Mai Tai

The Mai Tai is tiki culture's greatest achievement and one of history's most misunderstood cocktails. Created in 1944 by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron at his Oakland restaurant, the original Mai Tai combined quality aged rum, orange curaçao, orgeat (almond syrup), fresh lime juice, and simple syrup to create a complex, spirit-forward tropical cocktail. When Vic served it to Tahitian friends, one exclaimed "Maita'i roa ae!" (Tahitian for "out of this world"), giving the drink its name. The Mai Tai represents tiki culture, Polynesian fantasy, and mid-century American escapism. Unfortunately, the drink's popularity led to bastardized versions with pineapple juice, grenadine, and cheap rum, obscuring the sophisticated original. A proper Mai Tai showcases quality aged rum (traditionally a blend of Jamaican and Martinique rhums) with complex almond and citrus notes, served over crushed ice in a rocks glass, garnished with mint and lime. The drink embodies 1940s-1950s tiki culture, tropical escapism, and the art of rum blending. The craft cocktail renaissance restored the original recipe, with bartenders seeking vintage spirits and proper technique. The Mai Tai represents American tiki fantasy, the golden age of rum cocktails, and the importance of recipes over reputation. Whether served at a California tiki bar or a Caribbean beach resort, an authentic Mai Tai delivers complex tropical sophistication.