How to Make the Perfect Mai Tai

Hey all,

Here's a short video of PKNY bartender Val walking us through his Mai Tai. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtwLLgbxIo4

Very cool, I can't wait to visit PKNY. Wha? Closed? DAMN!

Actually I understand from reading local news reports that the liquor license app for the new "Asphalt Jungle" on Avenue B was recently denied. So the PKNY crew is in (hopefully temporary) limbo, but the owner still seems committed to moving forward and finding a new location.

I enjoyed several visits to PKNY and Val's great service and hospitality. He even remembered me from my infrequent prior visits (I live on the west coast), maybe because we were the only people in Manhattan who wear Tropical shirts! I treasure my PKNY tee shirt and look forward to visiting his next bar.

If it is still on-line be sure to download the extensive PKNY cocktail menu.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-08-29 08:59 ]

On 2013-08-29 08:53, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
I enjoyed several visits to PKNY

I remember when it was Painkiller. :P /hipster comment

Good video - not to be picky but he doesn't shake it with ice?!

The bar in the background is cool as :)

I make mine in a jam jar like this one ( http://thebusyhedonist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Bonne-maman-grape.jpg ). It's about 330ml / 11.5oz.

That way, I don't have to strain it, I just top it up with ice & add mint!

I think for maximum authenticity, you need to shake in a Mai Tai glass with a Boston shaker tin on top and then pour unstrained back into the Mai Tai glass, top with more ice, garnish, and voila!

I haven't watched the video yet, but I would say another important secret to a most excellent Mai Tai is using a short straw so that when you take a sip your nose is right in that fresh mint garnish. A big part of the sensory experience of the drink for me.

Dry shaking it is an odd twist, although it would make for a stronger drink!

I second the short straw comment.

The dry shake in the video was an interesting way to do it...

I was privileged to apprentice under Val (as was Gina) for a few months during the last few months at PKNY. All aspects of drink-making there are on a perfectionist level. Val's approach to shaking a Mai Tai works the best that I have experienced. Mai Tais are a dry shake. Glasses are kept chilled until the pour is ready. The glass is packed with crushed ice. The pour is made. More ice is packed on top. An over-proof float is poured on top (not sure if that was in the video?) Garnishes are added. Powdered sugar is sprinkled on the mint. The glass is grasped at the very bottom edge to minimize warming and fingerprints and presented to the customer. This approach maximizes chilling and minimizes dilution.

-Jack

I "third" the short straw comment. I keep several lengths of straws in my bar, and long ago stumbled upon the need for short straws for drinks served in old-fashioned and double-old-fashioned glasses. My long straws are needed for tall tiki mugs and other tall glassware. Some of my short straws are used for Painkillers served in skull drinking glasses a friend bought for me at Spencer's at the mall.

People sell drinking straws in many colors on eBay. Some I cut down to shorter lengths as needed. My long specialty straws for Volcano and Scorpion bowls generally come from the bar supply web sites. I did, a few years ago, accidentally order a jumbo pack of the super-long bendy straws used by folks with medical conditions. I can't get myself to throw them out, figure I'll just have to make some bowl drinks...

Sorry for the thread detour. Two consecutive comments on straws just somehow drew me in to share my findings...

On 2013-08-29 08:53, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
maybe because we were the only people in Manhattan who wear Tropical shirts!
[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-08-29 08:59 ]

Hahaha! Hardly!

-Jack

I'm sorry . . . but to me, the "perfect" Mai Tai is Vic's original recipe which he was kind enough to openly share with the rest of the world. The only modern variation - the rums you use . . . at the original rum Vic used hasn't been available for decades.
Just MHO.

As mentioned before, here's the Martin Cate video on how to make a Mai Tai:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUYP1gn-fY

tabuzak, thanks for sharing the inside scoop on how to make a PKNY style Mai Tai! More PKNY insider info or war stories are welcome here.

I was intrigued by the Val/PKNY Mai Tai, but have to hand it to Martin for the best video I've seen yet on making a great Mai Tai.

