The Mai Tai cocktail is Elvis with a guitar singing in the sunset in Hawaii. It was invented in 1944 by Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron, who mixed Jamaican rum, lime juice, a few dashes of orange Curaçao, French almond syrup, and rock candy syrup. According to Trader Vic history, it was served to some friends from Tahiti, who promptly proclaimed “Mai tai, roa ae!”—which in Tahitian means “Out of this world, the best!” When this drink is made right, it is really, really super tasty. By default this cocktail is in the Tiki cocktail family, which became popular after World War II when soldiers from the South Pacific returned home in the 1940s and ’50s. This trend began in Hawaii and on the West Coast and, then traveled across the nation. Unfortunately, like most cocktails of that era, the recipe was artificialized and cheapened over several decades and even now in Hawaii it is still made with commercial Mai Tai mixers and artificial flavors. At Employees Only, we make our tribute to this Tiki classic with twelve-year-old Flor de Caña Nicaraguan rum, the best French orange Curaçao, Lebanese almond syrup, and fresh lime juice. The traditional rock candy syrup was left out to keep the cocktail balanced, not just sweet.
