Liquid Society

Mai Tai

Aged rum, orange liqueur, orgeat and lime. Trader Vic's 1944 original, nothing like the sweet resort version.

Shaken · Rocks glass · Medium · about 3 minutes · about 21% ABV

Ingredients

Method

  1. Pour 30 ml aged rum into the shaker
  2. Pour 30 ml rhum agricole into the shaker
  3. Pour 15 ml Triple sec / Cointreau into the shaker
  4. Pour 15 ml orgeat (almond syrup) into the shaker
  5. Pour 7.5 ml sugar syrup into the shaker
  6. Add 30 ml fresh lime juice
  7. Add ice
  8. Shake hard
  9. Strain
  10. Garnish

Tip

Serve over crushed ice with the spent lime shell on top.

About the Mai Tai

Trader Vic Bergeron said he created the Mai Tai in 1944 in Oakland, California, for Tahitian friends who said "Maita'i roa ae!" ("out of this world"). Donn Beach claimed an earlier drink of the same name. Trader Vic's original, with aged Jamaican rum, orgeat and curaçao, is the one most people mean today.

The tiki family. Tiki began in 1933–34, when Ernest Gantt, later known as Donn Beach, opened Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood. He mixed several rums with fresh juices, syrups and spices into exotic drinks, and Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron followed in Oakland. Tiki boomed in the 1950s and 1960s, faded, and was revived by bartenders from the 2000s.

Mai Tai FAQ

What's in a Mai Tai?

30 ml aged rum, 30 ml rhum agricole, 15 ml triple sec / cointreau, 15 ml orgeat (almond syrup), 7.5 ml sugar syrup, 30 ml fresh lime juice, garnished with mint sprig and lime shell.

How strong is a Mai Tai?

About 21% ABV once mixed with ice, which is 2.6 Australian standard drinks per serve. That is stronger than a glass of wine.

Should I shake or stir a Mai Tai?

Shake it. citrus, juice and cream need shaking to mix properly and gain a light, lively texture.

What glass do you serve a Mai Tai in?

A rocks glass, about 300 ml. Serve it over ice. No rocks glass? Use any short, heavy tumbler.