Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is the definitive tiki cocktail: a short, boozy rum drink built on aged Jamaican rum, fresh lime, orange curacao, and almond-rich orgeat. Shaken over crushed ice, it lands bittersweet and nutty with a bright citrus snap and a warm dark-rum float on top. Skipping the pineapple-and-grenadine "restaurant" version keeps it dry, balanced, and true to the 1944 original.
Build a classic 1944-style Mai Tai by combining 60 ml aged Jamaican rum, 22 ml fresh lime juice, 15 ml orange curacao, 15 ml almond orgeat, and 7 ml simple syrup in a shaker; short-shake hard with crushed ice for about 12 seconds, then 'dirty dump' the whole thing (ice included) into a chilled double rocks glass, top with more crushed ice, float 15 ml dark rum over the back of a bar spoon, and garnish with a spent lime shell and a slapped mint sprig.
- Use fresh-squeezed lime only. Bottled juice tastes flat and turns the drink bitter.
- Real orgeat and a dry orange curacao are non-negotiable; sweet triple sec throws off the balance.
- Crushed ice is the secret: it chills fast and gives the light dilution that makes the rum drinkable.
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Citrus juicer
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Double rocks glass
- Bar spoon
Ingrédients
The cocktail
- 60 ml Aged Jamaican rum, pot-still style, such as Appleton Estate 8
- 22 ml Fresh lime juice, from about 1 lime, strained
- 15 ml Orange curacao, dry style, like Pierre Ferrand
- 15 ml Orgeat syrup, almond syrup; contains tree nut
- 7 ml Simple syrup, 1:1 sugar and water
Float and garnish
- 15 ml Dark Jamaican or blackstrap rum, for the float
- Fresh mint
- Spent lime shell, reserved half from juicing
Préparation
- ÉTAPE01
Pack a double rocks glass with crushed ice to chill while you work. Gently slap a mint sprig between your palms to release its oils and set it aside with a reserved spent lime shell.
- ÉTAPE02
Halve one fresh lime and juice it, keeping one spent shell for garnish. Measure out 22 ml (3/4 oz) and strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove pulp and seeds.
- ÉTAPE03
Add the aged Jamaican rum, lime juice, orange curacao, orgeat, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Give it a quick stir with a bar spoon to loosen the thick orgeat before it hits the ice.
- ÉTAPE04
Fill the shaker about halfway with crushed or cracked ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, just until the tin frosts and the drink is cold and lightly diluted. Do not over-shake or it turns watery.
- ÉTAPE05
Discard the chilling ice from the rocks glass. Pour the entire contents of the shaker, ice and all, straight into the glass (this 'dirty dump' keeps all the flavor), then top with fresh crushed ice to fill.
- ÉTAPE06
Slowly pour the dark rum over the back of a bar spoon so it pools on the surface as a float. Tuck in the spent lime shell and the mint sprig, add a straw, and serve immediately.
Make ahead
For a crowd, batch everything except the ice and the float: multiply the cocktail ingredients by the number of guests, combine in a bottle, and chill. Shake individual portions to order over crushed ice, or if pouring from a punch bowl, stir in about 15 ml of cold water per drink to mimic the dilution you would get from shaking.
Storage
Best made and drunk immediately, since the ice and its dilution are part of the drink. You can pre-mix the rum, curacao, orgeat, lime, and simple syrup (without ice) and refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 24 hours, then shake with fresh ice when ready. Homemade orgeat keeps about 2 weeks refrigerated.
Variations
Tree-nut-free Mai Tai
Swap the almond orgeat for falernum or a toasted-seed orgeat made with sunflower seeds or pepitas, and add a barspoon of Demerara syrup for body. You keep the spiced sweetness without the almond allergen.
Virgin Mai Tai
Replace both rums with strong cold-brewed black tea plus a zero-proof aged-rum substitute for depth, keep the lime, orgeat, and an orange syrup in place of curacao, and finish with a few drops of alcohol-free bitters. Bright, nutty, and family-friendly.
Rhum agricole split base
Use 30 ml aged Jamaican rum and 30 ml Martinique rhum agricole in place of the full 60 ml. The agricole adds a grassy, vegetal snap that many tiki purists prefer.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Questions fréquentes
What rum should I use for a mai tai recipe?
The soul of the drink is aged Jamaican rum: something funky and molasses-rich like Appleton Estate 8 or Smith & Cross. Trader Vic's 1944 original famously used a 17-year Wray & Nephew Jamaican rum, and a good mai tai recipe leans on that pot-still character. Many bartenders split the base, using half aged Jamaican and half Martinique rhum agricole for a grassy edge.
What is orgeat, and can I leave it out?
Orgeat is a sweet almond syrup scented with a little orange-flower water, and it is what gives a Mai Tai its signature nutty, marzipan note. Leaving it out fundamentally changes the drink into a plain rum sour. If you cannot find it, make your own from blanched almonds or, in a pinch, stir a drop of almond extract into simple syrup.
Why does my homemade Mai Tai taste different from the ones at tiki bars?
Usually two culprits: sweetness and ice. Many restaurant versions add pineapple juice and grenadine, which the classic omits, so if yours is cloying, cut the simple syrup. And a Mai Tai needs crushed ice for fast chilling and the right dilution; cubed ice leaves it hot and sharp.
Can I make a non-alcoholic Mai Tai?
Yes. Replace the rums with a zero-proof aged-rum alternative or strong cold black tea for body, keep the lime, orgeat, and an orange syrup in place of curacao, and add a few drops of alcohol-free aromatic bitters. You keep the nutty-citrus profile without the booze.
Can I batch a mai tai recipe for a party?
Absolutely. Scale the rum, curacao, orgeat, lime, and simple syrup by the number of guests and bottle it with no ice. Shake each serving to order over crushed ice, or if serving from a bowl, stir in about 15 ml of water per drink to replace the dilution shaking would provide.
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