Take a trip to the tropics from the comfort of your own home with this mai tai recipe. Two types of rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orgeat come together to create a boozy, bright cocktail that goes down easily. If you like a zombie cocktail, mai tais are actually quite similar but require fewer ingredients!
A mai tai cocktail is the ideal warm-weather drink. I love serving it alongside other great cocktails like a piña colada or tropical-inspired hurricane drink for summer parties. You can also make a big batch of mai tais to serve a crowd! Whether you’re making one mai tai for slow sipping or a pitcher for a gathering, don’t forget to add colorful tiki decorations to the glass!
Table of Contents
What Is A Mai Tai?
A beloved tiki drink, a mai tai is a rum-forward cocktail containing orange liqueur, lime juice, orgeat, and a dark rum float. Typically garnished with a lime wheel, cherry, or fresh mint sprig, this classic drink is a true rum showcase that is boozy and balanced, with a hint of sweet, nutty, and floral notes from orgeat.
Victor J. Bergeron is thought to have invented the original mai tai at his restaurant and bar, Trader Vic’s, in California. This tropical cocktail has since become one of the most famous tiki drinks and is common on cocktail menus across the country.
Key Ingredients
These are the basic ingredients you need to make a mai tai! You can find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and fun garnish ideas in the recipe card below.
Rum — you need both a light rum and a dark rum for this classic cocktail. White rum is mixed into the main part of the cocktail, and the dark rum is used as a floater on top. Aged rum is a good substitute for dark rum, if you prefer.
Orange liqueur — you can use Orange Curaçao or Grand Marnier, and in a pinch, Cointreau (triple sec).
Lime juice — fresh lime juice is best for the most vibrant flavor, but you can use a high-quality bottled kind instead if that is what you have on hand.
Orgeat — orgeat is an almond-based sweetener that adds complexity to the cocktail. It’s a signature ingredient in the mai tai flavor profile.
What’s A Good Substitute For Orgeat?
Orgeat is an almond-based syrup that also contains rose water or orange flower water. It is sweet with a nutty flavor and subtle floral notes. While there isn’t a direct flavor substitute for orgeat, you can swap it for Amaretto or almond-flavored syrup.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Mai Tai
You can make the cocktail sweeter by adding simple syrup. Orgeat syrup adds a hint of sweetness, but not a lot. If you like sweet cocktails, just add simple syrup to taste.
Add a splash of fruit juice. If you want a less strong drink, add a splash of pineapple juice, passion fruit juice, or orange juice before shaking up the cocktail. It won’t be a classic mai tai, but it will add even more tropical flavors to the drink!
Serve over crushed ice instead of ice cubes. The original recipe was actually served over crushed ice! Go for this option if you want the drink diluted a little faster and a more slushy consistency. I prefer a slower dilution, so I serve my mai tais over ice cubes.
Garnish with fun tiki bar flourishes! Get creative with colorful fruit skewers, cocktail umbrellas, pineapple wedges, and edible flowers. This is such a fun way to personalize the cocktail or match a party theme!
How To Make A Mai Tai
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then add all the mai tai ingredients except for the dark rum. Cover and shake for 10 to 20 seconds, or until the shaker is cold and frosty on the outside.
2. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Float the dark rum over the top.
4. Garnish with fun flourishes, and enjoy!
Mai Tai Recipe
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- Cocktail spoon
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces white rum
- ¾ ounce orange curaçao or Grand Marnier
- ¾ ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ ounce orgeat
- ½ ounce dark rum
- Garnish: lime wheel, cherry, mint sprig
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker half full of ice, combine the white rum, orange curaçao, lime juice and orgeat. Cover and shake vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass three-quarters full of ice. Float the dark rum over top (see notes).
- Garnish with a lime wheel, cherry and mint sprig, if desired.
Notes
- To properly “float” the dark rum on top of the cocktail, hold the rounded side of a cocktail spoon facing up over the top of the cocktail. Slowly pour the dark rum over the rounded spoon. It should slowly pour over all sides of the spoon and stay on top of the cocktail.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s so easy to make mai tais for a crowd! For 8 servings, combine 12 ounces of white rum, 6 ounces each of Orange liqueur and lime juice, and 4 ounces each of orgeat, dark rum, and water. Chill and serve over ice. (Each serving will be 4 to 5 ounces.)
Water is added to the batched version so you can skip shaking each serving over ice. (This dilution naturally happens in the shaker!) I also mix the dark rum directly into the batched cocktail so it’s easier for guests to serve themselves. If you wish, you can hold back the dark rum and float each individual cocktail.
If you’ve tried this mai tai recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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