Average
Fruity & Sweet
3 Minutes
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
The Mai Tai is a rum cocktail and one of the most famous Tiki drinks in the world.
In the video on this page, Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador, makes two Mai Tai variations…and two very different ones at that. One is known as Don the Beachcomber’s Mai Tai, and the other is Trader Vic’s Mai Tai.
Most modern Mai Tai recipes are based on Trader Vic’s recipe, and that’s the one we’ll focus on here. It’s also Rico’s personal favorite of the two. Make no mistake though, “Both are sublime, and both are the epitome of Tiki,” adds Rico.
Grab your shaker and let’s get mixing Trader Vic’s Mai Tai.
How To Make a mai tai cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Knife
Boston Shaker
How to Mix
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Use a Knife to cut a Lime in half.
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Use a Citrus Elbow to juice one Lime half into a Jigger.
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Measure and pour the Lime Juice into a Boston Shaker, followed by Simple Syrup.
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Measure and pour Orgeat Almond Syrup into the Shaker.
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Measure and pour Rum into the Shaker.
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Fill the Shaker with Ice Cubes and shake until ice-cold (about 10 seconds).
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Fill a Rocks Glass with Ice Cubes.
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Place a Hawthorne Strainer over the larger tin of the Shaker and pour the cocktail into the Rocks Glass.
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Garnish by placing one Mint Sprig on top of the Glass, along with a Fresh Cherry and a Dehydrated Lime Wheel.
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Garnish with a cherry.
Rico shows how to make two different Mai Tai Cocktails!
All about the Mai Tai Cocktail
The Mai Tai is a decadent tiki cocktail that was invented in the 1940s and remains one of the most popular drinks in the world. While there’s a lot of ingredients, it’s actually a very easy-to-make drink.
The bold blend of rich dark rum, zesty lime juice, fruity orange Curaçao, and sweet almond syrup (reminiscent of Marzipan) pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the Maraschino cherry.
Each sip offers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy, much like a fruity punch.
The Mai Tai is said to have been invented in 1944 by Trader Vic. Trader Vic, together with Donn Beach, from Donn the Beachcomber, are the founding fathers of the tiki culture we know today.
The Mai Tai was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1950s and quickly gained popularity throughout the mainland during the tiki bar boom in the 1950s and 1960s.
According to legend, the drink’s name originates from the Tahitian word for “goodness” or “excellence” and is usually spelled in two words – Mai Tai.
Today, it’s one of the most famous and loved Tiki drinks in the world and has been for decades.
Add a Float of Dark Jamaican Rum
After mixing your drink and pouring it into your Rocks Glass, for the final classic touch, Rico suggests sprinkling some Dark Jamaican Rum on top to create a Rum Float.
The easiest way to do this is to lay a Bar Spoon over the top of your Glass, and slowly drizzle the Rum over the back of the Spoon. The float not only elevates the flavor and adds complexity to the cocktail, but it also makes it look pretty. And who doesn’t love pretty drinks?
Don the Beachcomber’s Mai Tai
Although this Mai Tai shares many of the same ingredients as the Trader Vic’s version, the two are actually very different. “Very reminiscent of Jamaican Rum Punch – you have the Cloves, you have the Bitters, that little bit of Grapefruit. It’s very pungent. It’s great. It’s fresh,” shares Rico.
Watch this video to learn how to make Don the Beachcomber’s Mai Tai.
Mai Tai Special
This Mai Tai variation is special indeed. It mixes four different types of Rum – Cuban Rum, Dark Rum, Jamaican Rum and Light Rum – together with Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and finally Orange Curaçao. Fruity? You bet! Delicious? Beyond words.
Discover how to make a Mai Tai Special.
Virgin Mai Tai
One of the best mocktails you can make if you want to impress your friends is a Virgin Mai Tai, which boasts all the deliciously rich, sweet, and syrupy tanginess of the original alcohol version.
Perhaps best of all is the combination of the Maraschino Cherry garnish and the Marzipan-like flavors from Orgeat Almond Syrup. Dee-licious!
Mix 2 parts Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, 2 parts Pineapple Juice, ¾ Part Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice, ½ Part Simple Syrup, ¼ Part Orgeat Almond Syrup, and ¼ Part Grenadine. Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry, a sprig of Mint and an Orange Wedge.
Truth to be told, a Virgin Mai Tai is like drinking a rich, sweet, syrupy, fruity punch. Mmm, mmm!
We recommend serving a Mai Tai in a Rocks Glass and adding no less than three garnishes. Garnish with a Dehydrated Lime Wheel, a Fresh Cherry and a Mint Sprig for the full authentic experience.
Two completely different styles of drink – both sublime. Both, when you taste them, are the epitome of tiki.
Bartender and Global Brand Ambassador
Mai Tai FAQ
Tiki drinks are island-inspired drinks. They usually consist of Rum.
Although there are many variations, a classic Mai Tai consists of Dark Rum, Lime Juice, Orange Curaçao, Orgeat Almond Syrup and Simple Syrup.
As we often say, preference is individual. The key to a Mai Tai is finding a good, aged Jamaican Dark Rum that you like.
We like to use Martinique Rum because it tastes great and is made from fresh-pressed Sugarcane, unlike many other Rums which use Molasses.
Yes, absolutely. The two are very similar. Orange Curaçao usually has some herbs and spices, which make it rounder, whereas Triple Sec basically tastes like sweet Orange. Both work great in Mai Tai.
