Mai Tai

Maybe the most famous tiki drink of all time, the Mai Tai is a classic for a good reason. It’s easy to make, refreshing and goes down easy.

The credit to who invented the first Mai Tai was a pretty hot topic for awhile. Victor Bergeron, aka Trader Vic said he created it first while debatably the godfather of tiki himself, Donn the Beachcomber claimed to have invented it. Ironically, the only similarity between the two drinks was the name, the recipes were super different.

After taking it to court, finally Trader Vic was established as the creator of the Mai Tai.

Luckily we’re left with the drink. This take on the classic recipe comes from Anders Erickson, and it’s probably my favorite that I’ve tried so far. The picture is the midnight version, which includes a 1/4 tsp of activated charcoal powder for color.

THE MAI TAI

1 oz WHITE RUM

1 oz DARK RUM

1/2 oz ORANGE CURACAO

1/2 oz ORGEAT SYRUP

1 oz FRESH LIME JUICE

Shake ingredients with 1/2 cup of crushed ice until the shaker gets frosty. Pour into a double rocks glass and top with more crushed ice. Add 1/2 oz dark rum float to the top. Garnish with a pineapple spear, a big sprig of mint, pineapple fronds, lime wheel, cherry, cocktail umbrella… go crazy.