Mai Tai Cocktail | Merry Merry

If you’ve never made a mai tai cocktail at home, you’ll be delighted to learn how easy it is and how delicious it is to drink. It is fruity and boozy enough that you’ll be glad you don’t have to leave the house to drink it.

Why merry, merry?

The Christmas after my grandparents died, instead of making the seven fishes on Christmas eve, my parents ordered takeout Chinese food. That became a tradition.

Once my siblings and I got older, we continued the tradition, but we added a twist: we would go to the restaurant to wait for our food, and as we waited, we drank mai tais.

So, the mai tai cocktail equaled Christmas in my family.

Apparently, they meant Christmas to other people as well because every time we went to the Chinese restaurant, the bar was always packed. Great minds think alike.

After having one or two at the restaurant, I started making mai tais at home so we could enjoy them during and after meal.

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Helpful tips

• Be aware this cocktail is mostly booze so it is “potent,” as my grandmother liked to say.
• I prefer a premium orange liqueur like Cointreau but you can also use triple sec.
• When I make these for my family, I make them in bulk as there are usually between 14 – 20 people to imbibe this tasty cocktail. In that case, I’ll use triple sec to economize.
• This recipe is for two mai tais, but in the notes section, I tell you how to modify the recipe to make a pitcher.
• Make your own simple syrup as it is so easy – Boil equal amounts of water and sugar – Add one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for five minutes. Let it cool before using it in a cocktail.
• Mai tais are usually served with crushed ice, but I prefer ice cubes. Use what you prefer.
• For garnish you can either just add a lime wedge, maraschino cherry or if you want to get fancy like me, cut a thin wheel from an orange, fold it in half and spear the orange slice and a cherry on a martini pick.

How to make a mai tai

Pre-step

Get a cocktail shaker, measuring glass and two double old fashioned glasses.

Fill the shaker halfway with ice and once you measure out the ingredients, pour them into the shaker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – gold rum, amaretto, orange liqueur, orange juice, simple syrup and lime.

Step two

Measure 4 ounces of gold rum.

Step three

Measure 2 ounces of orange liqueur. (A)

Step four

Measure 1 ounce of amaretto. (B)

Step five

Measure 1 ounce simple syrup. (C)

Step six

Measure 1 ounce fresh lime juice. (D)

Step seven

Measure 4 ounces of orange juice. (E)

Step eight

Measure 1/2 ounce of grenadine. (F)

Step nine

Cap the shaker and shake for at least 15 seconds.

Add fresh ice cubes to the glasses and divide the contents of the shaker between the two glasses (including the ice.)

Add the garnish.

So pretty!

And the vertical view.

I hope you enjoyed this mai tai cocktail recipe.

Other fruity cocktails

• Pirate’s booty
• Scorpion bowl
• Sweet poison cocktail

And as always, may all your dishes/drinkies be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Originally posted December of 2016 and updated in 2018 and again in August of 2020.