It’s getting hot out, so I’m shaking up a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai. Before I get into the recipe there are a few things we should probably discuss first. The Mai Tai comes with its fair share of drama.
First, this classic cocktail has been slaughtered so many times that most patrons wouldn’t recognize the classic version if you put it down in front of them. You know what I’m talking about. That neon pink concoction dominated by bottled pre-mixes, canned pineapple juice and an umbrella. Yeah, nothing like the classic.
Then there’s the age old argument regarding who was the original inventor of the Mai Tai. Some say Don the Beachcomber and some say Trader Vic. If you want to read more about the history of the Mai Tai go here. I’d rather drop all the drama and get to the part where we make this time-honored drink.
RECIPE
- 1 oz amber Martinique rum
- 1 oz dark Jamaican rum
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
- 1/2 oz of Cointreau
- garnish with mint (a lime if you like)
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, except the garnish. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint and a lime if you fancy that. You can also float some dark rum on top of the cocktail.
Recipe by Trader Vic’s, circa 1944