Royal Mai Tai Cocktail

This is the Royal interpretation of the modern Mai Tai created in the Mai Tai Bar by Trader Vic in the early 1950s. Mai Tais were originally made with misted ice (or crushed), but in the Mai Tai Bar, Joey Gottesman uses restaurant-quality ice cubes. The Original Mai Tai, whether it be Trader Vic’s or Don Beach’s recipe did not contain any pineapple or orange juice. Trader Vic modernized his recipe in the Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar and made it easier by modifying the fresh lime juice to a pineapple and orange juice mix.

1 oz. Bacardi Silver rum
1 tsp. maraschino cherry and vanilla bean puree (see recipe below)
1/2 oz. amaretto
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. orange juice
2 oz. pineapple juice
Whaler’s Dark Rum float
Tools: shaker
Glass: 14 oz. double bucket glass
Garnish: cherry, pineapple wedge and lime wedge

Add the first 6 ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Roll (see technique note). Pour into a glass and add a float of Whaler’s Dark Rum and garnish.

Note: Rolling means pouring the contents of the built cocktail from a mixing glass to a Boston shaker tin and back into the glass. This will incorporate the components equally and bring the temperature of the cocktail down without compromising the flavor.

Maraschino Cherry and Vanilla Bean Purée
1 36 oz. jar of pitted and stemless maraschino cherries
2 tbs. vanilla extract
4 vanilla beans (scrape contents from the husks and save husks to place back into puree)
1 cup cranberry juice

Place contents into a blender and blend until smooth. Place scraped husks back into the puree and refrigerate. At 35 degrees F, this puree will keep for at least a month.

Joey Gottesman, The Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian, Oahu