Mai Tai Recipe
An Exotic Blend of Dark and Spiced Rums with Island Juices
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Garnish
Method
Prepare glass & ice
- 1
Chill and fill
Select a double old-fashioned glass or tiki mug and fill it with crushed ice to chill while you mix the cocktail.
Mixing
- 2
Combine ingredients
In a cocktail shaker, add 1 jigger light rum, 0.5 jigger orange curaçao, 0.5 jigger orgeat syrup, 0.75 jigger fresh lime juice, 1 jigger fresh pineapple juice, 0.25 jigger simple syrup and 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Add a small handful of ice (enough to chill but not overly dilute).
- 3
Shake
Shake vigorously for about 10–12 seconds until the shaker is well-chilled and slightly frosted. This integrates the juices and syrups and introduces a bit of dilution for balance.
Assemble
- 4
- 5
Float dark rum
Gently pour 1 jigger dark rum over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top of the drink. For an extra dramatic finish, float 0.25 jigger overproof rum on top of the dark rum.
- 6
Finish
Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters on the top of the foam/float if desired (you may have added 2 dashes into the shaker already; adding on top is optional for aroma).
Garnish & serve
- 7
Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge, a sprig of mint (clap the mint between your hands briefly to release aroma), a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry if using. Serve with a straw placed to the side so the drinker can sip through layers. Advise stirring gently if they want a more uniform flavor; otherwise enjoy as layered.





