Mai Tai Recipes

This is Trader Vic's Original Mai Tai recipe. You'll note that there's nary a drop of orange or pineapple juice. For this reason, Mai Tais made with any sort of juice (besides lime juice) are not "true" Mai Tais.

The Original Formula - 1944

2 ounces of 17-year old J. Wray & Nephew Rum over shaved ice.
Add juice from one fresh lime.
1/2 ounce Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao.
1/4 ounce Trader Vic's Rock Candy Syrup.
1/2 ounce French Garier Orgeat Syrup
Shake vigorously.
Add a sprig of fresh mint

"Old Way" Mai Tai Formula - 1997

1 ounce Fine Jamaican Rum (15 or 8 year old)
1 ounce Martinique Rum (St. James)
1/2 ounce Orange Curacao
1/2 ounce Orgeat Syrup
Juice from one fresh lime (about 3/4 ounce)
Mix and serve as in the Original Formula

Recipes from Mai Tai Fans

Kevin Crossman
I'm a big fan of the Trader Vic's mixes, but this recipe is just a little better.

2 oz. your favorite rum
3 oz. Trader Vic's Mai Tai Mix
1/2 oz. orange curacao
1/2 oz. almond syrup
1/2 oz. vanilla syrup
add lime juice to taste
mix thoroughly

Judy in Kailua

1-3/4 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. Myers's rum
3/4 oz. orange curacao (or Grand Marnier)
Juice of a lemon
Juice of a lime
Juice of an orange (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
a splash of grenadine

Guy Waller
Yo Mai Tai maniac: I run a bar school/consultancy business here in South Africa and this is the recipe I adapted from the one I was taught in London. We don't get Orgeat here in S.A. so I substituted Amaretto.

Glass: Hurricane
Method: Shake and strain over ice
1 shot Light Rum
1 shot Dark Rum
1/2 shot Triple Sec
1/2 shot Amaretto
2 shots fresh lime juice
1/2 shot gomme (simple) syrup
Garnish: Cherry-pineapple, Parasol, Stirrer, Straw

From LAFAGE in the United Arab Emerates.
Dear fans of the mixing, I run a cocktail bar since four years and here the recipe that we almost use for the Mai Tai, hope you will enjoy as I enjoy every night.

1 oz Meyer's rum
1 oz Appleton rum
1 whole lime juice (save shell)
3/4 oz. Orange Curacao (DeKueper)
1/2 oz. Amaretto
Drop almond syrup
Shake with crushed ice and pour in double old fashioned glass; decorate with mint and fruit stick.

Tiki Tracy says "When making these beauties for myself (as I often do) I double the recipe and let the second half mellow while I savor the first half. Oh... how I love my life :-)"

Juice of 1 lime
1/2 oz. Orange Curacao
1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz. Maraschino Syrup
1/4 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Mount Gay Rum
1 oz. Appleton's Rum
Stir vigorously in crushed ice, strain into your favorite Mai Tai tumbler filled with crushed ice
Garnish with a fresh pineapple sp