Mai Tai Recipe: Shake, Sip and Repeat

Mai Tai Cocktail with Black Background Centered


Follow this Mai Tai recipe and drink the iconic tiki cocktail at home. It’s a recipe that you’ll want to shake, sip and repeat.

Mai Tai Cocktail with White Background
Image: ©2foodtrippers

Saying the words ‘mai tai’ makes us smile and elicits thoughts of sandy beaches and swaying palm trees. But better than saying the words, we love sipping Mai Tai cocktails whether we’re on vacation, in a bar or at home.

And, since mai tai loosely translates to the best in Tahitian, we’re clearly not the only ones who’ve elevated this drink to an exalted status.

What Is the Mai Tai Cocktail?

Mai Tai Cocktail with Black Background Centered
You’re not alone if you’re a Mai Tai fan. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The Mai Tai cocktail, crafted with two different rums, orange liqueur, orgeat syrup and fresh lemon juice isn’t only a classic cocktail and tiki tipple. It’s also a summer sipper that ranks as one of the world’s most popular drinks.

In terms of taste, the Mai Tai is simultaneously sweet and sour with a noticeable kick of rum. The potent potable gets nutty sweetness from orgeat syrup while fresh lime juice brings a pucker to the party.

And finally, it’s a drink with a controversial past…

History of the Mai Tai Cocktail

Mai Tai Cocktail with Black Background
The Mai Tai’s history has an element of mystery. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The Mai Tai was invented by Victor Bergeron at the original Trader Vic’s in Oakland, California in 1944. Or was it? Donn Beach allegedly crafted a similar cocktail at the original Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood a decade earlier.

Both tiki pioneers claimed credit for the Mai Tai and no one truly knows who originated the cocktail concept.

What we do know is that the tiki cocktail classic has evolved since either Bergeron or Beach crafted the original Mai Tai. Over the years, it’s become associated with Hawaii, both the state and the Elvis movie. Its recipe has changed too.

Some mixologists have added pineapple and orange juices to the Mai Tai recipe while others have altered its garnishes to include pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries. In the long run, there’s no wrong version except for ones made with Mai Tai mix.

Ingredients

Mai Tai Cocktail Ingredients
Our Mai Tai recipe includes two rums, orange liqueur, orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice. We garnish the drink with a pineapple wedge and a couple maraschino cherries. Not pictured – ice cubes and crushed ice. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The ingredients for a Mai Tai vary based on which recipe you follow. After much experimentation, we now craft Mai Tai cocktails with the following ingredients:

  • Aged or White Rum
  • Dark Rum
  • Orange Liqueur
  • Orgeat Syrup
  • Fresh Lime Juice
  • Crushed Ice
  • Ice Cubes (for shaking)
  • Pineapple Wedge (garnish)
  • Maraschino Cherry (garnish)

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

Despite the Mai Tai’s tropical flavors, none of these ingredients is particularly exotic. You should be able to source them all at your local market or liquor store.

Mai Tai Cocktail Liquor Bottles
Despite its chill tiki vibe, the Mai Tai is a serious cocktail crafted with two rums and orange liqueur. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Channeling the original Mai Tai, we use two rums in our recipe. Specifically, we use Havana Club Ańejo (i.e. aged) Especial Rum and Appleton Estate’s Reserve Blend Jamaican Rum. We also use Cointreau, our preferred triple-sec liqueur.

Discover more cocktails crafted with Cointreau and rum.

Mai Tai Cocktail with Rum Bottle
Using your favorite rum is a recipe for success in this Mai Tai recipe. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Monin produces our go-to orgeat syrup. It’s a a premium product infused with almonds and sugar. The sweet, nutty, opaque white syrup has no artificial sweeteners.

How to Craft a Mai Tai Cocktail

Mai Tai Cocktail Mis en Place
Crafting a Mai Tai cocktail is easy once you gather the necessary ingredients and bar tools. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Alternatives

Crafted Mai Tai Cocktail
The best part of crafting a Mai Tai at home is drinking the fruits of your labor. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Will our favorite Mai Tai be your favorite Mai Tai too? The best way to find out is to craft a few variations and try them all. We recommend staring with the following variations:

  • Add simple syrup to craft a sweeter Mai Tai cocktail.
  • Reduce the lime juice to craft a less tart Mai Tai cocktail.
  • Add orange juice and/or pineapple juice to craft a fruitier Mai Tai cocktail.
  • Experiment with different rums. For example, using a darker rum for the floater will create a more defined top layer.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Mai Tai cocktail?

A Mai Tai cocktail is classic tiki rum cocktail that has California roots and Hawaiian vibes.

What does ‘Mai Tai’ mean?

The words ‘mai tai’ loosely translate to ‘the best’ in Tahitian.

Where was the Mai Tai cocktail invented?

The Mai Tai cocktail was invented in California either at Trader Vic’s in Oakland or at Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood. Both bars are now permanently closed.

What are the ingredients in a Mai Tai cocktail?

Aged or White Rum, Dark Rum, Orange Liqueur, Orgeat Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice, Crushed Ice, Ice Cubes (for shaking), Pineapple Wedge (garnish) and Maraschino Cherry (garnish)

Is the Mai Tai cocktail shaken or stirred?

The Mai Tai cocktail is shaken, not stirred.

Did you craft this cocktail? If so, please rate the recipe below.

Mai Tai Recipe

You don’t have to travel to an island resort to sip a Mai Tai cocktail. The easier option is to follow this recipe and sip one at home.

Course: Drink

Cuisine: Cocktail

Servings: 1

Prep Time5 minutes

Total Time5 minutes

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
  • ounces aged rum
  • ½ ounce dark rum
  • ¾ ounce orange liqueur
  • ½ ounce orgeat syrup
  • ¾ ounce lime juice
  • crushed ice
  • 1 wedge pineapple (garnish)
  • 2 maraschino cherries (garnish)
  • ice cubes (for shaking)
  • Pour aged rum, orange liqueur, orgeat syrup and lime juice into a shaker.

  • Add ice cubes and shake until the liquids are combined and chilled.

  • Pour into a lowball glass that’s 3/4 filled with crushed ice.

  • Float dark rum on top.

  • Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry or two.

  • You can replace the aged rum with white rum.
  • You can use Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao for the orange liqueur.
  • You replace the crushed ice with ice cubes.
  • You can garnish the cocktail with a lime wedge and fresh mint instead or in addition to the pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry garnishes.

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.

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