This is a close rendition of the original Mai Tai recipe from Trader Vic’s restaurant, the place credited with inventing the Mai Tai cocktail somewhere around 1944 in Oakland. This can be a powerful cocktail in terms of punch, especially if you substitute Amaretto for the Orgeat syrup . Also, I don’t add sugar to my recipe, who needs the hangover multiplier. Also, there is a huge taste difference between Anejo and Dark rum so don’t substitute one for the other.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aged rum (Anejo) ~3 TBL (3 parts)
- 0.5 oz Dark rum ~1TBL (1 part)
- 1.0 oz Orgeat syrup (can substitute an Amaretto or other almond liquor) ~ 2 TBL (2 parts)
- 0.75 oz freshly squeezed Lime juice ~1.5 TBL or juice from 1/2 lime (1.5 parts)
- 0.5 oz Orange Curacao (can substitute other orange liquor like Cointreau or Grand Marnier) (1 part)
- Garnish Options
- Fresh mint sprig
- Lime wedge
- Cocktail cherry
- Pineapple cube
Process
- Mise en Place – measure and prepare your ingredients prior to starting.
- Add ice to cocktail shaker.
- Add aged rum, lime juice, orange liquor, and orgeat syrup to shaker and shake until chilled.
- Pour into low ball glass and top with dark rum.
- Option: muddle a mint leaf in the low ball glass prior to adding mixture.
- Garnish with one or more of the options
- I like to put a cherry through a cocktail spear followed by a pineapple cube then eat them once the cocktail is drank.
Note: If you don’t have a shake, just serve it on the rocks, the drink won’t last long enough for melted ice cubes to dilute the taste.
