Nor is it Day-Glo orange with a lake of overproof rum floating on top. However, there have been variations on the Mai Tai recipe by using ingredients such as amaretto, bitters and grenadine. Yet when made properly, the Mai Tai is a well-balanced masterpiece from the heart of the golden age of Tiki. Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic would feud for decades over who created the Mai Tai, and even go to court. Your favorite shows, personalities, and exclusive originals. Advertisement. Coruba Dark Rum makes a fine budget Mai Tai. You can also experiment with different rums depending on how you feel about Jamaican “funk”. 1 oz gold rum. The Mai Tai sprung to life in 1944, not in Polynesia, but in Oakland, California – the masterpiece of Victor Bergeron, better known as Trader Vic. DIRECTIONS. The Mai Tai became so popular in those postwar years that, in short order, almost all of the world’s supply of Wray & Nephew 17 had been consumed happily through a million cocktail straws. Original Mai Tai Recipe Restaurant Drink Recipe. Though we call for dark rum in the Strain into a glass and garnish. The Mai Tai is a cocktail based on rum, Curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice. Mai Tai Recipe. RECIPE: THE MAI TAI courtesy of Martin Cate. The Original Formula by Trader Vic Bergeron, 1944 2 ounces of 17-year old J. Wray & Nephew Rum over shaved ice ½ ounce Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao ½ ounce French Garier Orgeat Syrup ¼ ounce Trader Vic’s Rock Candy Syrup Add juice from one fresh Lime. Who would have thought a drink recipe would cause people to get upset with one another, but it happened with the Mai Tai. Combine 1 ounce of light rum, 1 ounce of dark rum, half an ounce of Orgeat syrup and 1/2 ounce of orange liqueur in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Pour all the liquids into a cocktail shaker. The Mai Tai cocktail took a star turn by earning a prominent role in the Elvis film "Blue Hawaii.". Strain over ice into old fashioned glass. 1/2 oz orgeat syrup (almond syrup) 1/2 oz lime juice. Ingredients 2 oz Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Rum 4 oz Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Mix Juice from one fresh lime 1 cup cubed ice 1 cup shaved ice All in one place. First of all, there is no pineapple juice in a Mai Tai! – 1 oz aged Jamaican rum Of all the drinks in the Tiki canon, the Mai Tai is the most classic—and the most abused. A Mai Tai is a cocktail that most often consists of rum, Curacao liqueur, lime juice and orgeat syrup. Though we call for dark rum in the His recipe included lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, and simple syrup. The traditional … Rate, Review, and Discover spirits! When using Merchant’s Reserve, a two-ounce pour is all you need. Recently, Tiki enthusiasts have tossed around the question of whether the Martinique rhum used by Trader Vic was an agricole (made from fresh sugarcane juice) or a molasses-derived spirit. 2. Fill it with ice and shake for about 30 seconds. – 1/4 oz orgeat syrup Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today. And watch videos demonstrating recipe prep and cooking techniques. Did our Original Mai Tai recipe get you thirsty? 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice 1/2 ounce orange curaçao (Pierre Ferrand preferred) 1/4 ounce orgeat For your Martinique agricole, try something like Rhum Clement VSOP. Sign up for the Food Network Shopping Newsletter Privacy Policy, Dairy-Free Vanilla Cashew Ice Cream with Date Cocoa Swirl, Ree's Quesadillas with Shrimp, Pineapple and Peppers, Creamy Dairy-Free Stove Top Mac and Cheese. Preparation. First of all, there is no pineapple juice in a Mai Tai! Feel free to replace the orgeat with simple syrup and a drop of almond extract, which will mimic the almond undertones. The original Mai Tai is also calling for orange curaçao [Cointreau could be seen as high quality triple sec curaçao], and a little bit candy rock syrup — which is an oversaturated sugar syrup. Shake all ingredients except dark rum together. Top with dark rum and maraschino cherry. This translates to … This original mai tai recipe allows the rum to shine the most, it is not over sweet or too neon coloured. Shake vigorously and strain into glass full of ice. The Mai Tai drink was created as a way to showcase the flavors of good-quality rum. As the story goes, a guest took a first sip and exclaimed “Maita’i roa ae!”, which is Tahitian for “The very best!” or “Out of this world!” In the drink’s original incarnation, Trader Vic used Wray & Nephew 17-year aged rum from Jamaica. Garnish with lime slice, pineapple, and mint sprig. Fill 4 small glasses with ice. The exact amount of orgeat and simple syrup can be adjusted to individual taste. 1/2 oz Orange Curacao liqueur. Legend has it that Trader Vic served his creation to some Tahitian friends, who exclaimed, “Maita’i roa a’e!”. Recipe courtesy "Hawaii Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine by Don the Beachcomber" by Arnold Bitner & Phoebe Beach published by Mutual Publishing. 