Cocktail Hour: The Mai Tai

[SallyLightfoot]

I don't recall ever having had a Mai Tai previously, but a good friend of mine insisted that we pull together the ingredients as part of a pre-dinner mixology project. After the hassle of gathering a few supplies, I'm glad to report it was well worth it.

We used the Trader Vic recipe:
<blockquote>The mai tai is the quintessential tiki drink. The classic Trader Vic's version, upon which this recipe is based, is complex, sophisticated, and a far cry from the overly sweet, cherry-red pre-mix variants that lesser establishments fob off on their customers.

It is relatively simple: It starts with rum blended with those two building blocks of most outstanding rum drinks, lime and sugar. To this is added curaçao (an orange-flavored liqueur) and orgeat (pronounced or-ZHA), an almond-flavored syrup now often found in upscale coffee shops. As in any good cocktail, the quality of the spirit should not be underestimated: Better rums make a better mai tai. Don't skimp.

Mix in a cocktail shaker with ice:

1 ounce heavy rum (Appleton's or Myers)
1 ounce medium-bodied rum (any white rum such as Bacardi)
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup (Grenadine works as well)
3/4 ounce orange curaçao
1/4 ounce orgeat (I used Almond liquor)

Strain into tumbler half-filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fruit and mint.</blockquote>Note: Mai Tai's are a bit fruity, but it's also a damn potent drink. The first incarnation was true to the recipe (minus the mint), and it was great. Later I made things a little more interesting by adding a half shot of an extra dark rum, <a href="http://www.1-877-spirits.com/store/images/large/Cruzan-Black-Strap-lg.jpg" target="_newx">Cruzan Black Strap</a>-- which tastes a bit like maple-syrup jet fuel. We used cubed pineapple for the garnish. We even had those kitschy cocktail umbrellas, which kinda upped the "<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/484914432_7604dd299e_o.jpg" target="_new">Rip Taylor</a>" vibe, but after a few sips you're ready to turn your living room into a tiki hut anyway.

I have quite a bit of the ingredients left over (curacao, for example), but I enjoyed the drink enough that I'm looking forward to the next project. Too bad I didn't discover this over the summer, it would make a nice excuse for tiki-themed patio party.

<img src="http://soysaucesam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/tiki.jpg" width="300" height="400">

[KYYX4ever]

Have not tried this (yet), but I DO LOVE curacao !
It blends so well with many libations.[:)]

[marie3]

I've never made a Mai Tai, but it sounds freaking great.

[SallyLightfoot]

[quote][i]Originally posted by marie3[/i]
<br>I've never made a Mai Tai, but it sounds freaking great. [/quote]I don't usually make drinks that call for special ingredients, but this one was definitely worth it. You can find all of the items pretty easily (and alternatives are readily available), and it really does make a fun mini-project. I've made mai tai cocktails twice since the debut, and they're definitely part of my repertoire now.

[MARV]

This has been a wonderful summer of rum for me. I've been drinking the dark rums neat or on the rocks. Gosling's Black Seal is popular with me and is the only rum to make a Dark & Stormy with. Better yet for drinking neat is the El Dorado fifteen year which is incredibly smooth. I can only imagine what their twenty-one year old tastes like.

<a href="http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y271/marvymarv/?action=view¤t=tick.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y271/marvymarv/tick.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[SallyLightfoot]

[quote][i]Originally posted by mar#8730;[/i]
<br>This has been a wonderful summer of rum for me. I've been drinking the dark rums neat or on the rocks. Gosling's Black Seal is popular with me and is the only rum to make a Dark & Stormy with. Better yet for drinking neat is the El Dorado fifteen year which is incredibly smooth. I can only imagine what their twenty-one year old tastes like.

<a href="http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y271/marvymarv/?action=view¤t=tick.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y271/marvymarv/tick.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
[/quote]Just saw this post, and as a rum drinker I'm compelled to respond. Love the El Dorado 15 year! It's one of my favorites.

I'm going to the <a href="http://www.ministryofrum.com/events/newyork09.php" target="_new">NY Rum Festival</a> in a few weeks (Oct 5th), in case any other NWO members in the area might be interested-- and yes, El Dorado rums will be well represented!