On 2013-08-29 13:14, Sunny&Rummy wrote:
I think for maximum authenticity... pour unstrained back into the Mai Tai glass

London Trader Vics never have stuff to sell! Ill get some eventually :)

On 2013-08-29 16:52, Hakalugi wrote:
As mentioned before, here's the Martin Cate video on how to make a Mai Tai:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUYP1gn-fY

Great video, I like the way he puts a hit list of premium rum on the counter & says 'use some of these to suit your taste' :)

A co-worker of mine who works in London bought a Honi Honi mug for me from there a few months ago so I know they do have some merchandise to sell. By the way, I heard the remodel is done or nearly done. Be sure to post pictures of the new decor!

On 2013-08-29 16:42, GentleHangman wrote:
I'm sorry . . . but to me, the "perfect" Mai Tai is Vic's original recipe which he was kind enough to openly share with the rest of the world. The only modern variation - the rums you use . . . at the original rum Vic used hasn't been available for decades.
Just MHO.

Are you quibbling with Val's proportions? Just curious. Because not only are the rums different, but curacao, orgeat and lime quality varies also, not only since back in the day, but among the options available today. You could very easily follow Vic's instructions to the letter and make a crappy drink.

You need to know your ingredients and balance accordingly, if the goal is to make a delicious drink, IMHO.

The PKNY crew had worked out their menu to a science. If a brand used in a recipe became unavailable, the whole recipe had to be reconsidered with the new replacement ingredient. Also, every cocktail ingredient pour was measured to perfection. Consistency was important.

-Jack

I like Martin's video and his instructions are fine but the color of his Mai Tai is ALL WRONG! I don't know why it looks like mango juice (yellow/orange) in the video when the rums he used should give it a darker amber color. They don't have that color in his bar so it must be an artifact of the video.

I always make mine the Martin Cate way.. But I'll give this "dry shake" a try and if it sucks then I'll just chase it down with Cates Mai Tai.. Simple as that..

[ Edited by: cvcgolf 2013-09-03 22:09 ]

Question: What goes in a mai tai?
Answer: Lime, rum, curacao, sugar syrup, orgeat, crushed ice, mint sprig & lime shell

Question: Which rum, curacao, sugar syrup & orgeat are best?
Answer: Well... that's where it gets complicated...

On 2013-08-30 09:18, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
I like Martin's video and his instructions are fine but the color of his Mai Tai is ALL WRONG! I don't know why it looks like mango juice (yellow/orange) in the video...

Both Vals & Martin Cates mai tais end up 'mango' coloured.

For the purposes of research I've had a few high end & low end mai tais recently. My thought is:

The better mai tais I've had have been made using home-made syrups. They have been darker than mine. If you are using brown sugar syrup over white sugar syrup, it darkens the drink. If you are using orgeat made with brown sugar, this also darkens the drink.

I attribute the 'mango' colour to that. My mai tai pic on page 1 looks weak-ass compared to those in the videos but was tasty anyway. I used white sugar syrup & white orgeat.

For a while Im going to experiment, particularly with brown sugar syrups - I wonder if the better the syrups, the better the mai tai?

I attribute the 'mango' colour to that. My mai tai pic on page 1 looks weak-ass compared to those in the videos but was tasty anyway. I used white sugar syrup & white orgeat.

For a while Im going to experiment, particularly with brown sugar syrups - I wonder if the better the syrups, the better the mai tai?

I tend to think that if any of the ingredients could be upgraded or improved, it will only serve to improve the entire drink. Therefore... Better syrups = better Mai-Tai

Now I'm thirsty! Cheers!

So here's the simple question - what rums do you like to pair for your mai tai?

On 2013-09-04 15:45, kkocka wrote:
So here's the simple question - what rums do you like to pair for your mai tai?

My all time favorite combo was with:
Saint James Hors D'Age
&
Appleton Estate Extra 12yr

However since I can't find the St. James as of late I've been going with:
Rhum Clément, V.S.O.P.
&
Appleton Estate Extra 12yr

The PKNY crew had worked out their menu to a science. If a brand used in a recipe became unavailable, the whole recipe had to be reconsidered with the new replacement ingredient. Also, every cocktail ingredient pour was measured to perfection. Consistency was important.

I'm sure they made some delicious drinks but since you're claiming PKNY was "perfection", have you seen Richard Boccato—of PKNY—do their '34 Zombie?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NybsMaB0LQs

Swizzled? No flash blend w/ crushed ice? Float the Bacardi/Gosling's overproof rum? (No Lemon Hart 151???) Did you convert his proportions to ounces? Just about everything is way off from the '34.

