The Mai Tai aka “King of the Tiki Cocktails” was created in 1944 by Victor Jules Bergernon better known as Trader Vic. Trader Vic along with Donn Beach (Don the Beachcomber) were the fathers of tiki culture as they each opened the first tiki bars in America (located in California) in the 1930’s. Legend has it that one night Trader Vic created a drink for his friends from Tahiti, Ham and Carrie Guild. He took down a bottle of 17-year-old gold Jamaican rum (J.Wray Nephew) and combined it with fresh lime juice, Orange Curacao (an orange liqueur from Holland), a dash of rock candy syrup (rich simple syrup) and some French orgeat syrup for its nutty almond flavor. He then and shook it by hand with crushed ice, poured it into a double rocks glass and garnished it with half a lime shell (spent) with the peel side up and a branch of mint to create the illusion of an island with a tree. Carrie took one sip and said, “Mai Tai-Roa Ae” which means “Out of this world- the best” in Tahitian and that is how it become known as the Mai Tai. Cheers!
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Jigger
- Rocks Glass
- Hand Juicer
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 2 oz Jamaican Rum (I used Appleton Estate)
- .05 oz Dry Orange Curacao (I used Pierre Ferrand)
- .25 oz Orgeat Syrup (I used Liber & Co)
- .75 oz Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)
- .25 oz Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1) (water, Demerara sugar, vanilla extract and salt)
- Spent Lime and Mint for Garnish
- Pineapple wedge for garnish (optional)
Method
- Start by making the rich demerara syrup. In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups demerara sugar to 1 cup water. Stir and let cool. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the Jamaican rum, dry Orange Curacao, orgeat syrup, lime juice, and rich demerara syrup. Shake until combined and strain into a double rocks glass with crushed ice.
- Garnish with a spent lime (peel side up) and a mint sprig (slap the mint between your hands first to release the natural oils). This should resemble an island with a palm tree. Add a small pineapple wedge. Enjoy!
For the Mocktail
Use all ingredients listed except substitute:
- 2 oz pineapple juice in place of the rum
- .5 oz orange juice in place of the orange curacao. Cheers!
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