the ideal Mai Tai formula?

Yeah, me too, stuck in a small Wisconsin town where ingredients are lacking. I improvised a Mai Tai recently that was as good as I remember it being in Honolulu over a decade ago.

I used a pint glass with half crushed ice.

2 shots Myers Dark
2 shots Bacardi Gold
1/2 shot Ogret Syrup (Torani)
juice from one whole lime
1 shot Triple Sec

Mixed it with a spoon.
I put the lime shell in but found that the glass was wtill not quite full so I added just a bit of pineapple juice and topped it with fresh pineapple slice.

Mai Tai recipe from the Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki as printed in the January 2006 issue of Sunset Magazine.

Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai

1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. light rum
1 oz. Curacao
2 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
dash orgeat
dash simple syrup

http://www.royal-hawaiian.com/de_maitai.htm

NO JUICE OTHER THAN THAT FROM A FRESH SQUEZZED LIME!

No orange, pineapple, apricot, mango, what have you juice. You add juice other than the lime; you don’t have a Mai Tai. It’s time for you to come up with a different name for the drink you have in your hand.

Mai Tai:
Rum
Curacao
Orgeat
Lime

Like most well crafted cocktails, simplicity at it’s finest
No Sweet & Sour mix. You have that with the Lime and Curacao & Orgeat. Matter of fact, NEVER use Sweet & Sour mix in any drink but one… the name escapes me right now.

Well, at least that’s how I make a Mai Tai, Rich

I had a Mai Tai many years ago at the Royal Hawaiian. Unfortunately, that was in my pre-Tiki life, and I didn't really appreciate it. Gotta get back there! :drink:

"I think the key in a Mai Tai is to let the flavors of the rum come through. Which is why aged rums are better and the flavorings are used sparingly. You don't want orange or almond flavors to dominate the drink."

Im based in London, and we cant get the Variety of Rums that T.V called for in his original recipe.

A few people on this post have highlighted that even if the ingridients are'nt exactly the same, and the balance of the drink comes through, than we can still call the drink by its name.

Here at my bar, South London Pacific, we call it by its true name (even though its not the original ingridients), because there have been too many varients by adding juices and grenadine (????????)

Trader Vic Mai Tai

1 ounce Havana Club Anejo
1 ounce Captain Morgan
1/2 Cointreau
3/4 ounce fresh Lime Juice
1/4 ounce Orgeat
1/2 ounce Gomme

Shaken and served over crushed ice in 12oz Rocks glass

What do you all think???

Senor Pedro

Welcome to TC, first off.

As for the drink, I'd drop the Captain and just go with two ounces of Havana Club. The rest sounds great- a little extra sweetener to compensate for the drier nature of Cointreau vs. Curacao.

I hope to get over there someday to have one from ya!

*On 2006-02-02 03:56, Senor Pedro wrote:

Here at my bar, South London Pacific, we call it by its true name (even though its not the original ingridients), because there have been too many varients by adding juices and grenadine

Trader Vic Mai Tai

What do you all think???

Senor Pedro
*

That's it, I'm going to London! Made the arrangements and I am set, see ya in March. Have to try one of these Mai-Tais. Ok, so the trip was planned weeks ago, but it makes for better copy. I must visit South London Pacific. How much one of these Mai-Tais go for? I'm dying on the ole conversion, the USD is weak, like my sister.

midnite

ps "drop the Captain", Wha I do this time....?

Speaking of the Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai....

From Trader Vic's Autobiography:

"After we came out with the Mai Tai, the Matson Steamship Line asked us to put together a list of good tropical drinks for their bars at the Royal Hawaiian, the Surf Rider, and the Moana, all in Hawaii. So I took Frank Puhlt, our head bartender, down to Oahu and we made a list of six drinks and illustrated them with hawaiian menehunes, the little people of Hawaii. Inside of three months the Mai Tai was the most popular drink in the Royal Hawaiian and everybody else in Hawaii was making Mai Tais with all sorts of crazy formulas."

