A mai tai has somehow come to indicate a rum drink with loads of whatever juice is on hand. But being sticklers for classics, we always make this cocktail the way Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron did when he created it in 1944 for two Tahitian friends. Upon tasting the drink, one of Vic’s pals exclaimed, “Maita’i roa ae!” meaning, “Out of this world! The best!” We couldn’t agree more. To make Trader Vic’s mai tai, combine 1 ounce Jamaican rum, 1 ounce Martinique rhum, ½ ounce orange curaçao, ½ ounce orgeat and 1 ounce fresh lime juice in a shaker. Shake and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with the spent lime shell and a mint sprig.
We recommend these brands to mix a mai tai: Appleton Estate Reserve, Clément V.S.O.P. Rhum Agricole Vieux, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao and BG Reynolds’ Oregeat.
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2014.
