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. 


Mai Tai Recipe: How to Make a Mai Tai Cocktail

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.
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. 


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.

What Is a Mai Tai?

Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe

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.