Well I stayed at the Royal Hawaiian last year in February and their Mai Tai was fabulous, just the best. The Mai Tai Bar was the best also. Can't wait to go back.

Has anybody tried muddling lime wedges (and lemon if you like)with granulated sugar and straining the syrup in the mix rather than using Rock Candy Syrup and squeezing lime juice? I've found it to be a pretty good substitute, especially if you don't have the syrup on hand.

I don't know where I got this recipe from but I've named it "The Sufferin' Mai-Tai Bastard" - Makes a gallon and is good for a crowd. Use your own brand preferances:
8 oz Orange Curaco
16 oz Dark Rum
8 oz Light Rum
8 oz Grenadine
32 oz Orange Juice
32 oz Pineapple Juice
24 oz Sour Mix

The above would probably benefit greatly with the addition of Orgate Syrup, but I don't want to venture an amount here - experiment on you own and under adult supervision.

I know, I know I'm going to burn in Mai-Tai Hell for this recipe . . . but I'll take my chances.

GH

On 2006-06-23 08:13, GentleHangman wrote:
I don't know where I got this recipe from but I've named it "The Sufferin' Mai-Tai Bastard" - Makes a gallon and is good for a crowd. Use your own brand preferances:
8 oz Orange Curaco
16 oz Dark Rum
8 oz Light Rum
8 oz Grenadine
32 oz Orange Juice
32 oz Pineapple Juice
24 oz Sour Mix

The above would probably benefit greatly with the addition of Orgate Syrup, but I don't want to venture an amount here - experiment on you own and under adult supervision.

I know, I know I'm going to burn in Mai-Tai Hell for this recipe . . . but I'll take my chances.

GH

I'm sorry but all sour mix is garbage and belongs in the trash. It's one disagreement I have with Beachbum Berry (along with his use of bottled OJ in California where fresh oranges are so cheap). Make your own sour mix: fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

I won't even go into the old argument that THIS IS NOT A MAI TAI. Oops, I just did.

On 2006-06-23 08:13, GentleHangman wrote:
...8 oz Grenadine...

Mai Tai and Grenadine don't go together. Not in the same bar, not in the same recipe, not even in the same thought.....

I know, I know I'm going to burn in Mai-Tai Hell for this recipe . . . but I'll take my chances.

GH

Welcome to T.C. Today we are touring the Third Ring of Hell, affectionately known as Mai-Tai Hell......

I like the fact that this recipe makes a gallon at a go, it sounds tasty (minus the red-stuff).

And then, rather than try and argue what is and isn't a Mai-Tai, Sufferin Bastard, so on and so on.... Let me suggest that you create a yummy name to go with a yummy sounding punch. Don't get the locals all riled up by using the Mai Tai name in vain.......

Yikes! I feel your ire.

I researched the recipe . . . . it came from Drinknation.com - and they called it a "Hawaii Mai Tai" - but I forgot that so that's why I called it what I called it.

Anyway . . . the only Mai Tai I actually make for myself is TV's original (or as close as I can get to it) - but being Diabetic . . . I have to make my own sugar-free "Rock Candy Syrup" . . . and use Torani Sugar-free Orgeat - but all of the other ingredients stay as faithful as my local liquor store allows.

Peace.

GH

My common recipe (only a little improv):
2 oz. rum
1/2 orgeat
1/2 oz curacao
1/2- 3/4 oz. lime juice.

No sugar syrup. For rum, I use whatever's handy. The different rums do change the flavor of the drink, so I enjoy trying all sorts. I just got a bottle of 10year Myers from Hi Times yesterday (cost $40, but the shot of it I tried last night was A-OK!). When friends are over, I just use some swill like Capt. Morgan. If it's important, I'll use something better. Matusalem makes for a pretty tasty one. D'aristi works out well, too.
Now, before I get lambasted for using Captain Morgan, let me say, the one advantage to Capt. Morgan and other cheap rums-- they're cheap! It cuts the cost of the Mai Tai in half. Which is probably only important for Restaurateurs and cheap bastards like myself. Cruzan is one of my favorite cheaply priced rums. 1.75L for about $20, but not exactly the kind of thing you can get at Sav On in a pinch.
Has anyone ever tried the orange curacao that's actually from curacao? They sell it at high times, it comes in a bottle that's sort of disk shaped. The label pretty much just says Curacao from Curacao. Pretty simple. I keep meaning to try it. Has anyone else ever given it a shot?

