"Mai Tai" (in quotes) question

Hey there,

I had my honeymoon in Maui a few months back and while there we went to a luau which was serving up what they labelled to be Mai Tai's. Maybe someone here has an idea as to what they did to make it because it did not resemble the traditional TV recipe.

It was in a highball filled with ice, dark rum on top and slowly dropped to an orange or gold color if I recall correctly. It didn't taste too fruity and you could certainly taste the rum. If you mixed it up it tasted less rummy (although I liked it rummy).

Anyone familiar with what popular luau recipes for Mai Tai's are? We went to the "Drums of the Pacific" luau on Maui if that helps any. I don't really care what the drink is called but it was damned good and I'd love to re-create it.

I like to refer to these drinks as "Hurricanes". (However there is also confusion with this terminology vs. a Pat O'Briens Hurricane which is also very different)

What you probably got was along the lines of:
Pineapple juice
Orange juice
triple sec
grenadine
light run
dark rum
A squeeze of lime juice.

This drink is VERY tasty but is often unfairly maligned because people often call it a "Mat Tai". In fact usually this is what you get from most places when ordering a Mai Tai. And even more so in Hawaii.

However it doesn't resemble an original Mai Tai.

It is a very good drink if done well. I serve this at many of my parties. If you want a more formal recipe I can give you one. The recipe I usually use make more than 4 gallons per batch for parties but I can give you a single serving one.

I know there was no grenadine in it but if you could post a single serving recipe anyway I will be more than happy to try it out and see how close it is :)

Congratulations on the honeymoon! (and presumably the new spouse...)

The cocktail you seek is a "Mai Tai" but around these parts we call it the Hawaiian Mai-Tai, or sometimes the Island Mai-Tai.

When I get home tonight I will dig through the back of the bar and find you a recipe. In the mean time, search Hawaiian Mai-Tai (here and on google) and you can probably find plenty of variations to try.

Aloha and congrats, LogicBomB!
We were just on Maui a few weeks ago, and also had some Mai Tais at a luau thrown by one of the nicer hotels. We knew the Mai Tais were not a "traditional" recipe that we on TC would call a Mai Tai, but they were mighty tasty for tropical drinks. I asked what the ingredients were and was told it contained Passion Fruit juice, Orange juice, and Guava juice. Then they added a dark rum to this mixture; they used Hana Bay Dark Rum. I was surprised there was no pineapple juice like everyone else seems to use, but I had noticed the lack of acidity in their drink.

The luau also served a "Blue Hawaiian", but I was afraid to ask what the ingredients were. Not much in this world is that electric blue color.

Hope this information gets you closer in finding that special flavor!

Aloha,
Myke

Was the hotel you went to the Hyatt by any chance? It was one of the facier hotels in the area that I could tell and had one of the more popular Luau's.

I tried making a traditional Mai Tai even though I knew it wasn't what I was looking for - really, why the hell wouldn't I? Some substitutions were made such as Realime instead of fresh squeezed and the rum I used was Appleton's V/X. Ended being really limey and "weird". I think too much lime AND too much orgeat was the culperit but under all that I tasted a pretty good drink if I toned those 2 things down.

I'm rather anxious to "find" this recipe and even went as far as to see if the Hyatt had a general email address as a long shot but no luck. I'm thinking this pasionfruit mix might be a good shot in the dark. I thought I had a picture of the drink from my honeymoon photos but after checking it looks to be all show-related. Bummer. Oh well, at least when it comes to alcohol it's never boring to try it out as many times as needed :)

[ Edited by: LogicBomB 2008-03-24 16:34 ]

We actually attended the luau at the Maui Prince Hotel, in Makena / Wailea area. The hotel prepares the food and beverages, but another company puts on the luau show. I have to say the food at the Maui Prince was quiet good, a bit different than what we had a few years ago at the Old Lahaina Luau. The Mai Tais were mostly prepared in advance at this luau, but the attending bartender was glad to add another float of the Hana Bay rum. And the drinks were free flowing all night.

Cheers!

I have fond memories of Mai Tais on Maui... and fond memories of the traditional Mai Tai I made earlier tonight here in the midwest. Damn the midwest, I had to brush the snow off the chairs on the lanai so that we could celebrate the coming of Spring! There's Mai Tai's and then there's Mai Tai's. Long live the Mai Tai!

On 2008-03-24 16:15, LogicBomB wrote:
... Some substitutions were made such as Realime instead of fresh squeezed ... Ended being really limey and "weird".

That Realime stuff is total crap. Try squeezing some actual fresh limes. Seriously, how hard is it to do that?

On 2008-03-24 16:15, LogicBomB wrote:
...
I tried making a traditional Mai Tai even though I knew it wasn't what I was looking for - really, why the hell wouldn't I?

BTW, if you want a good "traditional" Mai Tai recipe, here's one of the best (if not).

http://www.beachbumberry.com/100dollarmaitai/

Oh, and do not skimp out on the mint! It's not just a garnish. It actually affects the taste as you sip (unless you don't have a nose) and is integral to the final outcome.

