Along with setting a base for the tiki culture, Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic’s and Donn Beach of Don the Beachcomber are also credited for the creation of this quintessential tiki cocktail. And we cannot thank them enough for bringing such a delicious cocktail into being. It’s one of the most popular tiki cocktails in the world and all for the right reasons. But did you know that this classic cocktail has a wide range of flavors and variations? Yes, you read that right! If you too are intrigued, we’ve listed down 6 easy Mai Tai cocktail recipe variations for you to try.
6 Easy Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe Variations
- Sunset Mai Tai
- Watermelon Mai Tai
- Hawaiian Mai Tai
- Bitter Mai Tai
- Mango Mai Tai
- Blueberry Mai Tai
1. Sunset Mai Tai
Sunset Mai Tai is one of the most stunning looking and tasting Mai Tai cocktail variations on the list. What makes this cocktail look beautiful is the gradient and vibrant color. This cocktail beautifully brings out the individual flavors of good-quality rum, lime juice, grenadine, Angostura bitters, and other ingredients used.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of white rum
- 1 ounce of dark rum
- ½ an ounce of lime juice
- ½ an ounce of triple sec
- 1 ounce of velvet falernum
- 1 ounce of orgeat syrup
- A dash of grenadine
- A dash of Angostura bitters
- Mint leaves for garnish
How To Make Sunset Mai Tai
- In a cocktail glass, pour some ice cubes, add grenadine and Angostura bitters, and give it a stir.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the other ingredients along with crushed ice, and shake it for a good minute until it all combines well.
- Strain this mixture into the cocktail glass over a spoon to give this drink a gradient look.
- Garnish with some mint leaves and your Sunset Mai Tai is ready to be served.
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2. Watermelon Mai Tai
Watermelon Mai Tai is the perfect summertime drink that tastes fruity and has a mix of sweet and bitter flavors. It’s the seasonal cocktail that is best to sip on while chilling by the beach or the poolside. And if you want to make this cocktail taste even better, just add fresh watermelon juice instead of a store-bought one. It adds more depth of flavor and gives this cocktail a very fresh aroma as well. Plus, you can choose to add as much or little of the watermelon juice as you like. So, without further ado, let’s look at the Watermelon Mai Tai variation recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 and a ½ ounces of white rum
- ½ ounce of dark rum
- 1 ounce of watermelon juice
- ¾ ounce of orange curaçao
- A splash of grenadine
- Seedless watermelon wedges, lime wheel, and mint sprig for garnish
How To Make Watermelon Mai Tai
- Add all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some crushed ice as well, and shake it for about a minute until it turns icy cold.
- In a cocktail glass, strain this mixture over some fresh ice cubes.
- Garnish the drink with watermelon wedges, lime wheel, and mint sprig.
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3. Hawaiian Mai Tai
You can enjoy your summer vacation to the fullest with a Hawaiian Mai Tai cocktail in your hand. This tasty cocktail is lightly sweetened and refreshing. The history behind this cocktail is interesting as Trader Vic was approached by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to make a version of Mai Tai, specially for them. He took this opportunity to make an improved version of the existing Mai Tai by giving it a refreshing and tropical element.
He added pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine for a tropical element and topped off the cocktail with fresh fruits for garnish. This cocktail’s freshness and tropical vibes went viral and became a popular drink in Hawaii. Have a look at the recipe given below to know how to make the Hawaiian Mai Tai for yourself at home.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of rum
- 1 ounce of triple sec
- 1 ounce of pineapple juice
- ½ ounce of lime juice
- A dash of maraschino cherry juice
- A pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry for garnish
How To Make Hawaiian Mai Tai
- Add rum, pineapple juice, ice, triple sec, and lime juice to your cocktail shaker, and shake for a few seconds until it turns icy cold.
- Double strain this into a tall cocktail glass and add some ice as well.
- Drizzle the maraschino cherry juice and garnish the drink with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.
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4. Bitter Mai Tai
Bitter Mai Tai is a cocktail that requires you to have an acquired taste. As the name suggests, it’s bitter in flavor but in a very polished and refined way. The rum takes a back seat while the bitters in this cocktail shine through when you take a sip of this drink. If having bitter cocktails is your thing, make sure to try the Bitter Mai Tai cocktail recipe given below. It’s definitely going to surprise you in a good way and you won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce of dark rum or spiced rum
- 1 and a ½ ounces of Campari
- ½ ounce of orange curaçao
- ¾ ounce of orgeat
- 1 ounce of lime juice
- Mint leaves for garnish
How To Make Bitter Mai Tai
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker, along with some ice, and shake it until the mixture is blended well.
- Strain this into a cocktail glass and top it with some ice pebbles.
