Summer is here! Time to Tai one on with a Mai Tai!

The first time I had a real Mai Tai made with Orgeat was a revelation. I was lounging poolside in Miami and the bartender brought me one as a gift for being a regular. (Shocking I know.) While thanking them profusely, I was wondering how long I needed to pretend to drink it before I could dump it in the nearest plant. I always associated the Mai Tai with pineapple juice and thought of it as a sickeningly sweet cocktail. But when I tasted it, I was surprised to find it was absolutely delicious! This Mai Tai was properly made with Orgeat, lime juice, a hint of Grand Marnier, and of course, white rum. I was immediately hooked. ( I may have even ordered a second one.) While it is definitely a sweet cocktail, it is not overly sweet, and the almond flavor of the Orgeat syrup is truly unique. In order to make this particular Mai Tai to celebrate the life and work of Sri Lankan architect Minette De Silva, we used Arrack (not to be confused with Lebanese Arak which has a very different flavor!) which is a sugar cane liquor made with fermented coconut sap in Sri Lanka or fermented red rice in Indonesia. (Did you miss the post of Minnette De Silva? Check it out here!) I couldn't get my hands on the Sri Lankan version, so I used the Indonesian Arrack. It tastes very much like a high proof, high quality rum so it works perfectly in a Mai Tai. If you can't get your hands on any Arrack, just use your favorite high quality white rum. This is a cocktail that is truly best made at home because most bars will make it with pineapple juice (and possibly Malibu) and garnish it with a cherry; a stomach churning-ly sweet drink that is the stuff of nightmares. It is also best made with crushed ice. I've amped up the Orgeat specifically for the dark rum float. If you're skipping the float, start off with half the Orgeat and add more to taste. Minnette's Mai Tai

• 2 measures of Arrack (or white rum)

• 1 measure of Orgeat

• 1/2 measure of Grand Marnier

• 1 measure of lime juice

• dark rum drizzle.
  

Mix all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously to combine. Pour into a "rocks" glass filled with crushed ice. Pour or drizzle a dark rum float on top and garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig if you have one. Sit back and enjoy the summer vibes! Thirsty for More? Check out the post on modernist Minnette De Silva, Sri Lanka's first female architect