktail over the crushed ice
Float the dark rum on top by pouring slowly over the back of a bar spoon
Garnish with the spent lime shell, a mint sprig, and a cocktail umbrella
Tips
Orgeat is the secret ingredient — this almond syrup is non-negotiable, and brands like Small Hand Foods or Liber and Co are excellent The dark rum float adds depth and aroma; Goslings Black Seal or Myers's are classic choices Avoid pineapple juice in your Mai Tai — the original Trader Vic recipe never included it