Sesame Street: A Sesame Mai Tai

Name: Sesame Street: A Sesame Mai Tai
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Carlos Huizar , Hippo , Los Angeles

Photo: Anise Lew

October 04, 2023

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
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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.