Recipe: Southern Mai Tai

Keeping in mind that when a recipe is altered in a unique way, a name change is in order, I write this in hopes of hearing suggestions for improvements to what I think can be a good solution for our fellow Southern Tiki Drinkers who love Mint Juleps.

"Chip and Andy?"

Nothing pleases me more on a hot humid day in summer than an icy cold Mint Julep. But, for those Julep drinkers who make these things in mass, you know that a simple syrup steeped in mint is essential to taming the bourbon properly. Hence, my dilema. I make my simple syrup as needed in terms of Mai Tais and other tiki drinks, but I keep my mint infused simple syrup as a batch being that it is more trouble to make.

Today, after a hard hot long time at work, (I now live in Palm Desert) I came home, made a Mai Tai and reached for the mint infused simple syrup.

Curiously, it worked. However, the addition of mint flavoring beyond the simple aroma of mint through the nose, changed the complexity of the drink.

My question to those on this here board is what additional change needs to be made or what possibly needs to be subtracted so that we have a truly balanced "Southern Mai Tai?"

[ Edited by: telescopes 2009-06-26 16:33 ]

I like to muddle ten leaves or so in the shaker. Make Beachbum Berry's recipe Mai Tai, add it to the mint with a dash of Angostura bitters. Helps if you grow your own mint. Southern California Mai Tai

A Mai Tai made with Bourbon (instead of Rum) already has a name: Honi Honi. I usually make mine with extra orgeat and omit the simple syrup. I am thinking using your mint-infused syrup might be even more interesting.