Mai Tai — Mai Tai needs two rums and almond liqueur — skip either

The Mai Tai needs two rums and almond liqueur — skip either and you’ve killed the drink.

Ingredients

• 1 oz aged rum
• 1 oz rhum agricole
• 1 oz orange curacao
• ¼ oz orgeat syrup
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 lime wheel
• Garnish: a lime wheel
• Garnish: mint sprig

Method

Grab your shaker and add both rums first. The aged and the agricole should hit the ice together — they’re partners, not competitors. Add your orgeat next. This stuff is thick and sweet with a nutty depth that makes the whole drink work. Pour in your curacao, then your lime juice last. Fill with ice and shake hard for fifteen seconds. You want serious dilution here — the Mai Tai should be refreshing, not a rum punch. Double strain into your glass over fresh ice. The double strain catches any orgeat clumps and gives you a clean pour.

Serve

Serve this in a rocks glass over crushed ice if you have it, regular cubes if you don’t. Float your lime wheel on top and stick that mint sprig right next to it. Give the mint a gentle slap before you add it — wakes up the oils.

Pro Tip

Real orgeat makes this drink. The fake stuff tastes like liquid marzipan. Small Hand Foods makes the best commercial version, but you can make your own with blanched almonds, sugar, and orange blossom water. Batch a bottle — it keeps for months and transforms every tiki drink you touch.