Well we are officially islanders for a while and in the spirit of getting back to work, we are bringing a little Hawaiian spirit to the mix! The Mai Tai was first mixed in 1944 by Victor Bergeron at his restaurant in Oakland, California. This festive drink made its way to Hawaii in the early 1950s because of its association with the tiki culture. When traveling to Hawaii, you will be sure to see this cocktail on the menu when you head to dinner or to the bar!
Mai Tais are now considered a classic tropical cocktail that is known for its refreshing taste. The ingredients for a Mai Tai are rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, orgeat syrup and sometimes simple syrup. Orgeat syrup was new to me, but it is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and floral water. This is a potent drink recipe, so we added 1/2 cup orange juice to make it less strong. Pineapple juice works too!
To make this drink simply add all measured ingredients, less the dark rum to a shaker and shake with ice to chill and blend. Strain over fresh ice and top with the dark rum floater! We garnished with a lime, but a sprig of mint or a cherry works too! Want to up the tropical feel? Add a colorful paper umbrella to your drink and enjoy the mini vacay at home!
We hope you enjoyed our first recipe as we get back into the swing of things for work! If you try this recipe please tag us and share your thoughts. That being said, we do ask that you drink responsibly and enjoy the recipes and opinions on our blog. Cheers! Simply, Beth
Mai Tai
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz white rum
- 3/4 oz dark rum
- 1/2 oz Triple Sec
- 1/2 oz Orgeat syrup
- 1/2 cup orange juice or pineapple juice (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, less dark rum, in shaker with ice, then shake to chill
- Strain over fresh ice.
- Add dark rum floater to top, then garnish and enjoy!