Sesame Street: A Sesame Mai Tai
Photo: Anise Lew
A savory and creamy take on the tropical classic.
Carlos Huizar, bar director of Hippo in Los Angeles, wanted to elevate the flavors of the classic Mai Tai by bringing in ingredients that played up its creamy, tropical sweetness. The result, Huizar says, is a version that “leans into the savory with notes of vegetal tahini and grassy genever.”
Ingredients
- 1 oz. white rum
- 1/4 oz. Jamaican rum
- 1/2 oz. genever
- 1/2 oz. banana liqueur
- 1 oz. tahini orgeat
- 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- ______________________
- Tahini Orgeat
- 75g almonds (skin on)
- 312g boiling hot water
- 113g white sugar
- 113g turbinado brown sugar
- 3g salt
- 1/4 oz. cognac
- 1/4 oz. amaretto
- 4 drops rose water
- 3 oz. tahini
- Tools:shaker
- Glass:mai tai
- Garnish:mint bouquet, banana chips, and black sesame seeds
Preparation
Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake, and pour the contents in the glass. Top with pebble ice. Garnish.
Tahini OrgeatSteep the almonds in boiling hot water for 20 minutes. Blend thoroughly and fine strain, using a ladle to press out the liquid. If resulting almond milk is less than 275ml (not counting foam), top with hot water until the volume is 275ml. Add white sugar, turbinado sugar, kosher salt, cognac, amaretto, and rose water. Blend with tahini while the mixture is still hot. Store in a sealed container. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.