3. Feel free to replace the orgeat with simple syrup and a drop of almond extract, which will mimic the almond undertones. Let it … Combine the silver or gold rum, lime juice, aged rum, orange liqueur, almond syrup, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. In fact, it’s widely considered by many aficionados to be the consummate Tiki recipe – relatively simple (by Tiki recipe standards) yet truly timeless. © 2021 Discovery or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Mai Tai Cocktails evoke nostalgia even for those of us who are too young to remember tiki bars. Combine all ingredients, except Cruzan® Black Strap Rum and mint sprig, into an ice-filled shaker … Too many resort bartenders have hatched abominations of this cocktail, often resulting in a syrupy, undrinkable mess. Step 1. To keep up with the demand and also make a more tourist-friendly cocktail he had to switch the original ingredients of the Mai Tai with a blend of juices. Pour rum mixture over; stir to blend. Strain the drink into a lowball glass. It is one of the quintessential cocktails in Tiki culture. Recently, Denizen Rum introduced their Merchant’s Reserve, a blend of rums from Jamaica and Martinique. And if you really want to bring the funk, go for the Mezan Jamaica XO. The Mai Tai History and its Recipes Explained | Senior Liqueur Original Mai Tai Recipe. The Trader used 17-year-old aged rum as the base for his Mai Tai, but the rich taste of Captain Morgan pairs well with the citrus. – 1/2 oz orange Curaçao The mai tai is served on ice and garnished with a mint sprig. While you may find Mai Tai variations such as the Royal Mai Tai–which does include pineapple juice and who knows what else– out there in the wild, among the hard core Tiki crowd, the original 1944 Mai Tai is the only game in town. Shake all ingredients over ice, pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Feel free to replace the orgeat with simple syrup and a drop of almond extract, which will mimic the almond undertones. Top with ice and shake vigorously. Strong evidence suggests that Trader Vic developed his own Mai Tai, without any knowledge of Donn’s, in 1944. So powerful is the lure of an “original” Mai Tai that the world’s few remaining bottles of Wray & Nephew 17 have been sold at auction in the $50,000 range for one bottle – it remains the Holy Grail for rum enthusiasts. A Mai Tai made following the Original 1944 Recipe / Photo Credit: Matt Pietrek. This adaptation became wildly popular and overshadowed the traditional Mai Tai recipe. Ultimate Mai Tai Recipe. I get my Mai Tai recipe straight from the man that invented the Mai Tai, Victor Bergeron, or as he is better known - Trader Vic!When I was packing up my … Add 2 – 3 … Don The Beachcomber invented a drink he called the Mai Tai Swizzle in 1933, but it seems to have disappeared from his menu sometime before 1937. Fill to rim with crushed ice. We’re taking a break from Beer of the Week to share a recipe for a simple, delicious mai tai, made in the style of the original 1944 cocktail from Trader Vic. Make almond or orange flavored simple syrup by boiling 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water until the sugar dissolves. The mai tai is a cocktail made of equal parts dark and light rum, a two-part tangy sweetness from an orange liqueur like triple sec or curaçao and fresh lime juice, finished with a subtly floral almond perfume from orgeat syrup. All rights reserved. Trader Vic used a golden rum made by Jamaican distiller J. Wray and Nephew. Ask your local Tikiphile to craft a classic 1944 Mai Tai, and the recipe will look something like this: – 1 oz lime juice With Distiller, you’ll always know what’s in the bottle before you spend a cent. Garnish with pineapple and mint, if desired. With all the Wray & Nephew gone, Vic switched to a more pragmatic rum formulation – a blend of aged dark Jamaican rum and aged Martinique rhum. Pour it all into a 16-ounce double old-fashioned glass. Mix first 6 ingredients in pitcher. Going upscale, the Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year is quite popular with bartenders. Get The Original Mai Tai Recipe from Food Network You can also find 1000s of Food Network's best recipes from top chefs, shows and experts. The Mai Tai Recipe Controversy! Garnish with a spent lime shell (peel side up) and a sprig of mint. Vic won, but today many experts think his Mai Tai was an attempt at replicating a Beachcomber drink. Too many resort bartenders have hatched abominations of this cocktail, often resulting in a syrupy, undrinkable mess. Nor is it Day-Glo orange with a lake of overproof rum floating on top. It has not been tested for home use. This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional. In honor of National Mai Tai Day, let’s talk about what a Mai Tai is and, almost as importantly, what it ISN’T. 1 oz dark rum. *Falernum is a lime/ginger based syrup and can be found in some large liquor stores. The mai tai recipe was created as a way to showcase the flavours of very high-quality rum. The Classic Mai Tai dates back to 1944 and Trader Vic who opened a Tiki Bar in Oakland in California, Despite originating outside of Hawaii it was quickly adopted by the Polynesian State and became entrenched as Tiki Culture spread across the Islands. Shake well until the drink is chilled, then strain over crushed ice. Though we call for dark rum in the Nonetheless, Tiki experts agree that a mix of aged Jamaican and Martinique agricole make for a delicious cocktail. 1. Trader Vic’s is credited with inventing the drink, and the first person to try it was said to cry out “Mai Tai!” which means “the best—out of this world” in Tahitian. All the ingredients for this classic cocktail should be premium, original … – 1 oz aged Martinique agricole rhum. Love the cocktail and the history of it! Use a different flavor simple syrup, like grenadine, orange or any other kind. It was specifically created in consultation with Tiki expert Martin Cate to be faithful to the flavor profile Trader Vic used when he transitioned to a two-rum blend. The Original 1944 Mai Tai Recipe. Of all the drinks in the Tiki canon, the Mai Tai is the most classic—and the most abused. A rum-based- and I do mean rum-based- cocktail, it is laced with sweet undertones and a punch … – 1/4 oz 1:1 simple syrup In a cocktail mixer full of ice, combine the spiced rum, coconut rum, grenadine, pineapple juice and orange juice. Original Mai Tai - Classic, Tropical, Amazing | The Drink Blog