Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe
This Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe blends light and dark rum, orange liqueur, fresh fruit juices, and orgeat syrup for a perfectly tropical cocktail. Shake well to chill, then sip and savor a taste of paradise!
Try my Classic Skinny Margaritas or the best Orange Aperol Spritz next!
Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe
We’ve completely fallen in love with Mai Tai cocktails thanks to our many trips to Hawaii, where sipping one always seems to mark the start of vacation mode. There’s just something about that perfectly balanced mix of rum, citrus, and almond flavor that instantly takes us back to warm breezes, ocean views, and island time.
So here we are — soaking up a little taste of our favorite place on earth right in our own backyard. Poolside with our eyes closed may be as close as we get for now, but we’ll happily take it. Because honestly, anywhere with my man feels pretty amazing (she gushes). 🥰
Admittedly, I tested this recipe again and again until the flavors were just right. I even tried to get that beautiful foamy egg white topping but it just wasn’t worth the extra step for me.
So let me tell you about all of the delicious mai tai cocktails we’ve had in Hawaii. They all seem to be a little different depending on the particular restaurant. Our original mai tai experience was at the Beach House on the south shore of Kauai on our very first visit there. It still rivals every other one we’ve tried.
On our most recent trip to the north shore of Kauai, we did an actual ranking of mai tais from four different restaurants in the little town of Hanalei. Tahiti Nui was the hands-down winner! We had more than a little fun sampling all of them!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Tropical flavor explosion – the perfect balance of rum, citrus, and almond.
- Refreshing and bright – light, fruity, and ideal for hot days or poolside sipping.
- Nostalgic vacation vibes – instantly transports you to beaches, palm trees, and island breezes.
- Beautiful presentation – served over crushed ice with a lime wheel, cherry, or mint sprig.
Ingredients needed for Mai Tais with Pineapple Juice:
- Rum – Equal parts dark and light rum.
- Orange Liqueur – Orange Cointreau 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.
How to make the Perfect Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe:
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.
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!
How to make a pitcher of mai tai cocktails (for a group):
This makes approximately 12 cocktails.
- 15 oz. light rum
- 15 oz. dark rum
- 6 oz. orange liqueur (we use Cointreau)
- 9 oz. fresh lime juice
- 9 oz. orange juice
- 12 oz. pineapple juice
- 6 oz. orgeat syrup
Mix ingredients in a large pitcher. Prep glasses. When ready to serve, pour some of the cocktail into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Then pour into prepared glasses.
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!
Recipe FAQs:
You can, but it won’t have that signature almond flavor. Some people substitute with almond extract or a sweet syrup, but the taste will differ from the classic.
Always shake with ice. Shaking mixes the ingredients well and chills the drink while slightly aerating it, especially if you add egg white for foam.
Yes, adding egg whites and doing a “dry shake” (shake without ice first, then with ice) creates a silky foam on top for a tiki-bar style presentation.
Traditionally, a blend of light and dark rum works best. Light rum adds brightness, while dark rum adds depth and richness.
You can mix all the ingredients except ice and garnish, then chill in the fridge. Shake with ice just before serving to get the proper chill and foam.
Other Delicious Cocktails:
If you love a Friday afternoon happy hour on the deck, you’ll need some delicious recipes. Here are a few of our favorites!
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
Hawaiian Mai Tai Recipe
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 garnishes. Slice some fresh pineapple for garnish. I also recommend using maraschino cherries for garnish as well.
- 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.2.5 oz. light rum, 2.5 oz. dark rum, 1 oz. orange liqueur, 1.5 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.5 oz. orange juice, 2 oz. pineapple juice, 1 oz. orgeat syrup
- Prep glasses. Add plenty of ice to two glasses. Add pineapple garnishes and/or cherries.
- Serve. Add ice to cocktail shaker, add lid, and shake vigorously. Pour mai tai mixture into the prepared glasses. Cheers!
Notes
To make these cocktails for a group (makes approximately 12 servings).
Mix ingredients in a large pitcher. Prep glasses. When ready to serve, pour some of the cocktail into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Then pour into prepared glasses.- 15 oz. light rum
- 15 oz. dark rum
- 6 oz. orange liqueur (we use Cointreau)
- 9 oz. fresh lime juice
- 9 oz. orange juice
- 12 oz. pineapple juice
- 6 oz. orgeat syrup
Very good. I made enough for 8 drinks. Everyone liked it.
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.
Thanks so much Juliet!
Hello. Wanting to make this soon… any recommendations on the brand rum for light and dark?
I use Bacardi for this recipe.
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!
That sounds like a perfect reason to celebrate with these drinks! Cheers Traci!
I cannot wait to try this. My parents were raving about how good Hawwian Mai Tais are and this recipe looks fabulous!!!
Just made these again tonight! YUM!!
So glad you enjoyed them again, Cathy! 🙂
Wow! Better than the Mai Tais we got in Hawaii! My new favorite drink! Mike is right…they sneak up on ya!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Cathy!! 🙂
Can you these be made frozen?
Yes, you could freeze the juice in ice cubes and blend with some additional ice. Let me know how it turns out for you.
The best ever, but go slow as they pack a punch! ❤️
Yes they do!
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.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the Mai Tais Shari! 🙂