Post #308532 by Chip and Andy on Wed, May 23, 2007 7:13 PM

Your concern over the sweetness is valid, but slightly misplaced....

The recipe calls for 1/4 oz of rock candy syrup which for a six plus ounce drink is a very small portion. If your orgeat is 'overly' sweet and your curacao is equally overly sweet you can skip it.

But, skip the sugar at your own risk.... That little bit of sugar is there to take the edge off of the lime and to balance the burn of the rums. The 'original' recipe for the Mai-Tai used only a single rum that is no longer available so now we pair rums to regain that yummyness. The sugar part of the drink fills in the gap.

Basically, start with the full recipe and back-down any part of it that is overpowering. If it comes accross as too sweet, reduce (or drop) the sugar. If it is too bitter or sharp from the limes add a wee bit more of the sugar (or curacao). If the rum burn is too high add a wee bit more of the sugar and curacao. And, when you find a good balance, write everything down and share it.

Happy drinking and share what you discover along the way!

PS, when I say 'wee bit' I mean something less than 1/4 ounce but more than a drop. Let your nose tell you. Yes, I said nose, not toungue. Your nose is the best taster you have.