Mai Tai Recipes

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On the other hand, rather than wasting ice water, why not louche absinthe with rhum?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

If I don't have a mai tai in a few days I seem to forget how to make them.  I was aiming for:

 

1 oz S&C

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz Neisson Reserve Speciale

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

But after measuring carefully I dumped in 1 1/2 oz Neisson.  Worse things have happened but I didn't want to make the drink too strong so I reduced the Pusser's and S&C accordingly.  Perfectly drinkable result but not as good.

 

Perhaps after reading the above discussion of Vic's perfidy I should try half Pusser's and half S&C?  As far as I recall that is not a combination I have tried.  Not to mention that I am almost out of Neisson.

Edited August 12, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A seminar at this year's Tales brought up the new (to me) notion that what Donn Beach and Vic Bergeron understood to be Martinique rhum was not sugar cane rum but, rather, a heavy-bodied, pungent, molasses-derived rum with a character somewhat similar to Demerara rums. This is based on Vic's tasting notes among other things.

 

Just a theory. Martin Cate still recommends the now-standard mix of Jamaican and agricole rum in a Mai Tai on the unassailable grounds that it's delicious. 

 

In view of this revelation, as an experiment I left the Martinique rum out of tonight's mai tai, for a rum combination that I've (pretty sure) not tried before:

 

1 1/2 oz S&C

1 1/2 oz Pusser's

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

Funny thing I like this mai tai recipe even better than my previous favorite:

 

1 oz S&C

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz Neisson Reserve Speciale

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

And a whole lot less expensive too! 

 

Note:  what I refer to as a "white mai tai" for lack of a better term is really a different drink.  As much as I like the white mai tai there is no point comparing it to a mai tai.  They are both delicious.

 

Not to fear, I still need Neisson Reserve Speciale for my zombies, at least till I find something better.

[FrogPrincesse]

"Classic" Mai Tai in a little Summer Party Guide from BevMo, a Californian liquor store chain. Not sure what to say, other than it seems pretty robust with 6 oz of rum. 

 

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

...not to mention two ounces of Cointreau.

 

Who wants to test it first?

[FrogPrincesse]

If someone volunteers, I can provide the Bacardi white. I inherited a bottle, 1.75 L size, and it's taking up space. 

 

Maybe the fact that the cocktail is served in a hurricane glass is a clue, because the recipe looks like a mash-up between a Hurricane and a Mai Tai. Otherwise I am not sure how to explain the passion fruit. It's just missing a touch of grenadine.

[Adam George]

Current house spec Mai Tai that is bang for the buck all round

0.75oz Appleton V/X

0.75oz Skipper Rum

0.75oz Velho Berreiro Cachaca

0.25oz Uncle Wray

0.75oz Cointreau

0.75oz Hemp Orgeat (Not all that sweet, actually. contains almond extract)

1.00oz Lime

Angostura Bitters

Orange Bitters

Demerara syrup to taste

Everything is batched, sorry, bottle rested, except the lime.

We're on a rum blend hit actually. We put a Daiquri No.1 on the menu and as a result are selling half a dozen or so a night, versus none. That contains four different Latin rums and a mix of white and brown sugar.

Our Zombie also has four rums.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Adam George (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

"Bottle rested". Love it.  

 

I made a Mai Tai punch last week for a tiki party that my friends were hosting. My challenge was to use ingredients I already had on hand, and to clean up my liquor cabinet(s) as much as possible. The BevMo Classic Mai Tai would have been perfect, but I had not realized it at the time (also I wanted my friends to still be my friends after the party). 

 

I did not want to use one of my precious aged rhum agricoles, so for the rum mix, after some experimentation, I ended up with Leblon cachaça (based on good results obtained previously), Coruba dark Jamaican, and Barbancourt 8 year, in a 2:1:1 ratio. The cachaça fills the space with such a great aroma as soon as it's poured, it's really nice. 

 

For the rest, I went with freshly squeezed lime juice, Trader Vic Mai Tai mix (I have plenty more, if someone's interested... It tastes like simple syrup with lime, orange, and a touch of orgeat. Not something I would buy nowadays, but the vintage label is lovely.). 

 

The orgeat flavor was pretty faint, and I did not have time to make a batch, so I shamelessly added some from an old bottle of Torani (that stuff seems to have an infinite shelf life). 

 

Mise en place

 

 

 

 

Tasting and adjusting the recipe

 

 

 

 

I ended up with the following recipe, for a yield of a little over 1/2 gallon:

 

14 oz Leblon cachaca

7 oz Coruba dark Jamaican

7 oz Barbancourt 8 year

14 oz lime juice (~ 1 dozen limes)

18 oz Trader Vic Mai Tai mix

7 oz Torani orgeat

6 oz water

 

In retrospect, I should probably have added a bit more water. Maybe twice that amount? I never quite know what to add for punches, and went with ~ 10%.

 

The whole thing was transported into a Stone beer growler which was really convenient. I brought garnishes too. 

