Mai Tai: 31 Cocktail Recipes of the King of Tiki Drinks

Coming from the Tahitian phrase 'Maita'i roa ae ' meaning, "very good", this cocktail is considered the king of tiki drinks. It is made of rum, orgeat, lime juice, and orange curacao. For an authentic mai tai, opt for Jamaican aged rum and Jamaican white rum. Better, use rhum agricole since this is the nearest you can get to make a real mai tai. Another unique feature of the Mai Tai is the orgeat, a syrup made from almonds, sugar and orange flower water. The oil from the almonds and the water do not mix fully but you cannot really separate them, even if you try. According to mai tai enthusiasts and reputable bartenders, a mai tai is not a mai tai without the orgeat. Mai Tai is disputably inspired by QB Cooler, a cocktail created by Donn Beach in 1933. Beach was known to be the first to run a tiki bar, designed to reflect the Polynesian culture. Don's Beachcomber is the first tiki-inspired bar to be a chain. In fact, he was known as the founding father of the tiki culture. Aside from the QB Cooler, he also created the Sumatra Kula, Navy Grog and Three Dots and a Dash, among the many others.Victor Bergeron, also known as Trader Vic is credited to have created the Mai Tai as we know today. Trader Vic's is the chain of tiki bars operated by Bergeron. He was known for his eccentric style of serving his cocktails.Although made from different ingredients, patrons claim that the drinks are fairly similar in taste. Trader Vic's creation of the Mai Tai in 1944 is simpler with just 2 kinds rum, lime juice and orgeat as the main ingredients. The QB Cooler of Beach's, created 11 years earlier, was more complicated using three rums, 2 citrus juices, falernum, honey and Angosturra bitters.