- Garnish the drink with mint sprig, and cheers!
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5. Mango Mai Tai
When you add a tropical fruit twist to the classic Mai Tai, you get the Mango Mai Tai cocktail. Honestly, the addition of mango in the cocktail adds a sweet-tart flavor, making this cocktail taste even better than the original one. And you know what the good thing about this cocktail recipe is? You can choose to use either mango rum, freshly chopped mangoes, mango pulp, or nectar to add that mango flavor.
We’ve used freshly chopped mangoes in the given recipe, but you can customize the ingredients depending on what you have available. Plus, you only need about 10 minutes and some average bartending skills to make this Mango Mai Tai cocktail recipe at home.
Ingredients
- 1 and a ½ ounces of dark rum
- ½ cup of freshly chopped mango
- ½ ounce of orange curaçao liqueur
- ¼ ounce of orgeat syrup
- ¼ ounce of pineapple juice
- ½ ounce of lime juice
- Mango slices and mint leaves for garnish
How To Make Mango Mai Tai
- In a cocktail shaker, add the mangoes and orgeat syrup, and muddle until it’s blended well.
- Pour this mixture into a cocktail glass along with fresh ice cubes.
- Take another cocktail shaker, add the orange curaçao, rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and ice, and shake it until all the ingredients are mixed well.
- Double strain the drink into the prepared cocktail glass, and garnish with mango slices and mint leaves.
Also Read: 7 Easy Vodka Cocktail Recipes That You Have To Try
6. Blueberry Mai Tai
If you’re trying out only one variation of the Mai Tai cocktail from this list, we suggest you give Blueberry Mai Tai cocktail a try. It’s a berrylicious, fruity, sweet, bitter, and strong-flavored cocktail. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for this cocktail. The muddled berries add a nice tangy fruity flavor to the drink. If you are someone who likes a cocktail that has a predominant berry flavor, you’re going to love the Blueberry Mai Tai cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce of Old Monk Rum or any dark rum
- 1 ounce of Blueberry Schnapps
- 1 ounce of cherry mix
- ⅓ ounce of orange juice
- ⅔ ounce of pineapple juice
- 5 blueberries and 4 mint leaves for cocktail
- 3 blueberries and mint leaves for garnish
How To Make Blueberry Mai Tai
- In a cocktail shaker, add the berries, mint leaves, and Blueberry Schnapps, and muddle them until the juices are released.
- Pour the muddled mixture into a fresh cocktail glass and add ice.
- To the same cocktail shaker, add all of the other ingredients along with ample crushed ice, and shake it rigorously.
- Strain this mix into the cocktail glass, stir it until it blends with the muddled mixture, and garnish with blueberries and mint leaves.
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Summing Up
The flavors, depth, and complexity of the Mai Tai cocktails are simply perfect. It’s a burst of flavors in your mouth which makes you crave more with each sip you have. And with so many variants of the Mai Tai, you have many more cocktails to try! So make sure that you gather all the ingredients, along with the cocktail tools, and prepare some easy Mai Tai cocktail recipe variations for yourself.
FAQs
How Many Types Of Rum Should You Use For A Mai Tai?
A Mai Tai is a combination of light and dark rum. But you can spice the drink up with some spiced rum, golden rum, or any other rum that you like.
What Is Mai Tai Mix Made Of?
A classic Mai Tai mix is made of rum, fresh lime juice, orange curaçao, and orgeat. These are the basic ingredients that go into the cocktail and can be switched up with some alternative ingredients that you may have.
Is Mai Tai A Strong Drink?
Mai Tai is a strong drink as it’s a combination of rum, bitters, and syrups. Most of the ingredients used to make this cocktail are alcoholic in nature, making the cocktail strong.
What’s The Best Rum For A Mai Tai?
If you really want to amp up the taste of your Mai Tai cocktail variation, you can use some premium rum brands like Appleton Estates VX, Hamilton Gold, Bacardi Superior White Rum, and Jm Blanc.
What Orange Liqueur Is Best For Mai Tai?
Orange curaçao, triple sec, and Grand Marnier are three of the best orange liqueurs to add to your Mai Tai cocktail.
What Is The Drink Grenadine?
Grenadine is a non-alcoholic bar syrup that is made from pomegranate juice. It’s bright red in color and tastes sweet and fruity.
Is Spiced Rum Good For Mai Tai?
The best part about customizing your own cocktail is that you can use any rum that you like. Spiced rum is a good alternative to dark rum and tastes amazing in a Mai Tai.
What Does Mai Tai Taste Like?
A Mai Tai cocktail is usually strong, a little sweet, fruity, and has hints of tart flavor as well.
