Ingredients:
- 1 oz. aged rhum agricole
- 1 oz. aged Jamaican rum
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice (reserve the shell)
- 1/2 oz. orange curaçao
- 1/2 oz. orgeat
Instructions:
Shake all of the ingredients with 2 scoops of crushed ice for around 10 seconds. Pour unstrained into a double Old Fashioned glass. Sink the spent lime shell in the drink, then garnish with lime wheel and mint.
The Myth and Majesty of the 1944 Mai Tai: A True Polynesian Pop Icon
In the kaleidoscope of tiki history, few cocktails have achieved the legendary status of the original 1944 Mai Tai. It’s not just a drink—it’s a story, a symbol of post-war escapism, and a mystery wrapped in lime peels and crushed ice. Let’s take a sip of the past and uncover the layers of this classic tiki treasure.
Birth of a Legend
In the midst of World War II, when the world was anything but tranquil, Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron crafted what would become one of the most iconic tropical cocktails of all time. The place? His Oakland tiki bar. The moment? Serendipitous. As the story goes, Vic whipped up the drink for some visiting friends from Tahiti who, upon tasting it, exclaimed “Mai Tai roa ae!”—Tahitian for “out of this world!”
That one utterance launched a legend.
Anatomy of the Original
Despite the ocean of variations that have emerged since, the 1944 Mai Tai was surprisingly simple and rum-forward:
Shaken with crushed ice and garnished traditionally with a lime shell and a sprig of fresh mint, this wasn’t a syrupy fruit bomb—it was a balanced, complex libation built to showcase the rum.
The Rivalry That Stirred the Tiki World
As tiki bars sprang up like palm trees in the desert, so did the tale of the Mai Tai’s origin. Donn Beach, the godfather of tiki and creator of the Zombie, claimed he invented the Mai Tai years earlier under a different name. While both men laid claim, it was Trader Vic who registered the name and recipe, and whose version endured the test of time.
The controversy? As intoxicating as the drink itself.
Lost Rum and Legacy
The original Wray & Nephew 17-year-old rum vanished from production decades ago, turning each recreation of the ’44 Mai Tai into something of a spirited archaeological endeavor. Today, bartenders rely on blends of bold, funky Jamaican rums and smooth Martinique agricoles to approximate that long-lost flavor.
More than just a cocktail, the 1944 Mai Tai became a ritual of tropical escapism—an invitation to imagine yourself basking on an island paradise, trade winds rustling the palms, exotica music whispering through the air.
Whether you’re behind the bar or just daydreaming about your next ETI RADIO broadcast, the original Mai Tai isn’t just a recipe—it’s a reminder that even in times of turmoil, there’s magic in craftsmanship, story, and a splash of fantasy served over crushed ice.
