The Mai tai was invented in 1944 by Victor Bergeron, also known as Trader Vic. He blended Jamaican rum, lime juice, a few dashes of orange curacao syrup, fresh orgeat and rock candy to create this cocktail. It is believed that the drink was served to some friends who remarked “Mai Tai, Roa Ae!” which in Tahitian translates to “Out of this world”.
Trader Vic quotes, “I was sitting at the service bar at Trader Vic’s in Oakland and the bartender and I decided to come up with a new drink. We talked about creating a drink that would be the finest drink we could make, using the finest ingredients we could find. And the Mai tai is what we came up with”.
However, nowadays you will probably find a different array of juices added to a Mai Tai such as pineapple juice, orange juice and other ingredients. Below is just one variation of a modern day Mai Tai.
The Recipe
This recipe serves 1
- 2 measure white rum
- ½ measure apricot brandy
- ½ measure orange curacao
- ½ measure lime juice
- ½ measure pineapple juice
- Garnish: cocktail cherry, pineapple cube and slice of orange
Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake and then strain into an ice filled highball glass. Decorate with the fruit on a cocktail stick and add straws.