Limes? I buy those little lime shaped juice things in the grocery store for 75 cents. I know it's not freshly squeezed or anything, but it seems to work okay. Advantages-- I don't have to squeeze limes, and I don't have to worry about the limes rotting in my fridge. It really speeds up the preparation, so from the time I get home at night until I get a Mai Tai in my hand is like two minutes! Sweet!

And here's the million dollar question:
What have you ever used in a Mai Tai that you hated so bad that you'd never use it again?
My answer: Rose's lime juice. I was hard up, and that's what I had. It was gawd-awful!

[ Edited by: TikiJosh 2006-06-26 16:26 ]

On 2006-06-26 16:25, TikiJosh wrote:

And here's the million dollar question:
What have you ever used in a Mai Tai that you hated so bad that you'd never use it again?

Those little lime shaped juice things in the grocery store for 75 cents.

If you really can't or temporarily don't want to deal with fresh limes then you must try Nellie and Joe's Lime Juice: http://keylimejuice.com/

It's far tastier than the little lime shaped juice things and it's less expensive too. You can also find it at your local BevMo.

I'm sorry but all sour mix is garbage and belongs in the trash. It's one disagreement I have with Beachbum Berry (along with his use of bottled OJ in California where fresh oranges are so cheap). Make your own sour mix: fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

You shouldn't have to be sorry when you're right. Which, of course, you are. All hail The Jab.

Home-made sour mix is so easy to make and so infinitely better than any kind you can purchase. O RLY? YA RLY.

My favorite recipe is 1/2 part lime, 1/2 part lemon, 1 part simple syrup. I mean, A good mixologist is going to have fresh lime and lemon juice already for his/her drinks anyway, right? (nod your head yes)

On 2006-06-26 18:08, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2006-06-26 16:25, TikiJosh wrote:

And here's the million dollar question:
What have you ever used in a Mai Tai that you hated so bad that you'd never use it again?

Those little lime shaped juice things in the grocery store for 75 cents.

Laff! You took the words right outta my mouth!

Ahu

I'm sorry but all sour mix is garbage and belongs in the trash. Make your own sour mix: fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

100% agreed.

But I am not in agreement with the recipes for sour mix posted here. Sour mix is essentially lemon juice and sugar. There is no need to use sugar syrup. And you cook it, which changes the flavor of the stuff away from what sugar syrup and lemon juice would bring to a cocktail.

My recommended version:

1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
2 pounds of good granulated sugar (I like Maui brand Plantation White Hawaiian sugar, but any quality white sugar will do)

Heat together in a pot on the stove stirring constantly on high until it boils. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and stop stirring. Cook for a few minutes longer and it will clarify to a nice yellow gold syrup.

Add one half cup of white rum as a preservative (mold retardant), and one 1/4 cup of corn syrup as a crystal retardant if you like. These are not essential ingredients, just nice to add if you are gonna be storing it.

Keep it in the fridge. Use within 3 months or so if you add the rum. If you don't add the rum it is good until it molds.

Once you make this stuff you will never go back. And I do agree with Melintur obviously, I think lemon/lime is best... but you can use two cups of lemon alone if you like. It is also tasty.

For a nice treat, cut the lemon peels into strips (yes, the whole peel) and leave some of the syrup in the pot. Turn the heat back on and cook the strips in the hot syrup for about 5 minutes or so. Then jar them and place in the fridge. Leave it for 24 hours. Candied lemon peel garnish anyone?