That Realime stuff is total crap. Try squeezing some actual fresh limes. Seriously, how hard is it to do that?

It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of convenience and time. As much as my wife loves me spending 10 minutes in the kitchen for every drink it's just not something I'm willing to do except on the rare occasion. I could pre-squeeze the limes if I wanted but I imagine most of it would go to waste unless I planned to have more than one or two a week. Realime and Realemon are the only good options regardless of quality :(

On 2008-03-25 07:43, LogicBomB wrote:

That Realime stuff is total crap. Try squeezing some actual fresh limes. Seriously, how hard is it to do that?

It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of convenience and time. As much as my wife loves me spending 10 minutes in the kitchen for every drink it's just not something I'm willing to do except on the rare occasion. I could pre-squeeze the limes if I wanted but I imagine most of it would go to waste unless I planned to have more than one or two a week. Realime and Realemon are the only good options regardless of quality :(

Time? Seriously, how long does it take to cut a lime in half and squeeze the juice into a glass. Is this really too inconvenient? Give it a try. Fresh lime over bottled Realime makes a HUGE difference.

Not trying to argue at all - I agree 100% it would be better. It's the same argument for everything fresh vs packaged - fresh doesn't take much longer or require too much more work but when you break it down there is still a bit more work, cleaning, storage and shelf life to consider with fresh. Doesn't help that my kitchen is so small it really discourages extra work. When I move into a house in 2-3 months I'm sure my attitude on pretty much any food-related item will change dramatically. I'm basically living the apartment lifestyle right now.

On 2008-03-20 11:53, LogicBomB wrote:
I know there was no grenadine in it but if you could post a single serving recipe anyway I will be more than happy to try it out and see how close it is :)

Sorry that I haven't had time to reply. I was going to make it a home to check the recipe but I can do it off the top of me head.

Phill's Hurricane:
Fill cup with ice
Add 1 part dark rum (you could try gold too)
add 1 part light rum
add 1/2 part triple sec
Fill with equal parts OJ and pine apple juice.
add a splash of grenadine (not too much)
Squeeze a lime wedge into drink
Garnish with pineapple cube and cherry pierced by an umbrella.

I would probably use a Jigger for the rum amounts 1.5ozs, but I like my drinks stronger.

You could use gold and light and float Dark Jamaican on top or just float 151.

On 2008-03-25 07:43, LogicBomB wrote:

That Realime stuff is total crap. Try squeezing some actual fresh limes. Seriously, how hard is it to do that?

It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of convenience and time. As much as my wife loves me spending 10 minutes in the kitchen for every drink it's just not something I'm willing to do except on the rare occasion. I could pre-squeeze the limes if I wanted but I imagine most of it would go to waste unless I planned to have more than one or two a week. Realime and Realemon are the only good options regardless of quality :(

My fridge is full of canned (and boxed) juices. But fresh lime juice I think makes a very big different.

Also if you are afraid of your lime juice going to waste, if you have lots of limes left over turn it into lime sour mix. Lime sour mix is awesome just use it like you would use normal sour. This will let it last longer. When that turns cloudy, toss it.

On 2008-03-25 07:43, LogicBomB wrote:

That Realime stuff is total crap. Try squeezing some actual fresh limes. Seriously, how hard is it to do that?

It's not a matter of difficulty, it's a matter of convenience and time. As much as my wife loves me spending 10 minutes in the kitchen for every drink it's just not something I'm willing to do except on the rare occasion. I could pre-squeeze the limes if I wanted but I imagine most of it would go to waste unless I planned to have more than one or two a week. Realime and Realemon are the only good options regardless of quality :(

I use Nellies Key Lime juice which you can find in the baking section of your grocery store for making the pie. It is as close to fresh lime juice as you can get in a bottle.

On 2008-03-24 18:27, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2008-03-24 16:15, LogicBomB wrote:
...
I tried making a traditional Mai Tai even though I knew it wasn't what I was looking for - really, why the hell wouldn't I?

BTW, if you want a good "traditional" Mai Tai recipe, here's one of the best (if not).

http://www.beachbumberry.com/100dollarmaitai/

Oh my!!! I visited the site and looked at the recipe. MY TIKI LORD IT DOES REQUIRE DAMMMN HIGH QUALITY RUM TO TASTE GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!.
This has been my 3rd attempt at getting the TV recipe right....finally, now I think I have an idea of what a good Mai-Tai is truly supposed to taste...it's so refreshing, yet the rum is in the limelight with this drink. It's sooo good!

Before, what usually happened was I couldn't find the exact rums or curacao that was required. So, this time I went all out and bought the highest quality items as Berry's recipe suggested and he was spot on. This is pretty exciting for me...considering that I've been failing at Mai-Tais for the longest time.

Also, it cost me $118 to buy the ingredients...pretty pricey, but hell, it's really worth it!

Silly perhaps, but after I wrote this I snapped a pic of a freshly made Mai-Tai :)

**Just wanted to note that I coulnnt find the Marie Brizard orange curacao anywheres except for online stores. Soo...I opted to get a more expensive Curacao, and supposedly this has been produced for over 100 years and is the only curacao pruduced on the island of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (North of Venezuala), Senior Curacao of Curacao Liquor. Cost me around $25....dammmm good stuff, lemme tellya!!

