Apparently, I’m just over here dreaming about being back on the islands! After sharing my fresh ahi poke and fiery edamame, there’s really only one thing missing from this little Hawaiian-inspired lineup, a mai tai. And not just any mai tai.
When my husband and I honeymooned on Kauai over 20 years ago, we made it our unofficial mission to find the best mai tai on the island. Tough job, but someone had to do it! What we quickly discovered was that no two mai tais were quite the same.
The original mai tai dates back to 1944 and is credited to Trader Vic. Made with rum, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, and nutty orgeat syrup, the classic version is actually quite different from the fruity mai tais many of us associate with Hawaii. Later came the Royal Hawaiian-style mai tai, with tropical additions like pineapple and orange juice.
My 1944 Tropical Twist Mai Tai borrows a little from both. It stays true to the flavors of the original while adding a dark rum float and pineapple garnish because, well… we’re making a tropical cocktail. More rum and pineapple just feel right.
The name mai tai derives from the Tahitian term “mai tai–roa aé” which translates to “Out of this world–the best,” a fitting homage to this famous tropical drink that lives up to it’s name.
So make the poke, whip up some fiery edamame, shake yourself a mai tai, and pretend there are palm trees swaying overhead. Kauai may require a plane ticket, but happy hour doesn’t.
INGREDIENTS
3 oz gold rum
1 1/2 oz orange liqueur
1 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
1 1/2 oz simple syrup
3 oz lime juice
3 oz dark rum
pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)
STEPS
- Fill two glasses with ice.
- In a drink shaker, combine the gold rum, orange liqueur, orgeat syrup, simple syrup, lime juice, and some ice and shake vigorously.
- Strain the mai tais into the prepared ice filled glasses.
- Slowly pour the dark rum into the glasses so it “floats” on the top.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry.
