The Mai Tai recipe
The ultimate guide to the recipe of the Mai Tai cocktail: the right ingredients and steps to make the Tiki drink at home
Mai Tai is one of the most famous tiki cocktails in the world, synonymous with tropical and exotic flavours. Created in the 1940s, this drink embodies the essence of Hawaii and Pacific culture, evoking golden beaches and breathtaking sunsets. Mai Tai, with its combination of rum, orange curaçao and lime juice, has become an icon in tiki bars around the world. The creation of the Mai Tai is the subject of debate between two of the most famous figures in the history of mixology tiki: Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron and Donn Beach, known as Don the Beachcomber. Both claim authorship of this cocktail, but the version of Trader Vic is the most accredited one. The legend says that the drink was first prepared in 1944 in Oakland, California, when Bergeron created it for some Tahitian friends. Once tasted, one of them exclaimed “Mai Tai Roa Ae!”, which in Tahitian means “out of the world, the best”. Hence, the name Mai Tai.
Originally, the Mai Tai was a simple blend of Jamaican rum, fresh lime juice, orzata and curaçao. Over time, however, the recipe has evolved and undergone various changes, adding different types of rum and other tropical ingredients, while still maintaining its exotic and holiday soul.
Ingredients for the Mai Tai recipe
- 30 ml of Amber jamaican rum
- 30 ml of Martinican rum
- 15 ml of Curaçao orange
- 15 ml of Barley syrup
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 7.5 ml of sugar syrup
- Ice
- Fresh mint, lime or pineapple slice to garnish
Preparation of the Mai Tai recipe:
- Combine the ingredients: Mix amber jamaican rum, curaçao, lime juice, orzata syrup and sugar syrup in a shaker with ice.
- Add the Martinique rum: Pour the cocktail into a glass with ice and then add the dark rum by making it float to the surface.
- Garnish: Decorate with fresh mint, a slice of lime or a slice of pineapple
Mai Tai: variants and tips:
In the Mai Tai al Mango variant, traditional curaçao is replaced with mango juice, which adds a sweet and fruity note. This Mai Tai pairs perfectly with spicy rum, creating an exotic and enveloping combination. Alternately the Bitter Mai Tai variant is very curious for those who love more complex and bitter flavours, this version replaces a part of the rum with bitter, while maintaining the classic structure with barley and lime. The result is a cocktail with a more robust and multifaceted taste.
