Mai Tai

We thought we'd start off our blog proceedings with a little how to on a classic tiki cocktail. It is mid week so it's clearly cocktail time to make it over the hurdle that is Thursday, plus you need to practice for the weekend so you can impress your friends with your mixology skills!

The Mai Tai has a long and twisted history, arguments and even court cases over ownership, recipes being copied, ripped off and even worse, very poorly appropriated.

However weather you decide Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic invented the drink, we like Trader Vic's version best. A delicate balance of lime juice, rums and syrups, it's delicious and delightfully strong!

You will need per drink -

• Glass or tiki mug full of crushed ice
• 4 - 5 8th's of fresh lime
• Dark Jamaican rum (I use Myers)
• Gold Martinique rum or Jamaican (I use Appletons Estate)
• Orgeat Syrup
• Gomme or sugar syrup
• Orange Curacao or Tipple Sec
• Mint and swizzle sticks to garnish

Tools - 1 cocktail tin and shaker

To make -
squeeze the juice of 4 or 5 of the lime segments (depending on how big they are and how limy you like your cocktails) into the tin. Drop in the squeezed segments, the skins have oils which will add flavour to the drink.

Pour in around 4 teaspoons each of the dark rum and gold rum. 1 of both syrups, and 1 1/2 of the orange curacao/triple sec. If you can free pour, it's 3 each of the rums, 1/2 - 1 of the syrups and 1 of the orange curacao.

Put the lid on the tin/shaker and shake, pour over the crushed ice into the glass or mug being careful to keep the lime pieces separate.

Garnish with the top of a mint sprig and your preferred swizzle stick, umbrella combination.

Sit back and enjoy!