Recipe Description
There are a few variations on the original Mai Tai that I love and respect including this one I just improvised. Skip the dry curaçao and orgeat simple syrup and substitute L’Orgeat Liqueur and lime juice for a very delicious Mai Tai with the advantage of buying one special ingredient (L’Orgeat Liqueur) instead of two (dry curaçao and orgeat simple syrup)–a good choice for a vacation condo or airbnb when you want to stock as little as possible–with the added advantage that L’orgeat Liqueur will last while orgeat syrup does not have an indefinite shelf life even in the fridge. In this Mai Tai, I also switched out Koloa Gold for white rum–it’s just so delicious! Mount Gay Eclipse could probably do the trick as well. Finally, equal parts recipes are my favorites – they are so darned easy to remember!
As a complimentary use for that special libation, buy a bottle on vacation for Mai Tais and save your leftover morning coffee in the fridge for an iced coffee with a healthy splash of L’Orgeat Liqueur to give a boost to your afternoon.
Fill a double old fashioned glass with ice then 2/3 coffee 1/3 L’Orgeat Liqueur. Transfer that to a shaker, shake thoroughly and return it to the glass, including ice. I call that an Up & Down.
Ingredients
-
1 ounce Koloa Gold Rum
Mount Gay Eclipse is often a good substitute for Koloa Gold. It's cheaper and easier to find. -
1 ounce Koloa Dark Rum
It's the best. - 1 ounce L'Orgeat Liqueur
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 wheel ripe, juicy orange
- 1 sprig fresh mint
Preparation
Put a double old fashioned glass in the freezer.
Combine rums, liqueur, lime juice and orange wheel in a shaker with small ice cubes or crushed ice. Shake vigorously getting the orange to infuse some of its flavor into the drink.
Service
Pour drink, ice, orange wheel and all, into cold glass. Crush mint sprig lightly in your hands and run it along the rim then add it and the spent lime shell to the drink.
Ke Aloha!!
