Mai Tai Recipe
A real Mai Tai is aged Jamaican rum, fresh lime, orange liqueur and orgeat, not the neon fruit punch of beach-bar fame. Build it over crushed ice and you get a dry, aromatic, tart-sweet classic that tastes like the 1944 original.
Ingredients
- 2 ozaged Jamaican rum
- 0.5 ozorange liqueur (orange curacao)
- 0.75 ozfresh lime juice
- 0.5 ozorgeat syrup
- 0.25 ozrock candy syrup or rich simple syrup
- 1 ozdark overproof rum, for the float
Garnish
- spent lime shell, inverted
- fresh mint sprig
Equipment: Shaker, jigger, crushed ice, double rocks glass, bar spoon
Method
- Chill the double rocks glass and pack it with crushed ice.
- Add the aged Jamaican rum, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, orgeat and rock candy syrup to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for about 10 seconds until the tin is frosty, then strain into the glass over the crushed ice.
- Float the dark overproof rum gently over the top with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with the inverted spent lime shell and a slapped mint sprig, then serve with a straw.
About the Mai Tai
The Mai Tai was created in 1944 by Victor J. Bergeron, known as Trader Vic, at his Oakland restaurant. He poured a 17-year Jamaican rum for friends, added lime, orange curacao, orgeat and rock candy syrup, and one guest reportedly said “Mai tai roa ae,” Tahitian for “out of this world.” The drink spread through tiki bars in California and Hawaii, and the name was later attached to sweet, juice-heavy versions that have little to do with the original. A true Mai Tai is spirit-forward, tart and aromatic, with the orgeat and curacao playing supporting roles.
To nail it, use a funky aged Jamaican rum and shake hard with fresh lime, never bottled juice. The orgeat brings almond sweetness, so taste before adding extra syrup. Float a dark overproof rum for aroma and a slow, warming finish. Pack the glass with crushed ice so the drink stays cold without turning watery, and keep the garnish simple: a spent lime shell and mint, no paper umbrellas needed.
- Use fresh-squeezed lime juice; bottled juice flattens the drink.
- Taste the orgeat first, since brands vary in sweetness, and adjust the rock candy syrup.
- Crushed ice is key: it chills fast and keeps dilution gentle.
- Float the overproof rum last so it sits on top and hits the nose first.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or wine shipping where it is legal (spirits are local delivery and in-store pickup only). You must be 21 or older.
