Mocktail : Mai Tai

Summer days feel incomplete without a mai tai, be it the real deal or a delicious mai tai mocktail. And this mai tai mocktail recipe is one of my favorites – it’ll have you imagining yourself somewhere tropical and breezy in no time!

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With its combination of fruity and fragrant flavors, you’re sure to enjoy this zero-proof recipe on a hot summer’s day. In fact, you might like it even better than the “real thing!” Grab your favorite tropical fruit and put together a delicious mai tai mocktail as if you were island-hopping.

This classic tropical drink, true to the tiki culture, comes from Victor J. Bergeron and was created for his restaurant’s cocktail menu, Trader Vic’s in California. Originally comprised of a squeeze of fresh lime juice, orange curaçao, rock candy syrup, french orgeat, and a 17-yr Jamaican rum. Over time this mai tai drink has changed, as do many things.

Ingredients

• Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed orange juice is best, but use your favorite!
• Pineapple Juice – I don’t own a juicer, so canned 100% pineapple fruit juice is for me. Dole is always a solid, tasty brand.
• Zero Proof Rum – A dark rum alternative with a smooth distinct rum flavor. Use another rum alcohol-free spirit if you have one on hand.
• Dash of Grenadine – If you have a jar of maraschino cherry juice, that would be perfect in place of the grenadine.
• Sprite – Lemon-lime soda of your choice.

Helpful Tools

Cocktail Shaker Set

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Assorted Drinkware

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Zero Proof Rum

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How To Make

1. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, and your zero proof rum in a cocktail shaker. 
2. Add crushed ice and shake until chilled.
3. Pour over a short cocktail glass full of crushed Ice, filling halfway.
4. Add a couple of dashes of grenadine then top with Sprite or your chosen lemon-lime soda.
5. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, orange, or cherries.

Mocktail -> Cocktail

Looking for an alcoholic version of this Mai Tai mocktail recipe? Nothing wrong with an aged rum cocktail. The original Mai Tai recipe and most renditions of these classic cocktails are made with white rum and dark rum.

• Dark Rum – Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum
• White Rum – Saint James Imperial Agricole Blanc

Drink Responsibly & Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Just a couple of tips to create a tasty virgin mai tai recipe.

• Garnish with your choice of fresh fruit. Fresh orange slices, pineapple wedges, or cherries are all acceptable options.
• Crushed ice is the ice of choice in this mocktail. While regular ice cubes will keep your drink chilled, crushed ice is used for Mai Tai’s original recipe. It is also recommended to shake with crushed ice as well.

The Forest Is Full Of Mocktails

• Mocktail : Orange Grapefruit Punch
• Mocktail : Sparkling Blood Orange

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