We can’t do ‘Friday Cocktail’ without mentioning the Mai Tai, the mere mention of it conjures up images of Polynesian Paradise.
History of the Mai Tai
Invented at the Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California in 1944, although as with any cocktail, there’s a bit of controversy about who invented it. Don the Beachcomber, their rival, claimed to have created it in 1933.
The Trader Vic story is that it was created one afternoon for some friends visiting from Tahiti. After tasting it, one of the friends, Carrie Guild, tasted it and cried out “Maita’i roa ae!”, another way of saying “out of this world” or literally “very good”.
What’s in a Mai Tai?
Whilst there is a plethora of different recipes, the basic understanding of a Mai Tai is that it is a rum based cocktail with Curaçao liqueur, and lime juice.
Where’s the best place to enjoy a Mai Tai
“Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”. So it’s no wonder it has become a very popular drink in Hawaii, one of the bars famous for their Mai Tai’s is the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
The view from the Mai Tai Bar, that’s Diamond Head in the background
Our Content Director, Julia, was lucky enough to go and try these “out of this world” cocktails, and highly recommends adding it to your bucket list.
It was an amazing experience, given that it was such an iconic beach, whilst watching the sunset. It was my last night in Hawaii and I could think of no better way to end my holiday than with these award-winning cocktails.
Julia, Content Director, Karry On
Make your own simple Mai Tai
Here’s the Mai Tai at it’s simplest form. We encourage you to add your own spin according to taste, let us know how you go.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce light rum
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce orange curacao
- 1/2 ounce orgeat syrup
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
Method
- Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
- Shake well.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice.
- Top with the dark rum.
- Garnish with the cherry.
