Mai Tai Recipes

[EvergreenDan]

Not being negative. Tiki is tacky. That's the fun, right? I don't see Jeff Lewis doing his houses with thatched-roof bars and faux tiki gods.

And an in-line six never harshes anyone's mellow.

[Hassouni]

And an in-line six never harshes anyone's mellow.

Hear hear!

[EvergreenDan]

And an in-line six never harshes anyone's mellow.

Hear hear!

Nice double entendre.

Edited October 24, 2013 by EvergreenDan (log)

[lesliec]

I remember wondering what the rum he gulped out of barrels tasted like. I guess something like Pusser's or Smith & Cross. It would probably make a good Mai Tai.

Smoke & Oakum Gunpowder Rum, no question. I could possibly get some to you if you were very nice to me.

[Rafa]

What would that require sir?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight was:

2 oz Appleton 12

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

3/4 oz Small Hand orgeat

Garnished with half spent lime and mint. I have a feeling I will eventually end up closer to a classic Mai Tai recipe as I thought tonight's needed more lime and less orgeat, as much as I am fond of orgeat. Plus the recipe was still too sweet.

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

[lesliec]

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

Hmm. This may open a debate, but my understanding is that Grand Marnier is officially a Curaçao while Cointreau is a triple sec. The former is brandy (or other brown spirit)-based, while the latter starts with a more neutral spirit. Difference in taste? GM probably richer, maybe slightly sweeter; Cointreau a little lighter. But I can't see why Cointreau wouldn't work. Give it a try.

Or you could look up Jerry Thomas recipe 188 for English Curacoa (his spelling) a d make your own. It's not a complex recipe.

[lesliec]

What would that require sir?

Well, if you were agreeable I'd propose an exchange of something you can't get for something I can't get. On my side of this bargain, maybe Lemon Hart 151.

Shall we adjourn to the PM system to discuss further? Don't worry if I don't respond immediately; we're away for the weekend and it's slightly tedious doing this on the phone.

[ChrisTaylor]

Tonight was:

2 oz Appleton 12

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

3/4 oz Small Hand orgeat

Garnished with half spent lime and mint. I have a feeling I will eventually end up closer to a classic Mai Tai recipe as I thought tonight's needed more lime and less orgeat, as much as I am fond of orgeat. Plus the recipe was still too sweet.

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

I've used both. I prefer Cointreau.

EDIT

I'd also suggest cutting the Appleton with a rum that has some funk to it. Smith & Cross or Inner Circle.

Edited October 26, 2013 by ChrisTaylor (log)

[Hassouni]

My go to Mai Tai is Appleton 12 and S&C. With Cointreau. FrogPrincesse I think uses Clement Creole Shrubb, though, as that's rum-based.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've used both. I prefer Cointreau.

EDIT

I'd also suggest cutting the Appleton with a rum that has some funk to it. Smith & Cross or Inner Circle.

Thanks. Any other suggestions on the rum? Neither of those is available locally.

[Hassouni]

uhhh...Any well-aged Demerara rum available? How about Sea Wynde? Maybe a combo of Myer's and Mount Gay?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Pusser's is available. Any thoughts on that?

[Hassouni]

that might do quite nicely

[Kerry Beal]

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

Hmm. This may open a debate, but my understanding is that Grand Marnier is officially a Curaçao while Cointreau is a triple sec. The former is brandy (or other brown spirit)-based, while the latter starts with a more neutral spirit. Difference in taste? GM probably richer, maybe slightly sweeter; Cointreau a little lighter. But I can't see why Cointreau wouldn't work. Give it a try.

Or you could look up Jerry Thomas recipe 188 for English Curacoa (his spelling) a d make your own. It's not a complex recipe.

I've decided to play with something resembling Creole Shrub using rum - what do you suppose constitutes 'creole' spices? Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice?

[Rafa]

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

Hmm. This may open a debate, but my understanding is that Grand Marnier is officially a Curaçao while Cointreau is a triple sec. The former is brandy (or other brown spirit)-based, while the latter starts with a more neutral spirit. Difference in taste? GM probably richer, maybe slightly sweeter; Cointreau a little lighter. But I can't see why Cointreau wouldn't work. Give it a try.

Or you could look up Jerry Thomas recipe 188 for English Curacoa (his spelling) a d make your own. It's not a complex recipe.

I've decided to play with something resembling Creole Shrub using rum - what do you suppose constitutes 'creole' spices? Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice?

Probably these + vanilla in the Clement product. I think black pepper could do quite nicely but that's probably less traditional.

[Hassouni]

Now all we need is a Cajun shrub with onions, peppers, celery, and cayenne....

[JoNorvelleWalker]

that might do quite nicely

Wait a moment, before I head off to the store...isn't Appleton in the Mai Tai supposed to be the heavier component that is to be balanced by a sugar cane based rum? Now I am confused. When I tried Barbancourt 5 star with Appleton, I thought the Barbancourt got kind of lost, so maybe something darker, like Pusser's, would work with Appleton.

[Hassouni]

As I understand it, the agricole brings the funk that most Jamaican rums now have dialed back. Appleton brings the age (12 years). This is why I go Appleton + SC, one of the funkiest rums out there. Pusser's is not a very old rum but it is a pot stilled rum and has a ton of raw funkiness, so I think it'd work quite well.

