Mai Tai Version 1

The Mai Tai recipes are changing like the year's four seasons. It is always strong in alcohol. It is always balanced between sweet and sour. It always has the light touch of almond. And it's super delicious.
A rocks glass filled with ice cubes, a mint sprig on top, and a lot of alcohol inside.

Image Source: original

ingredients

  • 40ml Old Pascas White Rum (white rum)
  • 10ml Cointreau (orange liqueur)
  • 10ml The Bitter Truth Golden Falernum Liqueur (herbal liqueur)
  • 10ml Wray &Amp; Nephew White Overproof Rum (overproof rum)
  • 15ml Plantation Rum O.f.t.d. (overproof rum)
  • 5ml Simple Syrup (sugar syrup)
  • 15ml Giffard Orgeat (almond syrup)
  • 40ml Lemon Juice Fresh (citrus juice)
glassware:
Rocks
technique:
shake / strain
garnish:

2x mint sprigs

mixing instructions

  1. Add all ingredients into the shaker.
  2. Add ice cubes.
  3. Shake for about 10 seconds.
  4. Strain into the prepared serving glass filled with ice cubes.
  5. Add your garnish.

  1. Prepare your bottle setup.
  2. Prepare your Mise en Place.
  3. Chill the serving glass with either crushed ice or ice cubes. Or place it in a fridge or freezer.
  4. Prepare your garnish.
  5. Add all ingredients into the shaker.
  6. Add ice cubes.
  7. Shake for about 10 seconds.
  8. Take the chilled glass out of the fridge/freezer. If you used ice to chill the serving glass, remove everything from the glass.
  9. Add around 6 to 7 ice cubes into the serving glass.
  10. Strain into the serving glass.
  11. Add your garnish.
  12. Clean up your working station.

how to garnish

  • 2x mint sprigs, Place the sprig inside the glass.

mixing tips

General

  • Try to use cold liquids to mix the drink. It will give you more control over the dilution.
  • Start with the cheapest ingredients (the syrup) first.
  • It might be helpful to add in the beginning lesser syrup. You can constantly adjust the sweetness after shaking the cocktail.

Glassware

  • A chilled glass keeps your drink longer and more enjoyable. Your used ice will melt slower, and the taste will stay longer.

flavour and texture

Aroma:
almond, high ester, lime
Flavour:
almond, high ester, oak
Texture:
aggressive, dense, fresh

editor recipe notes

The question is, how many Mai Tai recipes are out there in the world? How many different Rums are available? How many other recipes could you mix? Is there an authentic way to mix a Mai Tai cocktail?

Actually, I don’t have an answer to those questions. I can tell you that we tried many different recipes, and this one is a good one. It’s not too boozy, not too sour, not too sweet.
We used Orgeat and mixed it with regular simple syrup. The taste of the Orgeat might be otherwise too dominant and sweet.

We use Lemon Juice. And there is nothing wrong with it. In the end, to give some more Lime flavor, you could also shake a lime peel with the drink. It’s always just a preference, and I would not carve it in stone that Lime Juice is a must.
What we do, we mix the Sugar and all the Lueuqor together and keep them refrigerated. Then once a drink is ordered, we mix it with fresh juice.

The Liquor mix will be stable for a long time. And once you use a chilled mixture, you also have more control over the drink’s dilution.

more recipes

150 ml = 1 serving

Author, Timo Wessels
Updated on 3. February 2023

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