The Best BUDGET Mai Tai Recipe (That Actually Works!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2022
- In this video, I'm looking at the best way to make a Mai Tai Cocktail on a Budget. We take the original mai tai recipe, we take the traditional 4 Rum Blend, specifically from@ultimatemaitai and see if we can get close by using just 1 Rum. This would be as close as we can get to Trader Vics Mai Tai recipe from the 1940s.
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Kevin Crossman Ultimate Mai Tai;
ultimatemaitai.com/
Ulitmate Mai Tai Recipe;
15ml OFTD,
15ml Appleton 12
15ml Xaymaca
15ml Smith & Cross
30ml Lime
15ml Orange
15ml Orgeat
7.5ml Demerara
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Here in the U.S. Martin Cate got with Denizen to create a single Mai Tai rum, Denizen Merchant’s Reserve. It’s an 80/20 blend of Jamaican and Martinique rums. Aged 8 years and it’s absolutely fabulous! I understand it’s not available everywhere, so hopefully you can try it!😊
It's not available in the UK sadly
I have Denizen, but I prefer Martin's older recipe, Appleton 12 reserve and El Dorado 12.
@@sergisamongas Appleton + El Dorado suits my palate better as well. For me, Denizen was not the magic Mai Tai bullet.
Thanks for that info. Super helpful.
It’s my go to, wonderful rum
Wicked video. This is what we need more of. Making cocktails more accessible
Thank you. Love making them, it’s just the ideas 👍
A cheap blended rum I personally love in a Mai Tai is Plantation original dark. Sometimes I add some Smith and Cross but it's solid on its own imo
Do you know what. I thought about that watching back yesterday. I actually can’t believe I forgot the Plantation OD. 🙈😂
If you get a chance, mix it up and let me know what you think
Great work here Steve. Worthy Park 109 is my next try in a Mai Tai blend. My easy go-to is 1oz Appleton 8Y and 1oz El Dorado 8Y - two rums I always have on hand. I have grown up believing: If one rum is good, two is better.
Hahaha...the next Mai Tai video.... the 2 Rum Blend!
I picked up a bottle of Appleton Estate 15 Black River Casks - at least in terms of age and terroir, it seemed about as close as they’re selling right now to the Wray & Nephew 17 that Trader Vic used in the original Mai Tai, if one only wanted to use one rum. It was quite good! Granted, not a budget pick ($60 US). Someone else mentioned Denizen Merchant’s Reserve which Martin Cate helped design to be as reminiscent as possible to Vic’s later recipe - it also makes a great Mai Tai and it’s only about $34 (if you can get it, which I gather maybe you can’t).
I really like the Appleton 15. I wish it had a higher percentage of pot still distillate though.
Love A15... its close to £70 in the UK which is annoying. But it's a great shout. I'm working on getting the Denizen over here, would love to try it!
Very interesting comparison. I am very surprised the 2 Appletons didn't make the final cut. I usually go with the Appleton for my every day Mai Tai rum, but I do very much like the Smith and Cross. I have a bottle of the Denizen and am disappointed it didn't deliver the wow factor I was expecting.
Honestly just the xaymaca makes a really good mai tai. My normal mix is 1.5oz Appleton 8 and 0.5 oz Wray and nephew. I think I enjoy the xaymaca more. Haven’t decided yet. I can’t get S&C or OFTD here
I've found that the best sipping rums are not necessarily the rums that make the best cocktails, unless you're using it as a float. As a float, all the aromas and individual character comes out, but once you shake it with other ingredients, special rums can get lost or worse, overwhelm some of the more nuanced notes like the orgeat. As a single rum mai tai, I like Hamilton 86, a Guyanese demerara rum with no added dosage. Its complexity enhances the citrus but the lack of added sugar means that it doesn't drown out the orgeat, possibly my favorite part of the drink, which I always make myself.
Agree to a point. It’s why most of my videos are about under £50/$60/€60 cos anything over that is wasted…except with a few exceptions like Hampden 8 for example.
Mai Tai reminds me of the old "stone soup" recipe... So much effort devoted to a drink only because it can't be recreated.
Happy to bring you more Pierre Ferrand if you want it.
I would choose the worthy park 109. But i adore the four island
It all sounds good. I would mix only the 4 rums you used and taste it without the mixers. It should remind you of something and try that or them.
Hi Steve, thanks for the numerous shout outs. All of your final rums are fantastic in a Mai Tai. I really do like the Worth Park 109 and yes the Black Tot is an amazing blend. Interestingly, my usual "one bottle" Mai Tai is Appleton 12 (in the USA we'd also be talking about Denizen Merchant's Reserve, but I understand it's not available in the UK). I really wish I knew what exactly it was about Xaymaca that makes it shine in a Mai Tai but pleased to see you're a convert! (curious about your opinion about it not being the best in its category - any other recommendations for a modestly priced 100% pot still "gold" Jamaican??). But of your final five I would choose Smith & Cross.