I dunno but those are pretty noob mistakes and you're claiming perfection.

Not to mention, looking at their Mai Tai menu on the official website: http://www.pk-ny.com/mai-tai-menu.html

Overproof rum in the original Trader Vic Mai Tai? Combined with Val's dry shake? Powdered sugar on top? Eh?

I stick by what I posted. Trader Vic's Mai Tai to me is the 'perfect' Mai Tai. All others are personal variations, nothing more. Nothing wrong with personal variations as long as one doesn't claim it to be the 'perfect' one. It's a matter of opinion. As far as the rum is concerned, we have no choice: the original 17 year old J. Wray & Nephew went out of production decades ago and we were left with the need to substitute rums we imagined wouldcome close to the flavor and body of the original single rum. For me it's Appleton Estate 12 year old coupled with St. James Martinique rum. Other people have their own favorites and I don't quibble with that.

[ Edited by: GentleHangman 2013-09-04 16:48 ]

My favorite combo right now is Pusser's and Zaya.

There's no such thing as a "perfect" Mai Tai, nor a perfect rum to use. You can talk about an "original" Mai Tai, but even that probably wouldn't match the platonic ideal of a Mai Tai. Hell, Vic used commercial orgeat!

A Mai Tai isn't specific to a particular rum, although it was created with one. But as Vic himself recounts the story, he took down a bottle of "great rum" -- the 17-year-old J. Wray Nephew -- that was "surprisingly golden in color, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends." It didn't have to be THAT rum. It was just a great rum Vic wanted to showcase. (This is all assuming, of course, that any of this is true.)

He certainly used other rums to make his Mai Tais over the years, finally settling on the combination of 1 ounce dark Jamaica rum and 1 ounce Martinique rum.

All of this is instructive -- but the "best" Mai Tai is the one YOU like best. Who cares what anyone else thinks?

My favorite Mai Tai rums are Appleton 12 yr. and St. James Royal Amber. I also have St. James Hors d' Age but I'd rather sip that than mix it.

I've never made or been served a mango colored Mai Tai at any of the legitimate northern California Tiki bars. Next time I'm at Smuggler's Cove I'll photograph one and post it here.

Dusting the Mai Tai mint garnish with powdered sugar is unique to PKNY.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-04 17:43 ]

fancy light in background too.

:)

Please don't beat the late great PKNY. It may not be your idea of the perfect Tiki bar but it was the best one in New York City. Read the Bum's review of it in his blog!

Now that the PKNY is closed what's the best Manhattan Tiki bar, Otto's Shrunken Head?

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-04 18:46 ]

The color of the drink gets that odd hue and glow from the lights. I've had it happen to me when taking cocktail photos. If you note the color of the ingredients, they all look right.

On 2013-09-04 16:22, JTizzle_Swizzle wrote:
Swizzled? No flash blend w/ crushed ice? Float the Bacardi/Gosling's overproof rum? (No Lemon Hart 151???) Did you convert his proportions to ounces? Just about everything is way off from the '34.

Overproof rum in the original Trader Vic Mai Tai? Combined with Val's dry shake? Powdered sugar on top? Eh?

JTizzle Swizzle, in a hissy-tizzy, fo' shizzle!

I hope I never find "the perfect Mai Tai." The journey has been the reward, and even the not so good Mai Tai rum parings I mixed myself have been better than the grenadine laced, pineapple juiced, miscarriages of mixology I've wasted money on in countless bars.

Last night I tried a new Mai Tai rum paring and it surprised me how good it was. Chairman's Reserve and Lemon Hart 80. If you have them on your shelf, I would recommend you give it a try.

[ Edited by: Dr. Coruba 2013-09-11 21:15 ]

"Miscarriages of mixology" is my new favorite phrase.

My "everyday" mai tai is 1 oz. fresh lime juice, 1/4 demarara sugar syrup, 1/2 oz orgeat, 1/2 oz orange curacao, 1 oz Cruzan Aged Gold rum, 1 oz Coruba dark rum. Shake with crushed ice.

