A Little More about Orgeat

I have been lurking this board for a little while, reading up on how to make ingredients for the original Mai Tai. I just made my second batch of Orgeat (with whole, blanched almonds), and am going to make a third batch tonight with almond milk. I just found the Orange Flower Water at a whole foods store today (and it is totally different from the watered down orange extract I used - LOL). I was reading up at Art of Drink about Orgeat, then I went to the Mai Tai article. I found myself reading about an American gourmet brand of Grenadine that got good reviews, and after heading over to their website I found that they make an Orgeat. Here is the link:

http://www.sonomasyrup.com/product13.html

Has anyone ever tried this one? How do you think it compares to other brands?

On 2009-05-29 13:42, Eulercircles wrote:
...I found that they make an Orgeat. Here is the link:

http://www.sonomasyrup.com/product13.html

Has anyone ever tried this one? How do you think it compares to other brands?

Discussion here:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30526&forum=10

Congrats on making your own orgeat. And yes, orange flower water and orange extract are not even close to the same thing.

I was finally able to A/B the Sonoma with Monin. The Sonoma is very delicately flavored. Not a huge blast of almond like the Monin. The Mai Tais were pretty close if I subbed the Sonoma for both Orgeat and Simple Syrup. Still not as strong, but there.

Thanks for the link and the encouragement!

I made a batch of "Ahu Orgeat #1" using Almond Breeze. I cut back the sugar a bit as my resulting Mai Tai's are a little too sweet - and my girlfriend is diabetic. It came out very nicely. I need to get a better rum though - getting Appleton Estate V/X next time.

I'll search the forums, but has any brave soul ever attempted to make their own rum?

I started with the V/X, because it was all I could find. Finally tracked down the Extra when i ran low and WOW what a difference. Worth the effort.

On 2009-06-01 16:05, Eulercircles wrote:
I'll search the forums, but has any brave soul ever attempted to make their own rum?

I'll let you know in about 10 more years.

I mean, No. The ATF frown on that sort of thing and I am a law abiding citizen who would never try to make my own hooch.

:wink:

I had a bottle of the extra, and it was gone so quick - damn good that stuff. Currently, however, I can't fork over $35 per bottle.

Ah yes, the long arm of the law. But I thought it was only illegal to make moonshine? Theoretically, however, where would someone get a good oak cask to age their own rum in? This is for educational purposes only, of course.

On 2009-06-01 20:52, Eulercircles wrote:
Theoretically, however, where would someone get a good oak cask to age their own rum in? This is for educational purposes only, of course.

Where everything comes from......ebay!

Down here in our end of the world they aren't so easy to come by. There is a winery down in Homestead that might be able to hook you up. Maybe.

Moonshine is not a technical term I think it applies to all illegally distilled beverages, if you make rum with out the proper license from the Government you have made moonshine.

I know Bourbon distilleries sell off their old oak barrels. Last time I was in Frankfort, KY, I picked one up for less than $20 for my Mom to saw in half and use as a planter.

On 2009-06-01 20:52, Eulercircles wrote:
Theoretically, however, where would someone get a good oak cask to age their own rum in? This is for educational purposes only, of course.

Not that I would EVER think about doing something contrary to the law....here's some companies that could theoretically hook you up...

http://www.independentstavecompany.com/
http://www.whiskeybarrel.com/
http://www.gibbsbrothers.com/

On 2009-05-29 13:42, Eulercircles wrote:

http://www.sonomasyrup.com/product13.html

Has anyone ever tried this one? How do you think it compares to other brands?

I haven't tried it, but I wouldn't really want to. It's made with vanilla extract, which is not part of the orgeat flavor and ruins it as an orgeat. It's made with almond extract, which means it does not use the almond milk emulsion that defines orgeat in the first place. Orgeat is a whitish substance and does not have anywhere near the sugar content of simple syrup or rock candy syrup. To me, this Sonoma product is not only not the 'Natural "Orgeat"' that it claims to be, I don't see how it qualifies as orgeat at all.