Ahu

Fraternal Order of Moai

[ Edited by: KuKuAhu 2006-06-27 09:07 ]

On 2006-06-26 18:08, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2006-06-26 16:25, TikiJosh wrote:

And here's the million dollar question:
What have you ever used in a Mai Tai that you hated so bad that you'd never use it again?

Those little lime shaped juice things in the grocery store for 75 cents.

If you really can't or temporarily don't want to deal with fresh limes then you must try Nellie and Joe's Lime Juice: http://keylimejuice.com/

It's far tastier than the little lime shaped juice things and it's less expensive too. You can also find it at your local BevMo.

Ouch. I do agree with you, though. I've used the Key Lime juice from BevMo-- very nice.

My answer to the 'Million Dollar Question':

Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix!

They should be ashamed of themselves! What are they thinking?

Anybody want two bottles?

GH

I did a Mai Tai recipe comparison a couple months back:

http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/recipe-comparison-mai-tai/

I need to update it, as I've found myself some Martinique rum (a hard thing to do when living in PA).

On 2006-06-27 08:41, KuKuAhu wrote:

On 2006-06-26 18:08, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2006-06-26 16:25, TikiJosh wrote:

And here's the million dollar question:
What have you ever used in a Mai Tai that you hated so bad that you'd never use it again?

Those little lime shaped juice things in the grocery store for 75 cents.

Laff! You took the words right outta my mouth!

Ahu

Everyone keeps banging on those little green lime things from the grocery, they are not all bad. That is they are not all bad once you pour the crap inside of them out. That crap inside, by the way, will get rid of mildew in the shower.....

Here's what you do with those things: Pour out everything inside of them, wash them and let them dry. Take your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid (or drink mix brand of choice, preferably a green flavor) and mix it dry with about a 1/2 cup of sugar. Pour this mixture back into the dry lime thing and put the cap back on.

You end up with something approximating the Pixie-Stiks we grew up with. Relive your childhood. Or give them to the kids (yours or otherwise) and watch'em go......

On 2006-06-28 04:47, Chip and Andy wrote:

Here's what you do with those things: Pour out everything inside of them, wash them and let them dry. Take your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid (or drink mix brand of choice, preferably a green flavor) and mix it dry with about a 1/2 cup of sugar. Pour this mixture back into the dry lime thing and put the cap back on.

You end up with something approximating the Pixie-Stiks we grew up with. Relive your childhood. Or give them to the kids (yours or otherwise) and watch'em go......

Hmmm... those things are cool little containers in spite of the noxious liquid inside.. I like the re-use concept. Good call.

What else could we do with them?

Perhaps fill them with rum and serve one to each guest along with the cocktails so that they can add more kick to the drinks as they go along.

Or fill 'em with sugar syrup.. or pineapple juice.. then the guests that prefer drinks that taste like candy will be able to sweeten without embarrassement.

Or we could mix a special shot type drink in them and pass them out..

Or loop a string through 'em and wear them (full of booze of course)

Or make leis out of them.

What else ya got?

Ahu

I used to use them to deter my dog from chewing on her leash during walks, also helped curb her agression with other dogs.

Might work on wiley tiki centralites who attempt to use RealLime in their mai tais.

No! Bad! Fresh only!

Goooood drunkard.

I have a few questions about the Mai Tai.

Limes What kind of fresh limes? I have used Key limes and regular Meyer limes and they make a very differant drink. Which kind do you like?

Floater Do you float rum on your Mai Tai? If so what do you use and how much of it do you use.

On 2006-06-28 14:24, captnkirk wrote:

Limes What kind of fresh limes? I have used Key limes and regular Meyer limes and they make a very differant drink. Which kind do you like?

Floater Do you float rum on your Mai Tai? If so what do you use and how much of it do you use.

I would use key limes if readily available but they aren't in my area so I use limes from Trader Joe's that come in a 2 lb. bag - not sure if they are Meyer. They're usually much more juicy compared to the supermarket limes which are usually woody.