When I make a Mai Tai I like to take the following account into consideration:

=========

I was at the service bar in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a bottle of 17-year-old rum. It was J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly golden in color, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends. The flavor of this great rum wasn't meant to be overpowered with heavy additions of fruit juices and flavorings. I took a fresh lime, added some orange curacao from Holland, a dash of Rock Candy Syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle almond flavor. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color ... I stuck in a branch of fresh mint and gave two of them to Ham and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, "Mai Tai - Roa Ae". In Tahitian this means "Out of This World - The Best". Well, that was that. I named the drink "Mai Tai".

Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr.

=========

This account used to be posted on the official Trader Vic's website but years ago they removed it and since that time have continually butchered the site. Now there's hardly anything on it.

Anyway, Vic had to adjust the formula a few times. The 17 year old Jamaican rum he used was becoming scarce, so he had to find substitutes that would mimic the original flavor. The DeKuyper Orange Curaçao he was using became inconsistent in quality so he changed brands. The changes he made over the years could have been improvements, so was the perfect Mai Tai the very original, the one he was making at the end of his mixology career, or one of the adjustments in between? The various adjustments Vic made turned out all "authentic" Mai Tais. I would say for a Mai Tai to be (approach) perfection, it has to be authentic.

The "original" Mai Tai might be extinct, but many of us do what we can to preserve as much of the original as possible. Knowing that Vic made adjustments when necessary that rendered authentic Mai Tais, it gives us license to do the same. I make my own rock candy syrup and my own orgeat. When it comes to rum, I use what I can get and afford at the time. The lowest in quality I'll settle for to do the concoction justice is a combination of Appleton Estate VX with Coruba and Appleton Estate Extra. If I can't, at least, have the AE Extra on hand, I won't bother making the Mai Tai. In fact, once you get into the really cheap rums, I'm not sure it should even be called a Mai Tai. The Mai Tai is a showcase for the best quality rum one can find, not the cheapest.

Even the original proportions of ingredients are also a bit of a mystery. How big is a dollop? It can be pretty big. Orgeat at room temperature is too liquefied to make a dollop so you have to chill it. When you do, sometimes you can get a dollop the size of a snowball. It's more practical to just pour in a certain amount. Some use ¼ oz., others (like me) use ½ oz. (sometimes more). I still try the chilled orgeat/dollop method once in a while to see if there was a legitimate reason for it in the original recipe. I haven't found a good reason yet.

The old TV site had Vic's Mai Tai recipe on it and it called for the juice of one lime. I use Key limes rather than Persian limes. The juice of one Key lime is enough. The juice of one Persian lime is way too much. I would guess that Vic used Persian limes, but it is never mentioned. Of course, when he says to use the juice of one lime he does not say to use all of its juice.

He also calls for shaved ice, not crushed ice. Shaved ice dissolves quickly when it's shaken, whereas crushed ice does not. Most Mai Tai recipes you find these days call for crushed ice, probably because it is more readily available. Most blenders will render crushed ice and there are inexpensive ice crushers available. There are inexpensive "so called" ice shavers with blades that chip away at ice cubes, but they don't really give you shaved ice, only coarse or fine crushed ice depending on the setting. A cheap way to get shaved ice is to use a Magic Bullet with an Ice Shaver Blade. The old ones could shave ice but they'd break because the gear that turns the blade was plastic. The new ones have a metal gear that holds up to the beating it takes, chopping ice cubes into snowy powder. If you have an old Magic Bullet, you can buy an Ice Shaver Blade by itself. It fits the old bullet as well.

Making the Mai Tai requires some reasoning and some guesswork, but eventually, one gets a feel for it. As long as the mixologist takes that quote from VJB, Jr shown above into consideration, they'll probably come up with something that comes close to practical perfection.

But if someone is fiddling around with it for the first time, they might try it the way The Bum does. In addition, Martiki knows his way around a Mai Tai and there has been a link to his video posted here earlier. Between the two or with either one alone they'll be on the right track.

Crap! Had to fix something. In my defense, English is just my native language.

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2013-10-20 10:40 ]

On 2013-10-20 10:36, The Gnomon wrote:
When I make a Mai Tai I like to take the following account into consideration:

Vic had to adjust the formula a few times... The "original" Mai Tai might be extinct, but many of us do what we can to preserve as much of the original as possible... The lowest in quality I'll settle for is ... The Mai Tai is a showcase for the best quality rum one can find...

