Mai Tai is Your Tai

Mai Tais are one of my favorite cocktails — urban legend says that Trader Vic invented it, and his Tahitian friends named it with their native reply after tasting it, "mai tai" meaning literally "very good".

The whole gamut of tiki drinks always feels extra indulgent to me, and I feel immediately transported whenever I sip one. For this Mai Tai, I wanted to add a bit of complexity with two types of darker, funky rums. If you only have a standard dark rum on hand, feel free to use that in place of the pineapple and Smith & Cross rums — it will still be delicious. I’ve also replaced the traditional orange curaçao with triple sec, as it’s a more commonly kept ingredient.

If you’re Denver local, all of the ingredients listed are available at my work — Peak Beverage, and we offer delivery as well as curbside pickup. Shop here.

Ingredients

1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Cointreau (Triple Sec)
1/2 oz Orgeat (I used Bougie Syrups)
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Optional Garnishes: lime wheel, orchid, pineapple, and mint can all be used!

Directions

Combine both rums, lime juice, Cointreau, and orgeat over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until too cold to handle, then strain into your glass of choice over crushed ice or a cocktail cube. Crushed ice will lead to better dilution, but if you’re looking for a knockout of a drink, go with the cocktail-sized ice cube! Top with the bitters and any garnishes that you choose.