Mai Tai

Now that I’ve moved to Hawaii my focus is everything Polynesian and by that standard my go-to drink out here is the Mai Tai. Dear partiers: If you are going to throw a tiki themed party this drink is a must. Tropical, fruity, sweet, and strong. Perfect for the rum lover. Maita’i is the tahitian word for good. And we are not going to question it.

There are a lot of variations on the Maitai…but I went with something a little simpler because as great as creme de almond, orgeat syrup, and orange curaçao are….not everyone always has this stuff on hand. But then again, if you wanna become a Mai Tai addict I def recommend that you invest in a bottle of the orgeat. It’s almond, sugar, rose, and orange; therefore, miracle flavouring in a bottle.

Is your mouth watering yet? Here let me teach you how to make this hella good drink.

Since I developed this recipe in Florida with Mary Cole it was imperative that we use delicious Mount Gay rum. But…. rum is rum. So go with your fav.
2 parts dark rum
2 parts light rum
2 parts orange juice (fresh is best if it’s available)
2 parts pineapple juice (again, fresh is best)
1/2 part triple sec (cointreau or grand marnier both make fine substitutes….do what suits your budget)
1/2 part liquid sour mix (or fresh lime juice)

10,000 pieces of ice.

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And if you don’t have enough cavities then throw in a splash of something sweet (simple syrup, orgeat, creme de almond, cane sugar, agave syrup, grenadine… you get the idea)

Mix all ingredients (except dark rum) in shaker with ice – and pour over ice. Then float the dark rum on top. It looks really cool. Of course – you should stir before drinking; or else all of the dark rum ends up in the last sip and really kicks your ass. If you are feeling fancy you should layer all the ingredients into a collins glass without the pre-mix shaking.

Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a bit of lime (cherry, umbrella, orchid, orange peel, lemon, or whatever else you desire) and serve with a straw.

If you are too lazy to make your own Mai Tai but have a billion dollars to blow then I recommend stopping by the Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki to get the best Maitai I have ever tasted in my life. Worth every one of the 1,200 pennies it costs.