photo: Jenny Adams Freelance LLC
To make a real and proper mai tai, the way God and Trader Vic Bergeron intended, you typically need a
lot of ingredients.
The 1944 classic, created at the famous Trader Vic’s in Oakland, California, calls for a dark Jamaican, as well as a dry, white rum. Then you’ll need an aged, agricole-style rum from Martinique, alongside orange Curaçao. Oh, and don’t forget the fresh lime and orgeat, a syrup created from soaking and straining almonds.
That’s why sipping a perfect mai tai often requires you to be sitting in a reputable craft cocktail bar or an acclaimed tiki establishment. However, the complexity of this drink leads lesser bartenders to take shortcuts or, to commit outright blasphemies.