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A Mai Tai is a popular tropical cocktail and a cornerstone of tiki culture. Made with rum, orgeat syrup, and lime, it’s fruity and refreshing.
Mai Tai comes from the word maitaʻi, which loosely means “good” or “excellent.” And when you’re by the pool or at a beach, is there any better drink to enjoy?
Have fun with your garnishes! Pineapple spears or wedges are common and maraschino cherries and sprigs of fresh mint. look pretty. Now’s a good time to bust out those tiny paper umbrellas too, if you have any!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Orgeat syrup: An almond-flavored syrup.
- Orange liqueur: Dry Orange Curaçao is the traditional choice in a Mai Tai, but you can substitute triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add rum, lime juice, orgeat syrup, simple syrup, and orange liquor. Fill shaker with ice, cover and shake until well chilled and combined, about 30-45 seconds.
- Fill a rocks glass or tiki cup halfway with crushed ice. Strain Mai Tai into glass. Top with additional ice. Garnish with mint leaves, lime zest, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes one delicious, tropical cocktail.
- Glassware: If you drink a ton of Tiki-themed drinks, consider Tiki cocktail glasses that have mask faces on them. I love to use a simple hurricane glass so I can appreciate the Mai Tai for all its beauty.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 16 ounces (2 cups) dark rum, 8 ounces (1 cup) lime juice, 6 ounces (¾ cup) orgeat syrup, 4 ounces (½ cup) orange liqueur, and 4 ounces (½ cup) simple syrup in a pitcher. Have ice, glassware, and garnishes on hand so guests can help themselves.
Recipe FAQs
Say it like “or-ZHATT” where ZHATT falls between a “Z” and a “J” as if you were saying Jacques Cousteau.
It’s a fruity drink from the orange liqueur and fresh lime juice while the orgeat syrup adds more sweetness (with a hint of almond flavor).
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Mai Tai
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark rum (¼ cup)
- 1 ounce lime juice (2 tablespoons)
- 3/4 ounce orgeat syrup (1 ½ tablespoons, see note 1)
- 1/2 ounce orange liquor (1 tablespoon, see note 2)
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup (1 tablespoon, see note 3) optional
- 1 sprig fresh mint leaves for garnish
- 1 twist lime zest for garnish
- 1 wedge pineapple for garnish
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add rum, lime juice, orgeat syrup, simple syrup, and orange liquor. Fill shaker with ice, cover and shake until well chilled and combined, about 30-45 seconds.
- Fill a rocks glass or tiki cup halfway with crushed ice. Strain Mai Tai into glass. Top with additional ice. Garnish with mint leaves, lime zest, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry.
Notes
- Orgeat syrup: An almond-flavored syrup.
- Orange liqueur: Dry Orange Curaçao is the traditional choice in a Mai Tai, but you can substitute triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier.
- Simple syrup: To make it yourself, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool before adding 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) to your cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. Store leftover simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
- Yield: This recipe makes one delicious, tropical cocktail.
- Glassware: If you drink a ton of Tiki-themed drinks, consider Tiki cocktail glasses that have mask faces on them. I love to use a simple hurricane glass so I can appreciate the Mai Tai for all its beauty.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 16 ounces (2 cups) dark rum, 8 ounces (1 cup) lime juice, 6 ounces (¾ cup) orgeat syrup, 4 ounces (½ cup) orange liqueur, and 4 ounces (½ cup) simple syrup in a pitcher. Have ice, glassware, and garnishes on hand so guests can help themselves.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
