how to make a mai tai

oops; had saved this as draft and forgotten to post::

you might need this; know I do.

recipe from Cocktails.About.Com, commentary mainly mine.

light rum = white bacardi
dark rum = bundy (op for preferance) in original circa 1944 would have been either cuban or from trindad locally available here would be Captain Morgan or Mountgay (but you'll need a fancy liquor store like Dan Murphy's local pub won't do)
orange curaco = tautology; all curaco is orange flavour; use it if you've got it or can find it; Cointreau or Grand Marnier instead. Prefer Cointreau myself for drinking, GM for cooking. Don't use blue coloured stuff!!!!
maraschino cherries = turn up on Colesworth's/IGA but not so far Aldi shelves at this time of year; maybe good bottle shop; caters suppliers. Knew I should have bought 1 kg jar from Essential Ingredient in Orange; would probably have seen me out as they are basically inert and indesructible.
orgeat syrup = almond, barley and lemon syrup, can still be obtained in Monin range some supermarkets but delis or caters suppliers (Chef's Warehouse, Essential Ingredient) better bet, isn't used in modern version; can recreate by adding a (very) few drops of almond essence to about 500 ml of lemon cordial or better, lemon barley water cordial. Australian world has largely lost taste for bitterish almond flavour (if it ever had it) more popular with Europeans.
lime = consider using Sicilian lime juice in green limeish shaped bottles (used by Nigella) and sold at Harris Farm if limes are more than about 50 c each; also roll on chopping board if using real thing to break up internal segments before squeezing (old foodie trick).


This is circa 1944 rummy original version as served in Trader Vic's Oakland, California:

• 1 oz light rum
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz orange curacao
• 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
• 1 oz dark rum
• maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice.
4. Top with the dark rum.
5. Garnish with the cherry.

More modern version, Pineapple juice version of the Mai Tai:

triple sec = maybe unobtainable; use cointreau or grand marnier (actually saw on shelf of liquor store in Katoomba yesterday) (ie Tuesday)

grenadine = try and get real one, not artifical; does exist at good bottle shops; make real pink lemonade with leftovers; is made from highly filtered pomegranates; POM juice not acceptable subsitute

• 1 ounce light rum
• 1/2 ounce triple sec
• 1/4 ounce lime juice
• 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 1/2 ounces orange juice
• 1 dash of grenadine
• 1/2 ounce dark rum
• maraschino cherry for garnish

1. Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice.
4. Top with the dark rum.
5. Garnish with the cherry.

old fashioned glass = 300 ml tumbler please, and don't forget little paper parasol but no fruit bits.

Pass out to memories of Frannie Halcyon Day, a great (fictional) supporter of San Francisco branch of Trader Vic's and mai tais.