Mango Mai Tai

This Mango Mai Tai is a delicious spin on the classic Mai Tai cocktail! If you've never had a true Mai Tai before, you're in for a treat. Tropical mango pairs perfectly with aged rum, fresh lime, orange Curaçao liqueur and orgeat syrup. It makes for a delicious and refreshing summertime drink!

Looking for more tropical and Tiki-inspired cocktails? Check out the classic Jungle Bird cocktail, or my Rum & Ramazzotti cocktail (a twist on the Jungle Bird). This rum punch with passion fruit is an amazing tropical drink, or try out a whiskey version with this Tropical Whiskey Punch.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this cocktail:

• Rum - the original Mai Tai used a specific rum which is not available anymore (namely, 17-year-old J. Wray & Nephew rum). The Trader Vic company now sells their own dark rum that is great for Mai Tais. I used Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry Jamaican Rum, which is fruity, funky and delicious.
• Mango Nectar - this is a mixture of mango puree with a simple syrup. The mango puree is a little bit on the thick side, so adding the simple syrup lets it pour a little more easily as well as adding sweetness. You can use store bought (link to Mango Nectar on Amazon), or make your own using my easy Mango Nectar recipe!
• Orange Curaçao liqueur - this is a sweet liqueur flavored with oranges. It is similar to a triple sec, but a little more sweet and nuanced. Blue Curaçao is probably more well-known, but this is the same style of liqueur without the blue food dye (and usually a little higher quality).
• Orgeat syrup - this is an almond-flavored syrup. I love BG Reynolds Orgeat syrup, since it is really rich and has a great almond flavor.
• Lime juice - preferably fresh, for flavor and also so you can use the lime shell for a garnish.

Substitutions

If you don't have certain ingredients, here are some substitutions you can make:

• Rum - if you don't have an aged rum, try using Cognac or whiskey. This drink was meant to have the deep flavor of an aged spirit.
• Mango Nectar - if you want to keep in a more tropical fruit flavor and rich texture, you can substitute in pineapple syrup or peach nectar here. Alternatively, you can use a peach jam or cherry jam instead, but you might want to dilute the jam first since this drink isn't shaken for long enough to break up the jam.
• Orange Curaçao - if you don't have this, go for a Triple Sec, such as Cointreau liqueur. Triple Sec is also orange flavored, but not quite as sweet and a little sharper flavor overall.
• Orgeat syrup - if you don't have orgeat, I recommend using simple syrup along with a dash of almond extract.

Equipment

Here are some things that'll make this drink easier to make:

• Cocktail Shaker
• Jigger or small measuring cup
• Ice crusher - this drink uses crushed ice, rather than large chunks of ice like you would get from your freezer. I love this ice crusher crank gadget, or you could use a blender. You could also use an ice mallet and Lewis bag to crush the ice by hand.
• Cocktail serving glass - a Mai Tai is traditionally served in a double old fashioned glass (like these Viski double old fashioned glasses). They usually hold between 10 and 12 ounces. You can use any glass you'd like, just make sure the rim of the glass is wide enough for the lime shell and mango slice garnishes.
• Citrus juicer - if you're using fresh lime.
• Knife and cutting board - for the lime and mango.
• Cocktail pick - for the mango garnish.

Missing something from your home bar? Check out the products from A Bar Above and grab 10% off using my discount code, LKDrinks. Their bar tools are really durable, dishwasher safe, and they look great!

Instructions

Prepare your garnish by cutting strips of a fresh mango. Fan out the strips and attach them on one end using a cocktail pick. Set this aside.

Then, juice your lime and add the lime juice to your cocktail shaker. Set aside one of the used lime shells (also called "spent" lime shells) for a garnish.

Add the orange Curaçao, orgeat, mango nectar and rum to the cocktail shaker.

Fill the shaker with crushed ice and give it a couple of shakes. You don't need to shake this very much. As soon as the metal of the cocktail shaker is frosty, you're done. This only took me about 3 shakes.

Then pour the drink, ice and all, into your serving glass.

Place the spent lime shell upside-down on top of the drink. Add the mango slice garnish and serve.

Hint: if your serving glass is a little too big, you can always add more ice after you shake. The additional ice will also help to support the lime shell garnish. (The mangoes should be supported by the cocktail pick resting on the edges of the glass.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Top tip

If you're planning to make a lot of these drinks at once, having pre-crushed ice in a cooler is a huge help! Crush the ice before you need it, and then just have an ice scoop ready to go in the cooler along with the ice. You can even buy pre-crushed ice at some grocery stores or fast food restaurants.