[Kerry Beal]

Sadly I am running out of Grand Marnier. I probably will replenish my Grand Marnier but what would people think about using, say, Cointreau? I like Grand Marnier but I've never tasted Cointreau. I've also seen a brandy based version of Cointreau. Is Cointreau less sweet than Grand Marnier? Which would be better in a Mai Tai? And why?

Hmm. This may open a debate, but my understanding is that Grand Marnier is officially a Curaçao while Cointreau is a triple sec. The former is brandy (or other brown spirit)-based, while the latter starts with a more neutral spirit. Difference in taste? GM probably richer, maybe slightly sweeter; Cointreau a little lighter. But I can't see why Cointreau wouldn't work. Give it a try.

Or you could look up Jerry Thomas recipe 188 for English Curacoa (his spelling) a d make your own. It's not a complex recipe.

I've decided to play with something resembling Creole Shrub using rum - what do you suppose constitutes 'creole' spices? Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice?

Probably these + vanilla in the Clement product. I think black pepper could do quite nicely but that's probably less traditional.

Screw tradition - we'll go for what tastes good. And besides I won't be using agricole as the base - I'll use my 'aged' WN over proof.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I came home with Pusser's and Cointreau. Can't wait to see how they stand up in a Mai Tai. Though admittedly I'm a little scared of Pusser's, having seen a picture of their stills. I could envision Captain Jack pouring that stuff in his Mai Tai.

Not quite pirates of the caribbean, but in world of warcraft a turbocharged flying machine requires a rather expensive tiki hula girl doll for the dashboard. In WoW rum is used for drinking or for making rocket fuel. There is aslo a recipe for banana infused rum but I haven't personally tried it. Drinking banana infused rum turns one into a pirate.

Unlike Captain Jack, the real life Henry Morgan, head of the Brethren, had an embedded reporter along to record his plundering. In the words of Wayne Curtis: "...Exquemelin's lavish account is considered the best source of information on Captin Morgan and the habits of pirates. The detail in Exquemelin's book is so rich and so lavish that it grieves me slightly to make one observation. At no time is rum ever mentioned."

[Hassouni]

By the way Pusser's doesn't have its own stills. They use rum from Demerara Distillers Ltd (the guys who make El Dorado, and technically every other Demerara rum produced today), specifically the double wooden Port Morant pot still, as well as rums from elsewhere, possibly Trinidad, possibly VI or Jamaica.

I think almost any pure-pot still rum will have the requisite hogo for a good mai tai

[JoNorvelleWalker]

By itself the Pusser's was quite pleasant on the tongue, but a little harder going down. My respect and admiration for the British seamen. By the second half pint I suppose it gets a little easier. In color I could not see any difference between Pusser's and Appleton. (What I bought was the ordinary Pusser's, not the 15 year old stuff.)

The Cointreau tasted like very high quality orange flavoring. I suspect that is the whole idea. I did not try side by side with Grand Marnier but I suspect they are about the same sweetness. For drinking neat I would certainly prefer Grand Marnier.

Since I invoked the shade of Wayne Curtis, I owed it to him to try his proportions for a Mai Tai:

1 oz Pusser's

1 oz Appleton 12

3/4 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1/4 oz orgeat

Curtis specifies Jamaican and Barbados (or Cuban), so at least with Appleton and Pusser's I had those bases covered. I hope Cointreau is close enough to orange Curacao, but I will say this is my first Mai Tai variant in which I can clearly taste the orange. (Note Curtis calls for quite a bit.) And here the lime is not too much. Vanilla is quite evident.

With the drink half finished I snuck in a bit more (I'd say about a quarter teaspoon) Small Hand orgeat. Shame on me. There was nothing wrong with Wayne Curtis' recipe to start with but I really like orgeat and this makes the Mai Tai a little smoother, without shouting down the rum.

A new rum I saw at the store today was Mount Gay Black Barrel. Has anyone tried Black Barrel in a Mai Tai? Or tried Black Barrel for anything?

[Hassouni]

Apparently Black Barrel ain't all that, but I haven't tried it. Isn't the canonical TV Mai Tai made with a full ounce of lime, btw?

Cointreau compared to Curaçao - Cointreau is sharper and more refined, whereas Curaçao (at least the Senior version) is a bit softer and sweeter, with elements of bitter and sweet orange, from what I can tell.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Apparently Black Barrel ain't all that, but I haven't tried it. Isn't the canonical TV Mai Tai made with a full ounce of lime, btw?

Cointreau compared to Curaçao - Cointreau is sharper and more refined, whereas Curaçao (at least the Senior version) is a bit softer and sweeter, with elements of bitter and sweet orange, from what I can tell.

Beachbum Berry calls for 1 oz lime. I recall Trader Vic specified the juice of a lime, so it depends on how big your lime is. The limes I've been buying run more than one ounce. I think Wayne Curtis got it about right at 3/4 oz, at least with the rums I'm using.

My contribution to the Mai Tai is to cut the straw in half. Not only does one get twice as many straws, one's nose goes down in the mint,

One brand of Curacao (or was it triple sec?) I saw tonight listed "real" artificial flavor. I think I'll try Pusser's as nail polish remover.

Edited October 27, 2013 by JoNorvelleWalker (log)