Gentle muddle, build, churn, and top
Mojito
Fresh mint, lime, rum, and a tall sparkling finish.
Shake with ice and pour into a double rocks glass
Mai Tai
The IBA Mai Tai balances two distinct molasses-based rums with lime, curaçao, orgeat, and a restrained touch of syrup.
Verified by CocktailSteps Editorial Team
- Time
- 6 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Approx. ABV
- 22% · Medium-high
Measured for the room
Ingredients
1 ozAmber Jamaican rumRecommended brandAppleton Estate Signature
1 ozMartinique molasses rhumRecommended brandDenizen Merchant’s Reserve
0.5 ozOrange curaçaoRecommended brandFerrand Dry Curaçao
0.5 ozOrgeat syrupRecommended brandLiber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup
1 ozFresh lime juiceRecommended brandSunkist Persian Lime
0.25 ozSimple syrupRecommended brandMonin Pure Cane Syrup
1 piecePineapple spearOptionalRecommended brandFresh ripe pineapple
1 sprigMint sprigOptionalRecommended brandNorth Shore Living Mint
1 pieceLime peelOptionalRecommended brandSunkist Persian Lime
Amounts scale from the verified one-glass recipe. Technique and timing stay unchanged.
Choose your bottle
Bottle buying guide
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Amber Jamaican rum
Martinique molasses rhum
Orange curaçao
Measured method
How to make Mai Tai
- 01
Measure the Mai Tai
1 oz each rum · ½ oz curaçao · ½ oz orgeat · 1 oz lime · ¼ oz syrup
Add 1 oz amber Jamaican rum, 1 oz Martinique molasses rhum, ½ oz orange curaçao, ½ oz orgeat syrup, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and ¼ oz simple syrup to the shaker.
Measure the Mai Tai visual check - 02
Shake with ice
Cubed ice · shake until frosty
Fill the shaker with cubed ice, seal it, and shake hard until thoroughly chilled and frosty.
Shake with ice visual check - 03
Pour into the glass
Pour with the shaker ice
Open-pour the shaken Mai Tai, including the shaker ice, into a double rocks glass.
Pour into the glass visual check - 04
Finish the island garnish
1 pineapple spear · 1 mint sprig · 1 lime peel
Finish with 1 pineapple spear, 1 mint sprig, and 1 lime peel arranged above the fresh ice.
Finish the island garnish visual check
Key move
Keep the two rums distinct and use molasses rhum rather than agricole
Verified technique note
Why this build works
The two-rum base divides 2 ounces equally between amber Jamaican rum and Martinique molasses rhum, preserving two distinct rum profiles instead of hiding them beneath fruit juice. One ounce of fresh lime provides the sour structure; ½ ounce each of orange curaçao and orgeat supply orange aroma, almond richness, and sweetness. The additional ¼ ounce of simple syrup completes the balance without replacing orgeat's texture. Shaking chills and integrates the dense syrup, then open-pouring with the shaker ice retains the intended dilution. The aromatic mint and lime garnish sits above, rather than inside, the measured build.
Common failure points
- The drink tastes like generic sweet rum punch.
- Measure the lime, curaçao, orgeat, and syrup separately; do not add pineapple juice.
- Almond syrup collects at the bottom of the glass.
- Shake hard enough to fully integrate the ½ ounce of orgeat before open-pouring.
Measure or substitute
Do not treat rhum agricole as a direct substitute for the specified Martinique molasses rhum. If the two named rum styles are unavailable, preserve the total rum measure at 2 ounces and expect a different result.
Set the station
Tools
JiggerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger
Cocktail shakerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom KORIKO Shaking Tins
Rocks glassRecommended brandRIEDEL Drink Specific Rocks Glass
Know the pour
Medium-high
Two full rum measures are softened by citrus, syrups, and shake dilution.
Contains alcohol. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and enjoy responsibly.
