Post #27709 by Doctor Z on Sun, Mar 23, 2003 6:16 PM

Well, there are many different ways of making a Mai Tai, but I prefer Trader Vic's original recipe from 1944 (with my preferred brands):

The juice of 1 lime, hand-squeezed
1 oz. dark Jamaica rum (Myers's)
1 oz. aged Martinique rum (St. James 'Hors d'Age')
1/2 oz. orange curacao (Bols)
1/4 oz. orgeat (Trader Vic's)
1/4 oz. rock candy syrup (home made)

Hand shake all ingredients with 1/2 spent lime shell and enough ice to fill a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with fresh mint sprig (bruised) & a marischino cherry skewered with a drink parasol. (Fresh orchid optional...)

HINT: hand squeeze the lime and actually measure the ingredients - it DOES make a difference!

I will often use Mt. Gay 'Barbados Sugar Cane' in place of the St. James, as it is easier to find (and a lot cheaper!), but for a drink that truly lives up to it's name ('Mai Tai - Roa Ae' = "Out of this world - the best!"), I think Trader Vic's recipe is really the only way to go.

And if it has pineapple juice or - gasp! - grenadine in it, it shouldn't be called a Mai Tai...

(insert 'Dirty Stinker' quote here)