Mai Tais in Maui: More Than Just a Drink
When you think of Maui, you probably picture golden beaches, palm trees swaying in the tradewinds, and a sunset that feels almost too perfect to be real. But ask any traveler what really cements that “I’m in Hawaii” moment, and the answer often comes in a glass: the Mai Tai.
Invented in California but perfected in Hawaii, the Mai Tai has become a cultural icon on Maui. Each bar adds its own twist—some go classic with fresh lime and orgeat, others lean tiki with pineapple juice or passionfruit. Whether you’re sipping poolside in Wailea, perched at a Lahaina bar, or mixing one up in your rental condo, the Mai Tai is the unofficial cocktail of the islands. Welcome aboard…
Ahoy, me hearties! If ye be wantin’ to sip on a truly delicious and original mai tai fit for a beachcomber or a biscuit eater, ye be in the right place! Here’s what ye need to do to make me favorite mai tai drink and deliver ye’self a few sheets to the wind:
Pirate Mai Tai Ingredients:
- 1 oz light rum
- 1 oz dark rum
- 3/4 oz lime juice (freshly squeezed or ye be riskin’ the scurvey)
- 1/2 oz orange curaçao
- 1/4 oz orgeat (almond syrup)
- Crushed ice
- Spent lime half and mint sprig for ye garnish
Pirate Mai Tai Instructions:
- Begin by adding crushed ice to a shaker.
- Next, add 1 oz of light rum and 1 oz of dark rum to the shaker.
- Add the 3/4 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz of orange curaçao, and 1/4 oz of orgeat to the shaker.
- Shake it like there be fire in the hole.
- Fill a tiki glass with fresh crushed ice and strain the mai tai mixture into the glass.
- Give it a good stir and garnish with the spent lime half and mint (land ho with a palm tree!)
And there ye have it, me fellow scallywags! A delicious and original rum-forward mai tai fit for the most weather’d seadog. Hoist the Jolly Roger, take a swig of ye liquid loot, and enjoy this treasure of the briny deep!
Where Else to Find a Good Mai Tai in Maui
Once you’ve mixed up your concoction, you might want to venture out and taste test some other offerings. You’ll find the Mai Tai almost everywhere—resort lounges, tiki bars, beach shacks, and even local mom-and-pop restaurants. A few local favorites include:
- Monkeypod Kitchen (Wailea & Ka‘anapali): Famous for its frothy lilikoi foam topping.
- Merriman’s Kapalua: Classic seaside setting with a perfected recipe.
- South Shore Tiki Lounge (Kihei): Casual, fun, and very tiki.
- Pau Huaka‘i Tiki Bar (Lahaina): Oceanfront with a laid-back vibe and strong pours.
The truth is, part of the fun is trying Mai Tais across the island—each one tells its own story, from surf culture to fine dining.
So go ahead and mix a pirate Mai Tai and then get out and see how your creation stacks up against the pros. Whether it’s your first sip or your last, the Mai Tai is Maui’s most reliable passport to island time.
Mai Tai FAQ
While there is some debate amongst tiki connoisseurs, the credit mostly goes to Victor Bergeron (aka Trader Vic) who debuted the Mai Tai at his Oakland, CA restaurant in 1944.
The simple answer is almond syrup, often made with sugar, rose water, and of course almonds. It makes appearances in many tiki drinks as well as desserts like marzipan. It’s pronounced or-zhat…with a flourish at the end, since it’s French.
Many casual fans of tiki drinks expect sweet and syrupy cocktails and the Mai Tai has evolved over many decades to suit this current preference. Note that fruit juices like pineapple and orange are not included in the original Mai Tai recipe. The original is well balanced with only subtle hints of sweetness, which then allows the flavors of the rums, curaçao, and orgeat to shine through.
The specific rums used in the original 1944 recipe are no longer commercially available. Most tiki cocktail experts agree that pairing a dark over-proof rum with a light and clear rhum agricole will deliver the most accurate proximation of the original 1944 version.