Note that my Ultimate Mai Tai Rum Blend isn't necessarily intended to replicate the original Wray 17/15 rum (not the least of which because I've never had the pleasure of tasting it). It's just a blend that I think works to highlight what the Mai Tai is all about. As you noted, bold flavors and leaning into aged/dark rum rather than light ones.
Kevin, great to see your work recognized all the way in England. How has the reception been to your new "all Jamaican" Mia Tai blend (Appleton 12Y, S&C, WP 109) vs your longtime "Ultimate Blend" (Appleton 12Y, Xaymaca, S&C, OFTD)? I look forward to picking up a bottle of WP 109 to taste for myself.
@@als.2983 I have seen some people use it but have not seen many folks dumping the other blend in favor of it (and honestly I don't feel it is as good either). It is also harder to use since it uses a 2-2-1 ratio that essentially requires batching.
@@ultimatemaitai I appreciate the great effort you put into concocting tasty rum blends - and sharing the rum blends from your favorite bar Mai Tais. I look forward to giving your All Jamaican blend a try.
Do you have a favorite Mai Tai blend that features a demerara rum?
@@als.2983 The Demerara-heavy OFTD is in the Ultimate Mai Tai Rum Blend.
So Kevin...I've been thinking on this for a few days. And chatting about it in my Membership Community. And we've all come to the same conclusion. We can't actually think of a better Rum in the Xaymaca class....BUT...for some unknown reason, we just completely overlook Xaymaca. When people say Jamaica Rum, we automatically jump to Appleton, or Hampden or Worthy. We have no idea why. I certainly can't give you a reason. I just don't think of it! Even S&C doesn't really get much Love. Its viewed as a Rum you wouldn't have neat or as a Mixer. BUT...it comes to life in Cocktails. Really weird!
Hi Steve love your videos. Different to the run of the mill cocktail videos. Thank you for your time.
Thank you Andrew!!!
I believe Beachbum Berry uses Appleton 12 and Clement VSOP. I’ve tried it and it’s delicious!😊
Great Video! I’d like to see the black straw at 9:56 return for more videos. It’s like a conductors baton!!
Lols. It will do. I got 10 of them! 😂
Another great vid!
Haven’t tried the Black Tot yet but guessing that would be my favourite as I do love Demerara vibes in a Mai Tai blend.
BT is superb. I haven't shown them, but I've got all the BTs. 50th Anniversary, 2021, 2022! Some awesome juice!
Recently tried Appleton 15 as a single. Wow!!! It was a new level for me. Obviously not cheap! And kind of limited. Appleton says they were bottled by J Wray & nephew. Vic used 15 after running out of 17. I think it’s the closest to Vic we are going to get!😊
Yeah. Don’t forget, the 17yo only came about because of the War. The 17 was not a normal product. Because of the war it was left to age an extra 2 years. 15 was always the product. So inevitably come 1947-1950 the stocks of 17yo were obvs gonna run out 👍
@@StevetheBarmanUK It would be interesting to see how the the Appleton 17 Legend released this month would compare to the other top brands.
I recently fiddled around with some mai tai rum mixes and found a couple that I personally really like.
1:1 smith and cross/el dorado 12
3:1 xaymaca and OFTD
Regarding single rum mai tais, I said in a previous video xaymaca shocked me the first time I tried it and I'd stand by that. Smith and Cross is an absolute legend in cocktails, rum negroni, various swizzle variants, any tiki calling for a jamaican rum...LEGEND.
I need to give S&C more love. Neat it’s meh for me. But I start to understand how it comes to life in Cocktails.
Not sure I've ever done a single rum Mai Tai!
I don't have the S&C but interesting to see you find a space in which it shines, most unexpected!
I must try the other 4 as I have them all. Particularly keen to give the Xymaca a spin as it is one that I've not really appreciated and it tends to sit on the backbar untouched these days
Do you know what. I’m the same. And I’m still trying to answer Kevin’s Question above about why?! 🙈😂
Great video setup getting the least interesting out of the way first and then focusing on the more interesting ones. I wouldn’t consider the black tot as a budget mai tai rum, but it’s great! Haven’t tried the smith&cross yet, but it’ll be one of the next ones for me to buy
My favorite mai tai is just plantation 5 year maybe that’s a bland mai tai to some but it’s perfect to me
You love what you love!! Cheers for watching though Vince.
Great video, 3-1 Appleton 8-Smith & Cross is my personal favorite so far
Great Rums there Jo! 👍
Great Video. Awaiting on KC ingredients but use my Plantation Jamaica 2005 (17 yr old) & plantation X0 for now. Looking forward to trying the Denizen when I get my hands on a bottle and still need to give my Hampden 8 a go too 👍
Ha, if you get a Bottle of Denizen, we all want samples!
nice to see the xaymaca up there love that stuff and its so underrated
It's weird. I'm not a huge fan, but it seemed to come to life in this. Same as the S&C!
Lucky me, I've got the OFTD so will give that a go once I invest in a new orange drink.
