The Mai Tai is the defining Tiki cocktail, popularized by Trader Vic in the 1940s as a showcase for blended Caribbean rums, bright lime, orange curaçao, and fragrant orgeat; its name is said to mean "out of this world" in Tahitian. A truly great Mai Tai balances the funk and weight of a Jamaican rum with the grassy, vegetal notes of a rhum agricole, while keeping orgeat and orange liqueur restrained so the rums sing. One practical tip: use fresh lime and crushed ice for texture and lift, and if you’re in Buffalo our store stocks well-chosen aged rums and quality orgeat for the best results.
Ingredients
| 1 oz | Jamaican dark or aged rum |
| 1 oz | rhum agricole (Martinique) |
| ½ oz | orange curaçao (Cointreau) |
| ½ oz | orgeat syrup |
| ¾ oz | fresh lime juice |
| ¼ oz | simple syrup (1:1) |
| 1 dash | Angostura bitters |
| ¼ oz | dark rum (float) |
| 6 leaves | mint sprig (garnish) |
| 1 tbsp | spent lime shell (garnish) |
Instructions
- Add the Jamaican rum, rhum agricole, orange curaçao, orgeat, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake vigorously until well chilled, about 8–12 seconds.
- Fill a double rocks glass with crushed ice.
- Strain the cocktail over the crushed ice and pile a small mound of crushed ice on top.
- Gently float the dark rum over the top by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon.
- Garnish with the mint sprig and spent lime shell, clap the mint once to release the oils, and tuck it into the glass.
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Rum for Mai Tais
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