Mai Tai
Trader Vic's tiki masterpiece: two rums shaken with lime, orange liqueur and almondy orgeat, garnished with mint and pineapple. Nutty, citrusy and far stronger than its holiday looks suggest.
Medium
Difficulty
5 min
Time
292 Cal
Calories
Flavor profile
Rum
Taste values from the Pocket Bartender recipe catalog.
Ingredients
- White Rum1 oz
- Lime Juice1 oz
- Triple Sec½ oz
- Simple Syrup¼ oz
- Orgeat½ oz
- Gold Rum1 oz
- Pineapple1 piece each
Ingredient substitutions
No exact bottle on the shelf? These swaps keep Mai Tai close to the original.
Instead of White Rum
- Cachaça— makes it punchier
- Gold Rum— richer, slightly oaky
Instead of Lime Juice
- Lemon Juice— softer citrus
Instead of Triple Sec
- Cointreau— smoother and drier
- Grand Marnier— richer, cognac-based
Instead of Simple Syrup
- Agave Syrup— cleaner sweetness
- Honey Syrup— floral sweetness
Instead of Orgeat
- Falernum— spiced island cousin
Instead of Gold Rum
- Dark Rum— deeper molasses
- White Rum— lighter and drier
Instructions
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice.
Shake and pour into a double rocks glass or an highball glass.
* The Martinique molasses rum used by Trader Vic was not an Agricole Rhum but a type of “rummy” from molasses.
Garnish with pineapple spear, mint leaves and lime peel.
Pairs well with
Layered rums and almond orgeat anchor a full tiki feast of sweet-savory bites:
- Coconut shrimp
- Pineapple pork skewers
- Crab rangoon
- Macadamia nuts
- Grilled pineapple wedges
Also known as
Similar taste
Frequently asked questions
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