Great post The Gnomon :)

I agree - I was steady making mai tais with normal liqour til I had a one with top shelf liqour, now my combos don't fit the bill.

I enjoy a well-made Mai Tai from time to time. it's a good cocktail.

Tonight, I took down a bottle of 21-year-old rum. It was Appleton Estate Rare Limited Edition made by J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly amber in color, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends. The flavor of this great rum wasn't meant to be overpowered with heavy additions of fruit juices and flavorings. At the risk of tiki heresy, I therefore enjoyed it neat.

:P

[ Edited by: thePorpoise 2013-10-20 21:53 ]

On 2013-10-20 21:52, thePorpoise wrote:
I enjoy a well-made Mai Tai from time to time. it's a good cocktail.

Tonight, I took down a bottle of 21-year-old rum. It was Appleton Estate Rare Limited Edition made by J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly amber in color, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends. The flavor of this gre at rum wasn't meant iceto be overpowered with heavy additions of fruit juices and flavorings. At the risk of tiki heresy, I therefore enjoyed it neat.

:P

Some people don't realize when to make a Mai Tai or when to just neat it up. A Mai Tai is a shaved ice diluted neat with a few subtle enhancements. If there's a chance of screwing up the enhancements, neat is the only way to go. Mmmmm! Fine rum neat is closer to a Mai Tai than most supposed Mai Tais that are made today.

Great points Gnomon! I tend to look at the Mai Tai as I do the Manhattan: a golden formula/vehicle for the intended base spirit, so maybe I'm more open to interpretation and experimentation. I'm wondering though, is Vic spinning in his grave to know that his baby is being dispensed today with the Mai Tai mix instead of the "old way"?

At Trader Vic's, the "1944 Mai Tai" is made from scratch while the standard "happy hour" Mai Tai is made with fresh fruit juice and a mix. So as to not confuse their naming conventions, when you order one "The Old Way" you should get the mix version with a 151 float and when you order one the "San Francisco Way" you should get the "from scratch" 1944 version with a 151 float.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-10-21 09:53 ]

I have been hitting the Appleton 12 & El Dorado 12 rum combo in the home Mai Tais for the last few weeks and I have to admit it's a hard combination to beat. Just about out of homemade orgeat and working for the next 13 days straight so I don't know when I'll be able to make a new batch.

On 2013-10-21 09:41, Sunny&Rummy wrote:
I have been hitting the Appleton 12 & El Dorado 12 rum combo in the home Mai Tais for the last few weeks and I have to admit it's a hard combination to beat.

In what proportion, 1/2 1/2?

Yep, equal portions. Yesterday I was also adding a small LH 151 float for extra deliciousness.

Appleton 12/El Dorado 12 is my favorite as well. I keep thinking I'll try new combos, but I like that one so much.

On 2013-10-20 10:36, The Gnomon wrote:
When I make a Mai Tai I like to take the following account into consideration:

=========

I was at the service bar in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a bottle of 17-year-old rum. It was J. Wray Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly golden in color, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavor particular to the Jamaican blends. The flavor of this great rum wasn't meant to be overpowered with heavy additions of fruit juices and flavorings. I took a fresh lime, added some orange curacao from Holland, a dash of Rock Candy Syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat, for its subtle almond flavor. A generous amount of shaved ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for color ... I stuck in a branch of fresh mint and gave two of them to Ham and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, "Mai Tai - Roa Ae". In Tahitian this means "Out of This World - The Best". Well, that was that. I named the drink "Mai Tai".

Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr.

=========

This account used to be posted on the official Trader Vic's website but years ago they removed it and since that time have continually butchered the site. Now there's hardly anything on it.

Thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine at http://www.archive.org, you can go back to some of the earliest versions of various web addresses. In this case, the Trader Vic's website as it was in October of 1999. Ancient pages by today's standards. Here are a couple of the pages that speak to the creation and evolution of the Mai Tai.

Cheers and enjoy!

https://web.archive.org/web/19991002030011/http://www.tradervics.com/home.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/19991012235651/http://tradervics.com/maitai1.htm

On 2013-10-22 18:20, Dr. Coruba wrote:
https://web.archive.org/web/19991012235651/http://tradervics.com/maitai1.htm

Interesting link - nice to see the rums used in the 3 version getting name checked :)