Mai Tai

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Cocktail History

The Mai Tai is a classic tiki cocktail that was created by Victor Bergeron in 1944 at Trader Vic’s, his Polynesian-themed restaurant and bar located in Emeryville, California. The recipe features many of the usual ingredients you’d expect in a tiki drink including rum, orange liqueur, and lime but adds orgeat, a French almond syrup with a sweet nutty flavor.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

Orange Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with bitter orange peels, brandy or distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, rich citrus flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Orgeat Syrup: This is a sweetener made with almonds, white sugar, and water, which are blended and flavored with orange flower water to develop a nutty, floral sweetness.

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then aged, often in charred barrels, to develop a full-bodied, caramelized flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Orchid Blossom: This is the flower of an orchid plant.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Bar Spoon: This is used to add the rum float. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the Homestia Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden brown color

• Aroma: Florals, almond, and spices

• Taste: Sweet aged rum flavor accented with notes of citrus, nut, and mint

• Finish: Slight rum burn and almond aftertaste

Kendall’s Take: “This was the very first tiki cocktail I ever tried, and I think that was the right choice because it’s such a good gateway drink to get you dreaming of hot summer days in the sand. The taste of rum is there, but it’s balanced well by the citrus and almond. Overall, the classic Mai Tai is an inoffensive tropical recipe that I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying. As is the case with most, it’s a classic for a reason!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.