If you’re looking for the perfect drink for summer 2020, then look no further. Although I’m sure most of you are familiar with this delicious cocktail, I’m here to shed some light on just how easy and delicious it is when it comes to this Mai Tai recipe!
Just in case you’ve never had a Mai Tai before, or are simply just curious as to what they are, then keep reading! Putting together a little bit on the background of how this yummy drink came to be can help you become a little bit more of an expert!
See also: How to Make Delicious Muffin Tops Even if You Never Made Them Before
What Exactly Is A Mai Tai?
A Mai Tai is a cocktail that most often consists of rum, Curacao liqueur, lime juice and orgeat syrup. However, there have been variations on the Mai Tai recipe by using ingredients such as amaretto, bitters and grenadine.
Originating in the 1940s, the first Mai Tai recipe was created by Victor J. Bergeron, the owner of the restaurant Trader Vic’s in Oakland California. It is said that the name was taken from the Tahitian word Maita’i, which means “good” or excellent!”
You might find that some people debating between who the real original mixologist of the Mai Tai really was! There are two rivals to the creation of the Mai Tai, who was Don Beach at Don the Beachcomber Restaurant in Hollywood in the 1930s and “Trader” Vic in the 1940s.
You will often find Polynesian settings serving a Mai Tai and it is often associated with “tiki” decor. The drink eventually became so popular that it was featured in movies with stars such as Elvis Presley and many tiki bars and restaurants began serving this cocktail!
How To Make A Mai Tai
It is actually not too hard to create the perfect and easy recipe for Mai Tai’s! With this Mai Tai recipe coming to you from Martin Cate, it can easily be tweaked to your liking!
This particular Mai Tai recipe uses elements such as pineapple cherry and lime juice to give it the perfect tropical fruity taste!
Your ingredients are as followed
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1/2 ounce orange curaçao
- 1/4 ounce orgeat
- 1/4 ounce rich demerara simple syrup (about 2:1 ratio) — use real, full-flavored sugar in this drink.
- 2 ounces aged pot still or blended rum
The instructions are super simple! In fact, there’s only one:
- Combine all ingredients with 12 ounces of crushed ice and some cubes in a shaker. Shake until chilled and pour — ice and all — into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a spent lime shell and mint sprig.
Some Tips For Creating The Perfect Mai Tai:
- The key to creating the perfect refreshing drink comes from the lime juice. Using fresh lime juice in your cocktail is absolutely essential for getting the best results!
- Although it was not originally added to the Mai Tai recipe, you can make your drink fun and picture-perfect by adding cocktail umbrellas – something that is seen in many tiki-themed restaurants that serve this drink!
- It is worth mentioning that this drink is not meant to be blended. It is recommended that you stick to using a cocktail shaker and while shaking this drink, make sure your lime is not in the shaker, but rather resting on top.
- To get the best taste and aroma out of your Mai Tai recipe, try using a wide mouth glass and served on double rocks. This allows you to really enjoy the bright flavor of this cocktail!
How To Make A Variation Of This Mai Tai Recipe
Now that you’ve mastered the basics of how to create a classic Mai Tai recipe yourself, feel free to take it to the next level by creating this variation on the same exact recipe we just used! It uses elements such as sparkling wine and dark rum to create a “Sparkling Mai Tai!” How good does that sound?!
Your ingredients are as followed:
- 1⁄4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1⁄4 ounce orgeat
- 1⁄2 ounce Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
- 1⁄4 ounce black blended overproof rum
- 1⁄2 ounce blended aged rum
- 4 ounces chilled sparkling wine
- Lime twist and mint leaf
Again, the instructions are super simple and there’s only one step!
- Pour all the ingredients except the sparkling wine into a mixing glass. Stir with cracked or cubed ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute or coupe and top with sparkling wine, then garnish with a lime twist and mint leaf.
Now that you’re pretty much a Mai Tai expert, it’s your turn to try it out! Feel free to give the Mai Tai recipe given or create your own and please let us know how it comes out! Happy mixing!