Invest in a new Orange Drink?!! 🧐 Ah. The liqueur??! My head went straight to Fanta! 🙈😂
@@StevetheBarmanUK 🤣 yes, the liqueur but not a blue orange liqueur.
Incredible which flavors a tongue can filter out,..all these tasting notes,..
Great video, what about splitting the ultimate blend in half and coming up with a 2 rum option, still a bit of a budget option but gives you a chance of extra depth and flavours
So many people have asked for a 2 Rum Blend Video. Then only problem with that, well it could go on for ever!! I mean even Kevin’s 4 Rums, to do a 2 Rum blend from that gives you 24 different options!! 🙈😂😂 add a 5th Rum in and that’s 120 options. Where do you Stop…let alone start??!
Sorry, I really have no idea what the original J. Wray & Nephew rums tasted like in this drink so perhaps I am asking the obvious. Wouldn't one of the currently available 15-18 year old Jamaican rums get you pretty close? I realize they probably cross over your £50, but maybe not by much? Appleton Estate Black River Cask 15 Year Rum is $65 in my market. If you have tasted some of the J. Wray & Nephew rums, can you explain what they were like to the best of your recollection?
From what I've read and listened too, Wray & Nephew 15-17 are like nothing we have these days. Rums have changed so much. Just cos something is also 15yo, doesn't mean they taste similar. Like Hampden 8yo is Totally different ot Appleton 8. Like almost totally different spirits! And to my knowledge, there isn't a higher aged Dark Rum on the Market...like a Worthy Park 109...buy aged for 15 years instead of 3-5! And the only other Wray Rum we get (That i know of in the UK) is the Blackwell... which is again 3-5yo Rums. Hence why so many People and Bars use Blends to recreate the Wray 15/17
I often go for Plantation Original Dark or Appleton 8 Year as my one single rum. If i'm going 45ml/15ml split I'll use Plantation Original Dark with Smith & Cross
Still can't believe i actually forgot to crack the Plantation OD out in this video!!!!
Great vid steve,..i guess u mean in ur recipe with orange,.orange curacao,triple sec....isn't it??
I actually did Kevins base blend in this... Think I said that, but can't remember. But used the Pierre Ferrand...
Never mind the Rums, I want to know where you got the glass!!!!!!
One of my ace Members sent me them!
I came here hoping for some gin reviews after hearing about this channel from Bobby Freeman. Good luck with the rum, it's way too sweet for me, so I never acquired a taste for it. I'm a gin guy. 😊
You should hit up some agricole, clairin or just any other unaged unadulterated rum :)
Ha. Gin died in 2018. Rums the way forward! I think Rum is like Gin. There are some epically Sweet Gins, like there are some some sweet Rums. The fact is, it’s only “London Dry Gins” that don’t have Sugar. So unless you only drink a London Dry, anything else will be as sweet as Rum cos they have added Sugar Flavour…making them sweeter than Rum. Take stuff like Brockmans, Bulldog, Whitley Neill, Hoxton, Malfy, Flavoured Tanqueray…in fact anything flavoured…but they all have added something making them sweeter than a lot of Rum.
Look like A lot of people saying an aged Appleton and El Dorado for their Mai Tai. What if you did a 2 rum Mai Tai with the top 5 and included the Appleton/ED, and compared those. Maybe that would be too many drinks at one time though
Yeah. See I had that thought. Then the realisation hit me about just how many samples there’d be. It needs more thinking! 😂😂
@@StevetheBarmanUK It would be an epic video!! haha
You need to fall down the "triple sec" tunnel... Makes just as much difference as the rum.
I actually did this about a year ago. I don't really do it now on Videos cos it's waaaay too complicated and you lose viewrs! . But my actual "Orange Liqueur" is a 4 Liqueur Blend; Clement Shrubb, Pierre Ferrand, Fortunella and Giffard Orange Curacao Triple Sec. It's bloody delicious!
I am not French, but I believe it is pronounced orzha.
Hahaha, it's pronounced one of the 4 ways i say it!
If I don’t make the ultimate mai tai which is phenomenal.
I opt for Appleton 12 and ED 12 mai tai.
But if I was to use a single rum I go towards an Appleton 8 or Xyamaca mai tai
Nice combo! Not done the ED12 in a Mai Tai in years!
@@StevetheBarmanUK honestly it’s my go to. Delicious really is
is the 'Kraken" brand still considered as a rum? Just asking because i do not see it appear anymore.
It's a Sweetened Spiced Rum. Nothing against it, it's just not what my channel is about these days.
@@StevetheBarmanUK all right, thank you for responding Steve, i know kraken is not the best rum out there but i have nothing against it really. I would love to find the perfect rum for my taste but i consider that to be a daunting task seeing how much rums are available and not all are as easy to come by. All the best to you Steve. Cheers.
I prefer damiseau agricole and Appleton 12 as my cheapest option
Cheers Andrew
Or-zhaat
I tried the Ultimate Mai Tai recipe and I felt it was way too boozy. Personally I feel it isn’t balanced??? Needs more sweetness from juice or syrup I think.