Tia Mia

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Cocktail History

The Tia Mia is a tiki cocktail that was created by Ivy Mix at her bar Leyenda in New York City, New York. The recipe is meant to be a Mexico-inspired variation of the Mai Tai that is similar to the classic in that it’s made with dark rum, lime, orange curaçao, and orgeat, but it splits the rum base with mezcal for more smoky flavor. Its name is also a play on the original Mai Tai’s that swaps the a’s and i’s in both words.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Sombra Joven Mezcal.

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and alcohol that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. I used Brugal Doble Reserva Rum.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Orange Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, and brandy or rum. I used Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge.

Orgeat Syrup: This is a sweetener made with roasted almonds, orange blossom, sugar, and water. I used Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup.

Lime Wheel: This is a lime slice that has been cut into a circular shape.

Mint Sprig: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint.

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.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale yellow color

• Aroma: Mint, almond, and citrus

• Taste: Tangy lime-forward flavor with rum’s overripe fruit qualities, nuttiness, and smoky mezcal

• Finish: More citrus and earthy almond

Kendall’s Take: “I will be the first to admit that I do not care for all that much mezcal yet, so when I saw a full ounce used in this recipe, I expected that I wouldn’t like this drink at all. I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was! The mezcal is definitely there, but it’s not as harsh as it can be in other recipes. Similar to several of the more subtly smoky drinks I’ve tried recently, I would call the Tia Mia a great gateway to drinking more mezcal cocktails. It’ll quickly help you get used to its strong flavor.”

Recipe