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2009-06-02 08:05 ]

On 2009-06-01 16:05, Eulercircles wrote:
Thanks for the link and the encouragement!

I made a batch of "Ahu Orgeat #1" using Almond Breeze.

I have found that you can use a double measure of the Ahu #1 Orgeat and skip the simple syrup entirely and still get a really good Mai-Tai.

And, I tried making the orgeat with fake sugar and it worked OK..... I don't recommend it as a general practice, but in the case of the diabetic girlfriend it is worth trying. Fair warning, the final product is a bit thin tasting so you might have to adjust your recipe a bit to get it just right.

[ Edited by: Sparkle Mark 2009-08-30 21:24 ]

[ Edited by: Sparkle Mark 2009-08-30 21:23 ]

Looks like I waited too long to see if I have any kernels for you :)

[ Edited by: Sparkle Mark 2009-08-30 21:22 ]

[ Edited by: Sparkle Mark 2009-08-30 21:22 ]

Had some yesterday in Sparkle Marks Mai Tais... and Oh Wow! is it good!
Thanks Mark.

First-time poster, new-ish member, avid fan, Mai Tai newbie...

Made my first batch of orgeat over the weekend, and I think it was a success. It tastes wonderful, but is very thick and creamy, so it is turning my Mai Tais opaque and creamy as well.

It was supposed to look like this:

but it ended up looking like this:

My question: Is a creamy white Mai Tai an abomination? If so, I would be grateful for any suggestions on how to make it conform.

I had a Trader Vic's Mai Tai in Chicago, and aside from pics on the internet and my other attempts (which used the TC orgeat substitute - amaretto and simple syrup - and were not white), this is my only basis for comparison. All I can say is: "one of these kids is doin' their own thing..." and it's mine (told you I was a newbie).

I used the following recipe:

500 grams blanched almonds
800 ml water
700 grams table sugar
100 ml Vodka or Brandy (I used Grey Goose vodka)
2 Tbls Orange or Rose Flower Water (I used orange flower water)

BTW - before you critique my ingredients selection, you should know that I live in Northwest Indiana - let's just say it's NOT anywhere near the cultural center of the universe - and anything your typical farmer wouldn't buy at Kroger is tough to find. Indiana is also a state that bans alcohol by mail, but fortunately, I travel a lot, so I plan to check liquor stores around the country (and in Mexico and Canada) and welcome any suggestions that would be worth checking a bag for.

I am using the following Mai Tai recipe (which is my favorite so far of about 30 different versions):

2.0 oz Appleton Special (I plan to splurge on Appleton Estate V/X this paycheck)
0.5 oz DeKuyper's Orange Curacao (plan to pick up some Bols, heard it's better)
0.25 oz rock candy syrup (homemade - Thanks, the Gnomon!)
0.25 oz orgeat (homemade - fxcuisine.com)
Juice of 1/2 large lime

My next step (in about 10 minutes) will be to water the orgeat down 1:1 and see if that helps. I welcome any and all advice. Thanks!

T.T.G.I.F

[ Edited by: TTGIF 2009-08-27 15:57 ]

Great to hear from some home-grown orgeat cookers out there!
Orgeat, though is generally not what I would consider super thick and creamy or even completely opaque. Judging from your photo, it looks like your orgeat is all of those things. Most of the Mai Tai recipes discussed over here are variations of the "classic" Trader Vic recipe which is posted all over this site. The Mai Tais I like are amber in color with a faint cloudiness, but isn't opaque or creamy. Not certain which recipe you've used for your batch, but there's plenty of discussion about it over here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33220&forum=10&45

Bottom line, is don't get discouraged. I had to make a couple of batches of orgeat before I landed on one that I liked. BTW, I used the recipe by KuKuAhu (which is made with organic, store purchased almond milk) and made the variation listed at the bottom which was a blend of a couple of different recipes:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=21769&forum=10&vpost=266220

Cheers and keep drinking until you get it right!

