The Royal Mai Tai
Lately I have been spending a lot of time poolside. The heat wave which has affected Northern California has turned my office into the pool (well at least I look at the pool a lot from the confines of my desk!). But when I am done working, and actually slide into the refreshing water it is nice to unwind with a refreshing drink. I came across this recipe in the Hawaii Magazine, it is the Mai Tai recipe from the Royal Hawaiian - one of the most nostalgic hotels in all of Hawaii.
Whether you are entertaining friends or hanging poolside - enjoy!
First the key to making this cocktail a success is the blending of fresh squeezed juices.
Place these ingredients in a 14 oz rock glass filled with ice:
1 oz silver rum
1/2 oz Amaretto di Sarrono
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 tsp Maraschino cherry and vanilla puree (recipe below)
1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
2 oz fresh pineapple juice
Roll by pouring the contents back and forth into a Boston shaker tin and then into the rocks glass.
In a circular motion add as a float to the rocks glass 1/2 oz dark rum (Myers rum works well).
Garnish with fresh lime, and a cocktail parasol skewered with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.
Maraschino cherry puree:
Empty a 10 oz jar of maraschino cherries (juice included) and a TBSP of vanilla puree (scraped from interior of vanilla beans) into a blender. (You can substitute a tsp or less of vanilla extract for the vanilla puree). Blend until smooth, refrigerate.
