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Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe

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This Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe combines both light and dark rum, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, both pineapple and orange juice, and some orgeat syrup. Use a cocktail shaker and shake these up to get them nice and cold. This tropical drink will make you feel like you’re on the beach!

Try my Classic Skinny Margaritas or the best Orange Aperol Spritz next!

Side view of two Hawaiian mai tais.

Best Mai Tais

We fell in love with Mai Tais during our first visit to Hawaii, when we were celebrating our 50th birthdays. In particular, we loved the ones at The Beach House in Kauai, followed by Monkeypod in Maui. Both were pretty great, and and I’ve been dreaming of making my own ever since.

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So here we are – enjoying a little bit of our favorite place on earth right in our backyard. Sitting poolside with our eyes closed might be the closest we get right now, but we’ll take it. Because honestly, anyplace with my man is pretty amazing!

I’ve tried lots of versions of this drink and THIS one is the closest I can get to the real thing. Trust me, you’ll love it!

Overhead shot of two mai tais with maraschino cherries.

Ingredients needed Hawaiian Mai Tais

  • Rum – Equal parts dark and light rum.
  • Orange Liqueur – Orange Contreau is my favorite, but any triple sec works too.
  • Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed!
  • Other Juice – I used bottled orange juice and bottled pineapple juice. When you check out at the grocery store, there are usually small single sized juices in the refrigerators. That’s what I grab for these cocktails.
  • Orgeat Syrup – A premium almond-based cocktail syrup, made from real roasted almonds, pure cane sugar, and bitter almond oil. Very necessary for the best Mai Tais!
  • Ice – Use lots of ice to get them nicely chilled.
The liquor bottles and other ingredients for mai tais.

How to make the Best Hawaiian Mai Tais

Step 1
Prep garnishes. Slice some fresh pineapple for garnish. I also recommend using some maraschino cherries for garnish as well.

Step 2
Measure the ingredients. In a large cocktail shaker, combine the ingredients – the light and dark rum, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, pineapple/orange juice, and orgeat syrup.

Overhead view of a cocktail shaker of mai tais.

Step 3
Prep glasses. Add some ice to two glasses. Add pineapple garnishes and/or cherries.

Step 4
Serve. Add some ice to the cocktail shaker, add lid, and shake vigorously. Pour mai tai mixture into the prepared glasses. Cheers!

What to serve with Hawaiian Mai Tais:

I recommend eating some delicious appetizer/snacks while you’re sipping these mai tais. Here are a few of my favorite recipes!

Other Recommended Cocktails

My hand reaching for a Hawaiian mai tai.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

  • Citrus Press – This press comes in handy in many of my recipes.
  • Cocktail Shaker – Needed to make the Mai Tais cold and dilute them slightly. You could also use a mason jar.

Don’t forget the Orgeat Syrup as well!

xoxo ~Sue

Side view of a Hawaiian mai tai with a. pineapple garnish.

Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe

This Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe combines both light and dark rum, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, both pineapple and orange juice, and some orgeat syrup. Use a cocktail shaker and shake these up to get them nice and cold. This tropical drink will make you feel like you're on the beach!
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 cocktails
Calories: 287kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

  • 2.5 oz. light rum
  • 2.5 oz. dark rum
  • 1 oz. orange liqueur – I use Cointreau
  • 1.5 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 1.5 oz. orange juice
  • 2 oz. pineapple juice
  • 1 oz. orgeat syrup

Instructions

  • Prep glasses by filling halfway with ice, and place some pineapple slices on the rim (along with some marischino cherries, if desired).
  • Measure out all ingredients and place in a cocktail shaker. Fill with several ice cubes, and shake vigorously to get everything nice and cold. Pour into glasses and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

17 Comments

  1. Love this drink recipe, it’s delicious! It is also super convenient that I can adjust the servings on your site. I just made a large batch for a punch bowl at a party and they were a huge hit! I can’t wait to check out your other recipes.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Thanks so much Juliet!

  2. Hello. Wanting to make this soon… any recommendations on the brand rum for light and dark?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I use Bacardi for this recipe.

  3. Traci Boyte says:

    Delicious!!! Toasting with these for Happy Hour today as we celebrate our countdown of 99 days (finally double digits!) until we head to Hawaii. Cheers!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      That sounds like a perfect reason to celebrate with these drinks! Cheers Traci!

  4. I cannot wait to try this. My parents were raving about how good Hawwian Mai Tais are and this recipe looks fabulous!!!

  5. Cathy Hanson says:

    Just made these again tonight! YUM!!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      So glad you enjoyed them again, Cathy! 🙂

  6. Cathy Hanson says:

    Wow! Better than the Mai Tais we got in Hawaii! My new favorite drink! Mike is right…they sneak up on ya!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Cathy!! 🙂

      1. Can you these be made frozen?

        1. Suebee Homemaker says:

          Yes, you could freeze the juice in ice cubes and blend with some additional ice. Let me know how it turns out for you.

  7. The best ever, but go slow as they pack a punch! ❤️

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Yes they do!

  8. Shari Musoke says:

    So delicious I had to make two days in and will make often!! As good as any Mai Tai I have ever had and I’ve had a few or more than a few.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed the Mai Tais Shari! 🙂

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