Rum · Tiki & Tropicals · Sweet
Mai Tai Recipe
White rum, lime, orange curaçao, and orgeat — the tiki cocktail every other tiki cocktail gets measured against.
- Prep Time
- 2 min
- Method
- Stirred
- Glass
- Rocks or tiki glass
- Strength
- Balanced
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated September 14, 2026
About the Mai Tai
Few cocktail origin stories are as contested as the Mai Tai's. Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron claimed to have invented it in 1944 at his Oakland restaurant, supposedly naming it after a Tahitian friend's "Maita'i roa a'e" — "very good." Don the Beachcomber, the other founding figure of American tiki culture, disputed this and claimed his own earlier version from 1930s Hollywood. Neither claim has ever been definitively settled, and both men publicly disagreed about it for decades. What isn't in dispute is the drink's staying power: it's an official IBA cocktail, it defined an entire genre of American bar culture in the 1950s and 60s, and nearly every tiki drink invented since has been built in conversation with it.
Ingredients
- White rum2 oz
- Fresh lime juice¾ oz
- Orange curaçao½ oz
- Orgeat syrup½ oz
- Mint sprig, for garnish1
- Lime wheel, for garnish1
Method
- Fill a glass with ice, stir briefly to chill.
- Measure and pour the orgeat syrup, fresh lime juice, orange curaçao and white rum into the shaker.
- Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
- Shake for 15 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
- Cut a lime wheel.
- Garnish with the lime wheel.
Glass & Garnish
Rocks or tiki glass, over fresh ice. Garnish: mint sprig and lime wheel.
Notes
Dark or spiced rum gives a deeper, more caramelized version. Cointreau substitutes for curaçao. A simple syrup infused with almond extract stands in for orgeat in a pinch, though texture differs. Batches well for a party over fresh ice per glass. Pairs with grilled seafood or barbecue.
Tools Used
Affiliate links
As an Amazon Associate, Sipped Right earns commission from qualifying purchases made via links on this website, at no extra cost to you.
