Mai Tai Recipe
Make Mai Tai Recipe in just 10m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Method
Cocktail
- 1
Prepare glass and ingredients
Chill an old-fashioned or double rocks glass briefly by filling it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail. Measure and have ready aged rum, orange curaçao, orgeat, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and dark rum for the float.
- 2
Combine and shake
Dump the ice water from the serving glass. In a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup crushed ice, 2 oz aged rum, 0.5 oz orange curaçao, 0.75 oz orgeat syrup, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.25 oz simple syrup. Fill the shaker with more crushed ice to nearly full, cap, and shake vigorously for about 10–15 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
- 3
Strain into glass
Using a Hawthorne strainer (or fine strainer if preferred), strain the shaken mixture into the chilled old-fashioned glass filled with fresh crushed ice. Aim for an even, slightly heaped mound of crushed ice in the glass.
- 4
Float dark rum
Carefully pour 0.5 oz dark rum over the back of a bar spoon held just above the drink surface so the rum floats on top, creating a layered look and aroma.
- 5
Garnish and serve
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint (slap the mint once between your palms to release aroma), a lime wheel or wedge on the rim, and an optional maraschino cherry. Serve with a short straw and a long one for stirring so the guest can mix the float in if desired.