So you’ve tried a Mai Tai, and let’s just say, mommy likey. But now you’re curious about what else the tiki world has to offer. Maybe rum isn’t quite your style, or you want something a little more artsy to sip on. Check out this Mai Tai variation featuring bourbon, which I’ve aptly named the Kentucky Mai Tai.
Why Kentucky?
Well. You know. That’s just what bourbon variations are called I guess. Look at the Kentucky Mule for instance. But for this cocktail, following the tiki tradition of utilizing a bunch of different ingredients, I didn’t stop at just bourbon. I brought in some peach liqueur as a sweetener and to add some rounder fruitiness, and mezcal for a touch of smoke. I also threw in some Cynar, an artichoke-based amaro to bring a vegetal undertone as well. And of course, the orgeat and lime.
How To Make A Kentucky Mai Tai
So this bad boy is made pretty similarly to my classic Mai Tai. Instead of using two different rums, we’re going to use bourbon and peach liqueur. Instead of orange liqueur, we’re throwing in Cynar. But because the peach and Cynar add a lot of sweetness, we’re going to temper the orgeat just a touch so the cocktail remains in balance. After all that, we’re going to add just a TINY bit of mezcal to give it a hint of smokiness on the back of the palate.
Kentucky Mai Tai Recipe
- 1oz bourbon (I use Woodford for most whiskey+fruit cocktails)
- 1oz peach liqueur (I used Drillaud Crème de Pêche, because it’s the only one I could find at my local)
- .5oz Cynar
- .5oz lime juice (fresh is ALWAYS best)
- .5oz orgeat syrup
- .25oz Mezcal
Add everything to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake it 5-10 seconds (we’re serving over crushed ice, so you don’t need to add a ton of water content to it). Strain into a tiki or rocks glass half full of crushed ice, and top with more crushed ice. Garnish, as always with the tiki drinks on THIS website, with those shitty bright red maraschinos grandma used to put on your ice cream sundae. You can always throw in some extra garnish like a mint sprig or something, but shit’s expensive and I didn’t have any lying around. Throw a straw in it so you’re not using that gap between your canine and bicuspid to strain the crushed ice and you’re ready to chillax.