[ Edited by: Deckhand_Davy 2008-03-29 11:48 ]

On 2008-03-28 16:48, Deckhand_Davy wrote:
Oh my!!! I visited the site and looked at the recipe. MY TIKI LORD IT DOES REQUIRE DAMMMN HIGH QUALITY RUM TO TASTE GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!.

...Also, it cost me $118 to buy the ingredients...pretty pricey, but hell, it's really worth it!....

Oh yes, a truly good Mai-tai is worth any price. The secret is that even at $118 dollars, that works out to about $4.50 a drink which is still better (and better quality) than you will get at most every bar.

As to the Senior Curacao, my personal favorite! Yummy!

Now I have to go make a Mai-Tai, Im thirsty.

This seems as good a thread as any for this story...

I was at a bar (non-Tiki) last night and there was some discussion of Seattle restaurant history and Polynesian restaurants among a couple of us at the bar, including the bartender.

The subject of the Mai Tai came up and the bartender said "We use Vic's recipe here." He then grabbed the laminated bar guide which had a recipe on each page and a picture of how the drinks should look. He flipped it open to the Mai Tai and set it on the bar.

The picture of their Mai Tai showed a drink which was light orange/pink in color. I knew right off it wasn't Vic's original but before I could shoot my mouth off the woman next to me said "That's the wrong color. It shouldn't be orange."

I just about fell off my bar stool. Apparently her husband is a Mai Tai fan and has been working on making the ideal Mai Tai based on Vic's recipe.

I looked over the recipe in the bar guide and was surprised to find no pineapple juice or grenadine. What apparently gave their Mai Tai its pinkish cast was the inclusion of Angostura bitters. Other than that their recipe was pretty much like Vic's, they even use freshly squeezed lime juice.

Does anyone know if the "Island Mai Tai" or "Phil's Hurricane" recipe is also what they serve as a Mai Tai at the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki? Sounds the same, though it had a dark rum or 151 float.

Thanks.

Why don't you guys simply ask the bartender what they're putting in your drink? It's not a secret, they make it differently each time depending on the guy behind the bar, and its illegal to NOT tell you what you're drinking anyway!

Also, isn't the guy making it right in front of you? I mean, 2 shots of light rum, 1 of dark, then just ask what was in that big orange jug!

Also, if you want a specific flavor of Mai Tai, just tell the bartender what you want!

Is it some type of one-upmanship game to see if the bartender will make a perfect copy of a Vic's Mai Tai without being prompted to?? Like, I am superior to you because Mighty I know how to make a Vic's Mai Tai and Thou Don't????

Again, why not just tell them you like Vic's version, then describe the contents?

Cammo! Now why'd ya have to come in here and piss in the Wheaties? That's no way to start out the New Year! :lol:

On 2009-01-01 07:52, Cammo wrote:
Why don't you guys simply ask the bartender what they're putting in your drink? It's not a secret, they make it differently each time depending on the guy behind the bar, and its illegal to NOT tell you what you're drinking anyway!

Also, isn't the guy making it right in front of you? I mean, 2 shots of light rum, 1 of dark, then just ask what was in that big orange jug!

Also, if you want a specific flavor of Mai Tai, just tell the bartender what you want!

Is it some type of one-upmanship game to see if the bartender will make a perfect copy of a Vic's Mai Tai without being prompted to?? Like, I am superior to you because Mighty I know how to make a Vic's Mai Tai and Thou Don't????

Again, why not just tell them you like Vic's version, then describe the contents?

Can't speak for the group, but I didn't ask the bartender because, at the time, I didn't realize there were so many freaking recipes out there for a Mai Tai. It's certainly more work than finding a recipe for a margarita. That and, frankly, I was too busy getting buzzed and enjoying the drinks.

That being said, you're right, and I'll just ask next time.

In any event, I tried out the recipe listed above, it tasted great, and that's exactly what I remember tasting at the Surfrider. So, thanks!

"Frankly, I was too busy getting buzzed and enjoying the drinks."

The PERFECT ANSWER!!!! Bro, as long as you were having a great time you don't have to apologize for anything!

Hey guys thought i'd speak up.

i've been using the same round about spec's for near 10 year.
Based on Vic's but patched up by Dale DeGroff then fiddled with by me.

50mls Appleton Extra (kind of close to 17-year old J. Wray & Nephew)
20mls Cointreau (dry enough)
15mls Orgeat
5mls Gomme
25mls Lime juice
2 Dashes of Ang. Bitters
Shake Strain. Double Old Fas. Ice Cap. Mint Sprig.
Make sure to swing all numbers up or down to taste or customer.
try not to swing more than 3 and no more than 5mls.

Also I do have to say that you really do need fresh lime.
Best way is a swing hand juicer. I know that i'm preaching to the choir on this one.
For anyone that doesn't have one. Here's where i get mine.
http://www.nextag.com/lime-squeezer/search-html

Thanks guys
Shay Leighton.