Post #357540 by BrickHorn on Sun, Jan 27, 2008 4:51 PM

In desperate times, I've downed a mai tai or two sans garnish. But Mr. Bali Hai is right - the garnish is often an essential component of the drink. Since it sits right under your nostrils when sipping, the garnish can add an aromatic quality that highlights the flavors of the fluids. My theory for why so many knock-off mai tai recipes include pineapple juice is that the imitators were fooled by the aroma of the pineapple wedge / cherry garnish.