I don't use a floater, but if you prefer one, by all means float on! (hi my name is Jab, and I'm an Aquarius) I like to drink my Mai Tais without a straw so I can get my face down close and smell the mint and rum, and a float sometimes ruins the balance of the drink when drank that way (depending on the rum). The common dark rum float (Myers's, etc) is not a good addition in my opinion because it's too overpowering.

On 2006-06-28 14:24, captnkirk wrote:
I have a few questions about the Mai Tai.

Floater Do you float rum on your Mai Tai? If so what do you use and how much of it do you use.

I float sometimes, depending on my mood. In the past, I've used Myers. In the more recent past, I've taken to using whatever good sipping rums I have around. Right now, I'm using 10yo Myers, very flavorful, more like a sipping rum. I usually float one shot.
I also double my Mai Tais, so that it more or less fills a tiki mug. Doubling tends to help with the overpowering tendency that some floats can have as there's more diluent (higher Mai Tai:Float volume ratio).

*On 2006-06-28 15:32, TikiJosh wrote:*Right now, I'm using 10yo Myers, very flavorful, more like a sipping rum. I usually float one shot.

There's a huge difference between Myers's regular dark and Myers's 10-year (Legend?). I know some bars that serve Myers's Lengend but I haven't had much luck finding it in liquor stores here. Good stuff.

On 2006-06-28 16:34, thejab wrote:

*On 2006-06-28 15:32, TikiJosh wrote:*Right now, I'm using 10yo Myers, very flavorful, more like a sipping rum. I usually float one shot.

There's a huge difference between Myers's regular dark and Myers's 10-year (Legend?). I know some bars that serve Myers's Lengend but I haven't had much luck finding it in liquor stores here. Good stuff.

Yes, there is a HUGE difference. It's the 10yo, I think you're right, it's called Legend. Hi Times in Costa Mesa is the only place I've ever seen it. I didn't even know Myers made such a thing. I was reading the hang tag and apparently Myers only sets aside a small amount of rum of this, so it's sort of a limited supply.

My orgeat has solidified in the bottle. I'm planning on Mai Tais this weekend. Can I microwave the bottle or something in a hurry?

Throw it out.

HELP! Help save the Mai Tai!

I found THIS evil bit of horrible drink recipes and was shocked at the number of recipes calling themselves Mai Tais.... Shocked, I say! Look in the left-hand column where it says 'Similar Drinks.'

Now, in a slightly more rational tone..... I appreciate the fact that each of these recipes has been qualified with a name variation so that innocent bystanders wont get hurt. But, for the "Mai Tai" with no extra name variation they plan on serving in a Collins glass, layered with lots of pineapple and sweet and sour. Gasp!

Now, in an even more rational tone (Ha!), there is an option where you can cast your vote for the drink(s) in question. Please, join me in voting that recipe down to a one. I have posted a comment to that recipe indicating what and how a Mai-Tai should be made. Let us hope it is not too late.....

On 2006-07-11 15:46, Chip and Andy wrote:
HELP! Help save the Mai Tai!

I found THIS evil bit of horrible drink recipes and was shocked at the number of recipes calling themselves Mai Tais.... Shocked, I say! Look in the left-hand column where it says 'Similar Drinks.'

Now, in a slightly more rational tone..... I appreciate the fact that each of these recipes has been qualified with a name variation so that innocent bystanders wont get hurt. But, for the "Mai Tai" with no extra name variation they plan on serving in a Collins glass, layered with lots of pineapple and sweet and sour. Gasp!

Now, in an even more rational tone (Ha!), there is an option where you can cast your vote for the drink(s) in question. Please, join me in voting that recipe down to a one. I have posted a comment to that recipe indicating what and how a Mai-Tai should be made. Let us hope it is not too late.....

My favorite thing about that link is the guy who posted, "The REAL mai tai has 5 tropical juices and rum." and then rated the recipe a 10 out of 10. I guess he knows something we don't.