The Art of the Mai Tai

I've ordered many Mai Tai's before and received a fruity concoction that barely had any rum and ranged anywhere in color from bright red to yellow. It was until I went to Hawaii that I discovered a true Mai Tai. My husband and I were at a social event with an open bar where we figured the drinks would be watered down with cheap liquor. So as we stood at the bar surveying the selection, the bartender, obviously a local of Hawaiian descent, offered to make us his specialty, the Mai Tai. Sure, why not? We're in Hawaii afterall.

WOW! Now this was a drink I could get used to! It may not have been the best quality of rum but it wasn't the cheapest either, maybe Bacardi or Captain Morgan's but it was actually pretty decent for being free. Needless to say we were hooked and had to get more. Later in the trip we visited Duke's in Waikiki and ordered one there. Now that was quality stuff...fresh lime juice, no mixers and two types of good rum although I have to admit I don't remember which ones. The bartender said his recipe was secret and we couldn't see everything he put in it, we just knew it was good.

So fast forward several years and a few bad Mai Tai's later. I had forgotten how much I liked them since I ordered a few since then and apparently inexperienced bartenders think they can mix a bunch of juice, some rum, a splash of grenadine, add a paper umbrella and call it a Mai Tai.  

The real Mai Tai was reportedly invented at the Trader Vic's restaurant in California in 1944. Trader Vic's rival, Don the Beachcomber, claimed to have created it in 1933 at his bar named for himself in Hollywood. Don the Beachcomber's recipe is more complex than that of Vic's and tastes quite different. "Maita'i" is the Tahitian word for "good"; but the drink is spelled as two words. 

While there is still some disagreement on whose receipe came first and whose is most authentic, here is the one I like best, which is closer to Trader Vic's recipe.


2 oz Martinique rum 
(Clement is my favorite)
1 oz dark Jamaican rum 
(Appleton works well here)
1-2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz orgeat syrup
1/2 oz of Cointreau
garnish with mint and a lime 
(no paper umbrella necessary)

While the drink is quite perfect on it's own, presentation is still important. To get the essence of the South Pacific, serve in a Tiki Glass and Cheers!