Hello and welcome to Friday, finally.
I’d be shocked if any of you have never heard of this weekend’s cocktail. I’d be equally shocked if more than a few of you have had it as it was originally made. The Mai Tai (a rum sour with flavoring from orgeat) was created by Victor Trader Vic Bergeron in 1944. But the recipe was closely guarded so other bartenders created their own Mai Tai recipes which were almost always cheap, overly sweet, fruit punches. But a Mai Tai, made as specified, is a wonderful, tasty and beguiling cocktail. It is well worth the extra effort of getting its ingredients.
Mai Tai
.25 ounce simple syrup
.5 ounce orgeat
.5 ounce curaçao (Pierre Ferrand works best here)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces of an old Jamaican Rum
Shake with shaved or pebble ice (or whatever ice you have), pour ice and all into a double collins glass and garnish with mint leaves and a spent lime shell.
About the rum, originally seventeen year Wray & Nephew Jamaican rum was specified. Unfortunately, that rum has not been available for a long time. So, old Jamaican rum is substituted. A popular variation and one endorsed by the International Bartenders Association uses an ounce of amber Jamaican rum and an ounce of a light rum.
A word about orgeat: it is a sweet syrup made from almonds and used mostly in tropical and tiki cocktails. You can make it yourself with this recipe or this one. Or, you can buy the syrup online here or here.
Our song for the weekend is Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz. It was on their self-titled debut album released in 2001. The song was a commercial success, establishing Gorillaz and a force in the music industry. And, at least as importantly, the song was a ground breaking blend of rock, electronic and hip-hop music. The song supposedly got its title from its similarity to the them music from the movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly that starred Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood on:
Friday, finally playlist on:
For next week’s cocktail you should have gin and champagne (brut) on hand.
We’re in a very warm drought so lately sitting in the red chairs, drinking a Mai Tai, listening to Clint Eastwood and enjoying a sunset tends to be a tad uncomfortably warm. But, wherever you are and whatever you are doing while enjoying this weekend’s Mai Tai and Clint Eastwood, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
’til next week.
D.