There are raging debates about the invention of and the proper recipe for this drink among tiki connoisseurs. The more accepted versions are granted to Victor J. Bergeron, the irascible, wooden-legged “Trader Vic,” from his eponymous restaurant bar in Oakland, Calif., in the ’40s. Contrary to what you might think, the mai tai is actually just a rum sour, employing orgeat alongside Curaçao or triple sec as the sweetener, and using two rums to add complexity. The rest is just lime juice, and that’s it. No coconut, no passion fruit, pineapple, mango or orange juice. No umbrellas. It’s a relatively simple drink, but as such, each element has to be of the utmost quality; great rums, fresh lime juice and prefab orgeat syrup equal disappointment. But when concocted with homemade orgeat, all the tumblers click. The rums, the lime, the orange aromatics and the heft of the almond all play in stupendous balance.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce light rum (I had great results with Banks’ 5 Island)
- 1 ounce gold rum (Appleton’s Estate Reserve, Zacapa, Clément V.S.O.P., El Dorado 12-year)
- ½ ounce orgeat syrup (see recipe)
- ½ ounce orange Curaçao or Cointreau
- Juice of 1 lime.
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 serving)
195 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 5 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Serves 1
Preparation
- Combine ingredients in a shaker with crushed or cracked ice and shake vigorously. Pour, with shaken ice, into a double old-fashioned glass and garnish with the spent lime shell and a sprig of fresh mint. Some, who live large and dangerously, like to float an extra 1/2 ounce of dark rum atop it.
Dining and Cooking