the M use of M i X olog Y

by c ris Dehlavi

t he Mai tai

m y name is Cris d ehlavi and i am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, o hio since 2002. i just took on an exciting new role as the Brand e ducator for Columbus for d iageo brands. i ran the bar program at “ m ”, of the Cameron m itchell r estaurant group from 2002-2020. i am currently the v ice President of Columbus us B g and was one of the founding members of the chapter.

i n 2013, i attended the rigorous B.A. r . 5 d ay s pirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the u s .A. i am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bartenders around o hio.

m y contribution to g ot r um? magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry. g ot r um?

The m ai Tai is arguably the most famous of all the Tiki cocktails. i t became wildly popular in the ’50s and ’60s and was even featured in e lvis Presley’s Blue h awaii film. But its origin comes down to a feud between the two og Tiki guys, and i don’t think anyone but them knows the truth. i am, of course, talking about Trader v ic and d onn Beach. l egend has it that in 1944, v ictor Bergeron was testing out a new drink with some Tahitian friends at his Trader v ic’s in o akland, California. They loved it, and one exclaimed, “ m aita’i roa a’e,” which means “ o ut of this world! The Best!”. This would then become the restaurant’s flagship cocktail. The other story is that d onn Beach created the m ai Tai at his bar, d on The Beachcomber, in 1933. o riginally made with 17-year rum at Trader v ic’s, one can only imagine how that first version must have tasted. w hen that rum was no longer available, he switched to using 15-year w ray and n ephew, and eventually, it became a blend of Jamaican and m artinique rums.

The m ai Tai gained more popularity and tourist attention when it was introduced to h awaii in 1953 when Bergeron consulted on cocktail menus at the m oana s urfrider and the r oyal h awaiian h otels. Today it continues to reign as the king of Tiki cocktails, and with the resurgence of the craft cocktail world, creative versions have emerged on menus around the world.

s o enough about the history, what is in it?? d eriving from the “sour” family, the m ai Tai is simply rum, curaçao, lime juice, and orgeat. w hat makes this drink so incredibly complex is the orgeat.

o rgeat (Pronounced orr -Z h AT, like Zsa Zsa g abor) is a sweet non-alcoholic syrup made traditionally from almonds, sugar, and orange flower water. The color is pearly, and the texture is creamy and silky. i t was initially created with a combination of barley and almonds, and in the 1864 English and Australian Cookery Book , it was listed as having bitter almonds in it. Side Note: Bitter almonds contain cyanide and, in large quantities, can be lethal . i don’t suggest using them in any capacity! m any brands of orgeat are available, and not all are created equal. s ome brands use almond extract, while others are crafted using fresh almonds. i like to make it from scratch, which takes a little time, but the result is worth it. u nique versions substitute nuts, such as pistachios, cashews, or sunflower seeds. o range flower water is added to bring in perfumey floral notes, and baking spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg are included in some regions. r osewater can be used in place of the orange flower water too, but it can be pretty overpowering, so use it sparingly. i prefer to roast the nuts/ seeds before chopping them up and adding them to the syrup because that adds complexity to the flavors. i have included my pistachio orgeat recipe below: s pread 1 cup of raw shelled pistachios on a sheet pan, and roast for 10 minutes in the oven at 250 degrees. r emove from the oven and allow to cool fully. (Your house will smell amazing, by the way). w hen the nuts are at room temperature, chop them finely or put them into a food processor. Add 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar using a large saucepan. Place on the stove and heat on medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chopped nuts, ¼ oz. of orange flower water, and the peel of one orange, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. r emove from heat and allow the syrup to cool completely. u sing a slotted spoon, remove the chopped nuts and pour the syrup through a fine-mesh screen to remove the little pieces and parts. r efrigerate for up to 10 days.

• 2 oz. of 17-Year- o ld J. w ray n ephew Jamaican r um

• ½ oz. o range Curaçao

• ½ oz. French o rgeat s yrup

• ¼ oz. r ock Candy s yrup

• Juice from one whole l ime s hake well with ice and serve in a tall glass on crushed ice. g arnish with ½ of a lime shell and a large sprig of fresh mint.

*My variation:

• 1 oz. Jamaican r um

• 1 oz. m artinique r um

• ½ oz. d ry Curaçao

• 1 oz. Almond o rgeat s yrup s hake well with ice and serve in a tall glass on crushed ice. Top with two dashes of Angostura Bitters. Feel free to use the traditional, or add a flower, cherry, or your favorite Tiki-inspired garnish.