Mai Tai Recipe: How to Make a Mai Tai Cocktail
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 27, 2026 • 1 min read
The mai tai is the iconic tiki drink and has dominated cocktail menus since the 1940s. As rum cocktails go, it’s fruity, unabashedly tropical, and packs a heftier wallop than its carefree cousin, the daiquiri. Though it may be synonymous with Hawaiian backdrops and Polynesian flavors, the mai tai cocktail is said to have originated at Trader Vic’s in Oakland, California in 1944—ground-zero for much of the tiki canon you still see today.
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What Is a Mai Tai?
The mai tai is a cocktail made of equal parts dark and light rum, a two-part tangy sweetness from an orange liqueur like triple sec or curaçao and fresh lime juice, finished with a subtly floral almond perfume from orgeat syrup. The mai tai is served on ice and garnished with a mint sprig.
Mai tais are traditionally made using Jamaican rums and rhum agricole (a rum made from pure pressed cane juice), but overproof rums are also occasionally added to please particularly ruthless palates. Bartenders may riff on the mai tai to include grenadine, spiced bitters, orange juice, or pineapple juice to best complement the choice of rum.
Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe
makes
2 cocktailsprep time
5 mintotal time
5 minIngredients
- 1
Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with crushed ice.
- 2
Add the rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, orgeat, and simple syrup. Cover, and shake well, about 30 seconds.
- 3
Pour equally into two old-fashioned glasses; top with more crushed ice as needed. Garnish with mint springs and lime, and serve.
Learn more about mixology from award-winning bartenders. Refine your palate, explore the world of spirits, and shake up the perfect cocktail for your next gathering with the MasterClass Annual Membership.
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