MENU DESCRIPTION: “It’s our signature recipe.”
Bring the tropical spirit of this drink to your house with a clone of this potent cocktail from the growing Chinese bistro chain. Mai tai is Tahitian for “out of this world,” and P. F. Chang’s recipe is one of the best and most authentic. The secret to a true mai tai is found in the original recipe developed by Trader Vic in 1944: It’s almond-flavored syrup called “orgeat.” You can find the sweet stuff in stores that sell coffee flavorings (Torani is one very popular brand), or from bar supply outlets. Not only can you use the orgeat for making the best cocktails on the planet, but you can also use the syrup to wake up your next cup of Java. If you can’t find orgeat, there’s a clone recipe included in Tidbits.
MAKES: 1 DRINK.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ ounces Bacardi light rum
- ¾ ounce triple sec
- ¾ ounce orgeat syrup
- 3 ounces orange juice
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- Splash Bacardi 151 rum
- Splash dark rum
GARNISH:
- Pineapple wedge
- Maraschino cherry
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill a 16-ounce glass with ice.
- Add the light rum, triple sec, orgeat syrup, orange juice, and pineapple juice; then give the drink a quick stir.
- Splash the 151 and dark rum on top. Do not stir.
- Make a small cut in the pineapple wedge, then stick a toothpick into the pineapple wedge on the opposite edge. Pierce a maraschino cherry onto the toothpick. Slip the pineapple slice onto the rim of the glass (into the cut that you made). Add a straw, and serve.
TIDBITS:
- You can make a pretty close version of orgeat syrup from scratch by dissolving ½ cup granulated sugar in ½ cup boiling water. Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract and ¼ teaspoon coconut extract. Cool before using, then measure as you would the real thing.