 

 

 

The punch was served in a large glass bowl over a giant block of ice. Of course I forgot to take a picture. But not a single drop was left, and my friends are still talking to me afterwards, so everything is good.

Edited September 1, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Tri2Cook]

...not to mention two ounces of Cointreau.

 

Who wants to test it first?

It might make a passable tiki drink with a little embellishment. Starting with their 6 oz rum, 2 oz Cointreau, 8 oz passion fruit juice, work in 1 1/2 oz lime and 3/4 oz orgeat and you'd have a twisted variation on the Reverb Crash. Passion fruit juice replacing the grapefruit juice and Cointreau replacing the passion fruit syrup. No idea if it'd taste good and it might need more lime in this configuration. I'd make a half recipe just out of curiosity but I don't currently have passion fruit juice in the house.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

After many, many nights of white mai tais I returned to S&C and Pusser's for the rums.  Rich and well balanced, as always, but some of the in your face funk was missing.  I added a float of La Favorite and all was well again.

[lesliec]

I can see I'm going to have to set myself up as an exporter of Smoke & Oakum Gunpowder Rum.  As an 'in your face' float on a Mai Tai I'm convinced it has no parallel.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

...waiting.

[tanstaafl2]

I can see I'm going to have to set myself up as an exporter of Smoke & Oakum Gunpowder Rum.  As an 'in your face' float on a Mai Tai I'm convinced it has no parallel.

 

 

...waiting.

 

 

Me too! Count me in if you are going to start exporting it to the US.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Next:

 

1 oz S&C

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz La Favorite Blanc

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice (generous, though not as generous as I might like)

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

I apologize that I was not up to testing this recipe last night.  One must acknowledge her own limits.  However I must say I like this muchly!  It is a pleasant combination.  Pusser's possesses a nice funk.  So many rums, so little time.  With these rums Grand Marnier works better than Ferrand for me.

 

 

Edit:  yellow straw this time.

 

I had forgotten I had previously made this!  Anyhow it is a great mai tai variation.  I like it as well as ever...even if the straw tonight is blue.  Definitely a Grand Marnier mai tai.  The question is:  do I want two?

 

It's a shame about Ferrand dry curacao.  I'd really like to like it, but in some recipes Grand Marnier is better and some demand Cointreau.  For me Ferrand does not have a niche.  (Maybe the knickerbocker but even there I am not so sure.) 

[lesliec]

The question is:  do I want two?

 

What a silly question, Jo.  It's a Mai Tai - of course you want two (and so do I ...).

 

It's a shame about Ferrand dry curacao.  I'd really like to like it, but in some recipes Grand Marnier is better and some demand Cointreau.

 

I still recommend making your own, to the Jerry Thomas recipe.  Grab some Everclear and a bunch of oranges and have a play.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

With all due respect to you and Jerry, I don't think I can do as well Cointreau or Grand Marnier.

 

 

Edit:  ...at least not with Everclear.

Edited September 10, 2014 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)

[Hassouni]

What a silly question, Jo.  It's a Mai Tai - of course you want two (and so do I ...).

 

 

I still recommend making your own, to the Jerry Thomas recipe.  Grab some Everclear and a bunch of oranges and have a play.

 

Got a link to the recipe?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I had thought there was a recipe in Imbibe! but when I went to look it wasn't there.

[Craig E]

Got a link to the recipe?

lesliec directed me straight to the source last time this came up.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Thanks.  I think I'll stick to Grand Marnier...as at the moment.

[Hassouni]

Boy, that recipe is as simple as it gets. I am planning on doing something like that, I just got some dried seville orange peel in the mail....

[lesliec]

Excellent.  We await your results, probably in the Infusions... topic.

 

I haven't experimented with simply filtering rather than fiddling about with alum and potassium carbonate.  I probably should have, but there's an option for you..

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This is not very scientific...

 

 

I had exactly 20 ml Grand Marnier left in the bottle.  So I compounded:

 

1 oz S&C

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz Neisson Reserve Speciale

1 oz La Favorite Blanc

20 ml Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice (generous)

20 ml orgeat

 

 

I generally like things on the less sweet side, but this mai tai was a bit too dry.  I found another bottle of Grand Marnier and poured in a bit more of that and some more orgeat.  I might have over done it, so I added a float of La Favorate.

 

Not the worst mai tai I have had.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Continuing where I left off:

 

1 oz S&C

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz Neisson Reserve Speciale

1/4 oz La Favorite Blanc

1/2 Grand Marnier

1 oz fresh lime juice (generous, but not too generous)

1/2 oz orgeat

 

 

I'd like to think even at 1/4 ounce I can still feel the La Favorite*.  But I may be kidding myself, as there are a lot of good things going on here.  At any rate it is at least a small change, as the last few nights have been white mai tais.  Though I could happily live on white mai tais if I had to suffer so.

 

Has anyone tried arrack in a mai tai?

 

 

*Yup, no doubt.  No place to hide.

[FrogPrincesse]

 

Has anyone tried arrack in a mai tai?

 

Oui