Mother of all Mai Tais

When I think of tropical cocktails, the first one that comes to mind is the Mai Tai, wouldn’t you agree? The classic cocktail is delicious, refreshing, and packs a punch. It was created by Vic Bergeron of Trader Vic’s in 1944 in Oakland, California. Legend has it that Vic created this rum drink for some special friends visiting from Tahiti. When they tasted it, one of his friends exclaimed, “Maita’i roa ae!” meaning, “Very good of the very best!” So, Vic named the drink the Mai Tai.

You can grab the recipe HERE!

Many bartenders over the years have made their own variations of the drink.A quick google search will give you the results for hundreds of recipes and variations. But don’t worry, we have the best version right here for you.

In the early 1950’s, when all things Hawaiian were very popular, the Royal Hawaiian had Vic, maker of the Mai Tai, create the sweeter version we all know and love today. The main difference was the incorporation of tropical fruit juices commonly found on the Hawaiian islands such as pineapple, mango, guava, and my favorite, passion fruit (duh!)..

When I decided to make a version using our Lilikoi Cocktail Mix I did the same thing. I kept the lime juice, orgeat, curacao, and the rum portions of the original and added Lilikoi Cocktail Mix to each glass and another great tropical tiki Mai Tai recipe was born.

We frequently make a large batch of a signature cocktail when we entertain. It makes it easy to plan the food as well as the rest of the party when I don’t have to think about serving drinks too. We make a big batch of this Passion Fruit Mai Tai, put it into the dispenser, and put the cups and ice beside it. Everyone loves the self-serve aspect, not to mention how easy it goes down. It is really a party starter, if you know what I mean!   We often go one step further, placing a picture of a skull and crossbones near the dispenser to remind our friends that it may be easy to drink but it packs a punch, especially if you add the optional dark rum float on top.

If you are looking for other tropical cocktails and beverages using our Lilikoi Cocktail Mix you can click HERE.

Enjoy this Passion Fruit Mai Tai and remember to always drink responsibly.

Aloha,

Rochelle

The Passion Fruit Lady