Mai Tai — Classic tiki cocktail with aged Jamaican rum and orgeat

Mai Tai

Classic tiki cocktail with aged Jamaican rum and orgeat

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ozFresh Lime Juice
    Fresh squeezed
    Substitute: Key lime preferred
  • 1 dashAngostura Aromatic Bitters
    Traditional Trader Vic addition
    Substitute: Optional but traditional
  • 1/2 ozOrange Curaçao
    Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao preferred
    Substitute: Cointreau acceptable
  • 2 ozAged Jamaican Rum
    Jamaican aged rum essential for authentic flavor
    Substitute: Appleton Estate 12 year, Smith & Cross blend
  • 1/2 ozOrgeat Syrup
    Almond syrup essential
    Substitute: Homemade orgeat preferred
  • 1/4 ozRock Candy Syrup
    Rich simple syrup
    Substitute: Simple syrup 2:1

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz aged Jamaican rum, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, 1/2 oz orange curaçao, 1/2 oz orgeat, and 1/4 oz rock candy syrup to shaker
  2. Add 1 dash Angostura bitters
  3. Fill with ice and shake vigorously
  4. Strain into rocks glass filled with crushed ice
  5. Garnish with fresh mint sprig and spent lime shell

Technique Notes

Crushed ice, not cubes. This drink is built to dilute continuously as you drink it, and cubes give you a strong first half and a watery second.

Why the Mai Tai Works

Aged Jamaican rum's funk and oak meet orgeat's almond fat across the bridge of fresh lime — the orgeat coats the palate so the rum's hogo reads complex rather than aggressive. Orange curaçao deepens the citrus; Angostura ties the spice in the rum to the aromatic top of the drink.

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