Tiki Time: The Awe-Inspiring Origins and Evolution of the Mai Tai Cocktail
Potent Tropical Cocktail, The Mai Tai Recipe Unveiled
Grab your hurricane glass and let's dive into the fascinating story behind the Mai Tai, a tropical cocktail that's been shaking up the bar scene since 1944.
Where It All Began
This tiki drink was born in the mind of none other than "Trader Vic" Bergeron. Mixing up the first Mai Tai at his Hinky Dink bar in Emeryville, California, Trader Vic was making history, one cocktail at a time. You better believe him when he says he created this masterpiece—his own bartender's guide of 1947 declared firmly, "Anybody who says I didn't create this drink is a dirty stinker!"
With the accouterments of a tiki lounge now standard, Trader Vic was replicating the South Seas right there in California. He whipped up this cocktail for two visitors from Tahiti, craving something extraordinary, and the rest is history. Their response? "Mai tai-ro aé" (pronounced my-tee-roe ae-ay), which poetically translates from Tahitian as "Out of this world-the best."
From Polynesia to your Glass
The Mai Tai, like the "Polynesian" food served at Trader Vic's, wasn't an authentic South Seas concoction—but who cared? The drink took off, and after being out of this world, it quickly found its place among the world's classic cocktails.
Trader Vic initially used 17-year-old rum in his recipe, but now, you can make your own version using a blend of dark and light rum, or just light rum. A Mai Tai is too busy having too much of a good time to argue!
Let's Make Some Magic
Feeling inspired? Try making your own Grenadine for this recipe, or give our Long Island Iced Tea a whirl if you're craving more triple sec goodness. Cheers to the Mai Tai, out of this world cocktail!
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces aged rum (or your preferred rum)
- 1 ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
- 1/2 ounce Grenadine (homemade if you're feeling adventurous)
- 1 teaspoon Orgeat
- 1 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
- Tropical fruit, such as pineapple, kiwi, or citrus
Instructions:
- Shake the rum, Cointreau, grenadine, orgeat, and lime juice well with ice. Strain into a chilled Hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh fruit and an obligatory little umbrella.
The Dark Side (Optional)
Got a taste for the dramatic? Try the "Suffering Bastard" variation, perfect for those days when life gets tough. Substitute light and dark rum for aged rum, omit the grenadine, and add 2 ounces fresh orange juice.
Reference(s):- [1] Esquire (n.d.). The Legendary Mai Tai Recipe. [online]- [2] Liquor.com (2020). The True (and Likely The Best) Mai Tai Cocktail History. [online]- [3] Historical Accounts of the Mai Tai Creation. [online]- [5] Smuggler's Cove SF (n.d.). History of Tiki Culture. [online]
In Trader Vic's 1947 bartender's guide, he declared that any naysayers claiming they didn't create the Mai Tai were 'dirty stinkers.'
The Mai Tai, although not an authentic South Seas concoction, quickly found its place among the world's classic cocktails, with Tai and rum as key ingredients.
Today, you can make your own Mai Tai using a blend of dark and light rum, or just light rum, along with other ingredients such as Cointreau, grenadine, orgeat, fresh lime juice, and tropical fruit.