[ Edited by: quickiki 2009-08-28 07:18 ]

[ Edited by: quickiki 2009-08-28 07:31 ]

On 2009-08-27 15:53, TTGIF wrote:
I used the following recipe:

500 grams blanched almonds
800 ml water
700 grams table sugar
100 ml Vodka or Brandy (I used Grey Goose vodka)
2 Tbls Orange or Rose Flower Water (I used orange flower water)

Sounds about right so far. I use both rose water and orange flower water. Once you start it's hard to go back to just rose water.

On 2009-08-27 15:53, TTGIF wrote:
I am using the following Mai Tai recipe (which is my favorite so far of about 30 different versions):

2.0 oz Appleton Special (I plan to splurge on Appleton Estate V/X this paycheck)
0.5 oz DeKuyper's Orange Curacao (plan to pick up some Bols, heard it's better)
0.25 oz rock candy syrup (homemade - Thanks, the Gnomon!)
0.25 oz orgeat (homemade - fxcuisine.com)
Juice of 1/2 large lime

When you get a chance, you'll want to get a very dark rum (I use Coruba) and you'll want to upgrade that AE VX to Extra. I generally use three rums in my Mai Tais. But when money is tight, go with any single rum you can afford that isn't flavored/spiced.

Get Bols ASAP. If I recall correctly, there was a time when the Trader used DeKuyper, but he abandoned it when the quality started going down the tubes. That's when he started up with Bols. Meanwhile, there have been quality changes in both products over the years. DeKuyper still sucks big time and Bols is still pretty good. The main thing is to find one that tastes less like artificial orange candy and more like sweet orange peel. Mmmmm!

Glad to help out on the RCS. It's a shame it's not a product readily available in any grocery store.

As for your orgeat, I think your problem is probably in the filtration of the almond milk. That's the main thing that clouds up concoctions. Tiny almond microparticles get forever suspended in your batch unless you filter them out.

When it comes to thickness, the Trader was using a thick orgeat. His recipe calls for a dollop, which is only possible if there is enough thickness. I have never seen any that could be doled out in dollops when kept at room temperature (which mine is).

The best way to get the microparticles out are to not allow them into the batch in the first place.

When making your almond milk, you want to get the blanched almonds chopped up as finely as you can to provide as much surface area as possible to be in contact with the water. The quickest way is to put the almonds in a blender of some sort and buzz them into tiny bits. The problem with that is you can't avoid making tons of microparticles at the same time.

To avoid making lots of microparticles, you have to grind them up slowly in a manual food grinder, or else chop them with a knife. That way your smallest particles will not pass through your filter screen and, therefore, microparticles will not find their way into your orgeat.

In the absence of these microparticles (which do not dissolve), your orgeat can be the thickest in the world and when it is dissolved into your drink, there is no cloudiness whatsoever.

Thank you so much for all the great advice!

I noticed that my orgeat separated when I left it out at room temperature, and so I think you are right about the "microparticles." Like a dummy, I shook it and now they are back in suspension - oh well - I know how to get them out again. It has vodka in it, so this should help preserve it without refrigeration, right?

Thanks also for the recommendation on the dark rum - How much should I put in a Mai Tai? When I don't use 2 oz Appletons, I am using an oz each of white rum (Wray and Nephew overproof) and an oz of Goslings Black Seal, although this is not my favorite - I personally think the overproof makes it too rough, but maybe it's the rum - any opinions on Goslings?

I am having a great time making the rock candy swizzle sticks BTW - can't wait to impress everyone at my big Tiki party next weekend! We are doing major construction to expand our outside tiki bar/hut. I will post pics when we are thru.

This is such a wonderful resource!

TTGIF

TTGIF (and anyone else as well), if you're not including an aged Martinique rum, you're not going to taste an authentic Mai Tai.

For an outstanding Mai Tai recipe look no further than Beachbum Berry's Hundred Dollar Mai Tai:
http://www.beachbumberry.com/100dollarmaitai/

Now get back on topic.