Post #243808 by mbanu on Wed, Jul 19, 2006 7:10 AM

On rum:

Finding the exact mix just isn't possible if you've never had the 17-year old original, or at least a bottle of Vic's Mai Tai rum to base your mix off. You can't just go by country because distillation practices change. I'm pretty sure that your average Jamaican rum of yesteryear isn't quite the same as your average Jamaican of today. Any heavy-bodied aged rum will probably make a good drink, though. :)

On curacao: Doesn't really matter which one you use, but make sure it's liquor-strength (40% abv) or very close, and not one of those low-proof creme de orange liqueurs in disguise.

On sweeteners: It may be a pain, but it's important to use the orgeat/sugar syrup blend instead of straight orgeat. One of the big dangers with all tiki drinks is that you have so many flavors fighting for dominance that all the high and low notes get drowned out. Using the syrup blend allows the character of the base rum to shine through more.

On limes: Use fresh, of course. :)

On shaking: Shake the crap out of it. Any good Mai Tai recipe takes ice dilution into account, and once the Mai Tai is as cold as the surrounding ice, no more ice will melt. It's impossible to overshake a good Mai Tai. As stated previously, don't shake with the shell. :)

On presentation:

Make sure to leave a bit of juice in the lime shell you use for garnish. The idea behind that is so if the person prefers their Mai Tais a bit more tart, they can pick the lime shell back up and adjust the tartness themselves.

Make sure the Old-fashioned glass you use doesn't have a over-wide rim. How much is too much depends on the size of lime you're using, but it should fill a healthy portion of the glass if you want to get the garnish effect right.

Garnished correctly, the lime half with spearmint sprig should look a bit like a desert island with a palm tree. The Mai Tai itself should just come up to the edge of the lime, enough to enhance the effect, but not so much that the lime can't be taken out without getting your fingers wet. Just make sure to use enough ice to make a solid base for the lime to rest on. Make sure to use fresh spearmint, it has the best aroma.

Straw or not is anyone's guess, but if you do go with a straw, cut it short. Helps keep the nose catch the scent of the mint. :)

[ Edited by: mbanu 2006-07-19 07:11 ]