Post #305856 by johnman on Sat, May 12, 2007 7:11 AM

On some other cocktails there's sure to be a little more leeway on what ingredients are acceptable. When it comes to the Mai Tai, we're talking about the cornerstone drink for the Tiki community. Making it something special and not to be messed with.

Being from the northeastern part of the US, I've learned to tolerate some deviance in the recipe whenever I head to one of our few remaining tiki spots. There are no Tiki Ti's or Forbidden Islands around here so you must learn to adapt. I actually went to a restaurant in Coventry, RI two weeks ago named Mai Tai and expected something close when I ordered their Mai Tai. HAHAHA - Out came a red concoction served in a wine glass. My guess it was pineapple, grenadine and maybe an ounce of Bacardi. This falls outside the level of my regional tolerance so my standards are not that low. Actually to the average person around here that would be considered a Mai Tai.

When it comes to making my own or consuming one made by one of the members of the local tiki community, the expectations are set back to the purist levels. I'm happy to say PappyTheSailor and Bargoyle never disappoint when they're mixing.

Regarding swapping some ingredients for others - I'm all for it. Just don't call it simply a Mai Tai. If it still contains the majority of the major ingredients (at a minimum lime, rum and orgeat IMHO) then just call it "something"'s Mai Tai or some other variant. One of my favorite variants is the Surf Room Mai Tai. That thing contains all of the major juices (orange/pineapple/lime