Mai Tai

In the canon of classic tiki cocktails, the Mai Tai stands out as one of the most iconic - and one of the most bastardized. At its core a Mai Tai is meant to showcase great rum. We use a combination of white and aged or dark rums - the white rum is lighter bodied and fruity, while the aged rum brings juicy banana, vanilla, and burnt sugar notes and a richer mouthfeel. High-quality orgeat is essential (we love L'Orgeat) and is worth seeking out if you're a fan of tropical drinks. If you're making Mai Tais for a crowd, this recipe easily scales up. Simply make a large batch in a pitcher or jar and shake 4 oz cocktail mixture in a shaker with ice to make one drink.

1 oz aged rum, such as; Plantation Original Dark or Denizen Merchant's Reserve
1 oz white rum, such as; Denizen aged white rum
1 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed, half reserved
½ oz curaçao or Grand Marnier
¼ oz orgeat, such as; L'Orgeat, BG Reynolds, or Liber & Co.
¼ oz simple syrup
1 lime wedge
1 large sprig mint

Combine both rums, lime juice, curaçao, orgeat, simple syrup, and reserved lime half in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a glass filled to the brim with crushed ice. Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig.

Makes 1 servings.