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The Mai Tai is a classic and beautiful tropical drink which truly has an interesting history. Many people think it originated in Hawaii but it was actually created in Oakland, California. It was back in 1944 when Victor J. Bergeron created the original version at his restaurant, Trader Vic's.
There is a bit of disagreement about who actually created it as some have said that Donn Beach first created the Mai Tai in 1933 at his restaurant in Hollywood, Don The Beachcomber. Donn had created the “Q.B. Cooler” cocktail which some say was the first version of the Mai Tai. However, the Q.B. Cooler has a more complex recipe and it tastes very different from Victor’s original recipe per those who have tried both cocktails. So due to the actual difference in ingredients and the new flavor of Victor’s cocktail, he is widely considered to be the creator of the amazing Mai Tai.
Victor wanted to create a new drink using Jamaican golden rum which would not be overpowered by fruit juices or flavorings. So he mixed the golden rum with some orange curacao, orgeat, rock candy syrup, and some fresh lime juice. All of this went into a shaker full of shaved ice and afterwards was served with a lime wedge and some fresh mint.
Photo Credit: Tasting History
Victor served this new tropical creation to a friend from Tahiti who loved this new rum drink so much, he supposedly said it was “Maita’i roa a’e!” Translated into English, this means “Out of this world!”. Victor loved this saying in Tahitian so he created an Americanized version of it and that is how the name “Mai Tai” came about!
In 1953, Victor took his recipe to Hawaii where he introduced the Mai Tai as part of a cocktail menu he created for two hotels. The cocktail became an instant hit and within a few years, it was being served across Hawaii. Different versions using orange and pineapple juice appeared along with a dark rum float on top.
These and other versions of the Mai Tai exist because Trader Vic's would not publish the recipe. This forced competitors and home bartenders who wanted to recreate the original to literally guess at what was in it. A few recipes appeared in newspapers over the years which included a key ingredient or two such as orgeat and orange curaçao. But it wasn’t until 30 years after its creation that the original recipe was finally made available to the public.
Once the Mai Tai was introduced and became known throughout Hawaii, it quickly became hugely popular back on the mainland. Hawaii had become a popular tourist destination during the 1950’s and 60’s and it was during this time that “tiki” (or “Mid-Century Polynesian” as it is properly called), was being introduced as a style of home decorating and entertaining.
The word “tiki" was first used in the 1930’s to describe the style of the tropical islands of the South Pacific. This word began to be applied to tropically inspired things including art, home furnishing, and accessories for entertaining. Tiki rooms and backyards with tiki torches were popping up everywhere. Polynesian-themed bars or "tiki bars" were always busy and the Mai Tai was front and center as the tropical drink to have.
Photo Credit: Freepik.com
As the use of fruit juices became commonplace when making Mai Tais, people focused on the beauty of the cocktail. The dark rum floated on top created a layered look which only fueled the drink’s popularity.
Photo Credit: Hashilife.com
Using grenadine as a sweetener instead of simple syrup became very popular over the years because grenadine has a beautiful red color while simple syrup has no color at all. Here at Cerulean Bay, our version of the Mai Tai is based on an old recipe which calls for orange and pineapple juice, and a bit of grenadine which sinks to the bottom of the glass and creates a beautiful red layer. When fruit juices are used correctly, they will not overpower in flavor and can be used to make some pretty amazing drinks. We find that they not only introduce a lovely and authentic tropical flavor into this classic drink but they give it more visual appeal as well.
Photo Credit: Cerulean Bay
Our recipe also includes both white and dark rum but both are shaken into the cocktail. We do float the dark rum on top (as is pictured here) for those guests who prefer it that way by pouring a half ounce over the back of a spoon on top of the drink. However, we find that the sharp flavor of the dark rum itself is a bit too strong so we prefer it in the shaker. But that’s just our preference!
So there you have it, the story of one of the most popular and classic tropical drinks! Cheers!!
Photo Credit: Cerulean Bay
For a single drink
In a cocktail shaker, add the following:
- 1 oz light rum (if you like coconut, use coconut rum. It takes “tropical” to a whole new level!)
- 1/2 oz dark rum (you can choose to float this as describe above)
- 1/2 oz orange curacao (you can substitute triple sec or Cointreau but these are sweeter)
- 1/2 oz orgeat syrup (while orgeat syrup has the best flavor, it can be hard to find. You can use an almond liqueur such as Amaretto or Disaronno instead)
- 2 oz orange juice
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- A good squeeze or two of lime juice
Add ice to fill halfway and shake until the shaker frosts on the outside. If you want a great shaker, get this one. We love it! Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice.
Pour a small amount of good grenadine over the top but don’t mix it in. Let it settle to the bottom to create that iconic layered look. Float the dark rum on top if you didn’t already add it to the shaker. Garnish with an orange or pineapple slice and a cocktail umbrella. If you don't have cocktail umbrellas, you really should. They are colorful and fun additions to any tropical drink!
For a pitcher (8 drinks):
In a large pitcher with no ice, add the following:
- 1 cup light rum (again, consider using coconut rum!)
- 1/2 cup dark rum (or float a 1/2 ounce on the top of each!)
- 1/2 cup orange curacao (you can substitute triple sec or Cointreau but these are sweeter)
- 1/2 cup orgeat syrup, or almond liquer such as Amaretto (again, orgeat syrup is the best)
- 2 cups orange juice
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- Juice from 3 or 4 medium to large limes
Stir well and store in the refrigerator. When serving, stir and then pour into cocktail glasses filled with ice cubes. Add a small amount of good grenadine but don’t mix it in. Let it settle to the bottom to create that iconic layered look. Float the dark rum on top if you didn’t already add it to the pitcher. Garnish each glass with an orange or pineapple slice and a cocktail umbrella.
