I am OBSESSED with tiki drinks and this Passion Fruit Mai Tai is my current favorite! The blend of rums, passion fruit, Cointreau, orgeat, and lime gives this Mai Tai a unique flavor that’s tropical, nutty, boozy, and zingy. This recipe makes 1 perfect cocktail, but I’ve also provided instructions on how to make a pitcher cocktail for a party!
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Skip the Bottled Mai Tai Mix and Make Your Own Instead!
Maybe you’ve ordered a Mai Tai at a bar and were met with a sickeningly sweet concoction made from pre-made bar mixes. That is not a Mai Tai. This classic tiki cocktail should be a little tart, a little sweet, and refreshingly tropical. Nothing like the adult fruit juice you might be expecting!
If you love rum tiki drinks as much as I do, you probably know that there’s no pineapple juice in a classic Mai Tai. Thereโs actually no fruit juice at all, other than lime juice. But I love any excuse to jazz up a cocktail with passion fruit juice, so my take on a Mai Tai is a bit more tart and fruit forward.
This is a perfect cocktail for parties, but be warned it is STIFF. The juice really hides the amount of booze in it. You could get tanked on just a couple of these bad boys so please drink responsibly.
Bar Tools You’ll Need
What’s in a Mai Tai?
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Rum. This recipe actually calls for two different types of rum! My favorite rums to use in a Mai Tai are some kind of dark rum like Myer’s, which has a a rich flavor thatโs smoky and sweet, and a classic white rum made with cane sugar.
- Passion Fruit Puree. Not a traditional ingredient in Mai Tais, but they can be so boozy! I think the passion fruit makes it a little more palatable.
- Lime Juice. Freshly squeezed tastes so much brighter and more vibrant than the shelf-stable stuff sold in a bottle.
- Orgeat Syrup. A type of non-alcoholic almond syrup that’s used in a lot of tiki cocktail recipes.ย It’s very easy to find at most well-stocked liquor stores or on Amazon. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for orgeat. Without the orgeat, this Mai Tai just isn’t really a Mai Tai! I recommend snagging a bottle and exploring some other great cocktails that you can use it in.
- Orange liqueur. I prefer using Cointreau.
- Fresh mint and lime. The perfect garnishes for any tropical cocktail.
How to Make a Mai Tai Cocktail
- Fill a glass with ice. I used an old fashioned glass, but any will do. Always fill your glass with ice before shaking up your cocktails to ensure it’s super cold. If you feel like going the extra mile, pop your glasses into the fridge or freezer a few minutes before serving your Mai Tais.
- Measure into a cocktail shaker. Everything gets poured over ice and shaken vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Garnish and enjoy! Pour the cocktail into your prepared glass, garnish with mint and lime, and start sipping.
Having a Party? Make a Pitcher! (8-10 Servings)
When entertaining, it can be super hectic to make individual cocktails for your guests. This is why I love to batch out my cocktail recipes for entertaining ease!
To a pitcher, add:
- 2 cups dark rum
- 1 cup light rum
- 3/4 cup grand marnier or cointreau
- 1 cup passion fruit puree
- 1/2 cup orgeat syrup
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
Stir all the ingredients really well with a spoon and store in the fridge. When itโs time to serve, fill cocktail glasses with ice and divide the cocktail mixture among the glasses. Float a tiny bit of rum on top and garnish with fresh mint and lime slices.
Jenny’s Tip: Never put ice in the pitcher! This waters down the drink. Itโs better to put ice directly in the glasses and divide the cocktail mixture on top.
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Fruity Cocktails to Sip This Summer
- Passion Fruit Margaritas
- Passion Fruit Whiskey Sour
- Watermelon Margaritas
- Strawberry Gin Lemonade
- Strawberry Peach Frose
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The Best Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz dark Jamaican rum
- 1 oz light rum
- 3/4 oz Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)
- 1 oz passion fruit puree*
- 1/2 oz orgeat syrup
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- crushed ice
- mint sprigs , for garnish
- sliced lime , for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a double old fashioned glass with crushed ice to the top. Set aside.
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail mixture into the prepared glass and garnish with sliced lime and mint springs.
- Optional: Float 1/4 oz of rum on top.
Rate & Review This Recipe
Thanks for linking your favorites in the recipe, makes things so much easier! If I could get my hands on fresh passionfruit, what would be the equivalent amount to the puree? Though I haven’t made the drink yet my mouth is watering at the thought of the tartness of the fruit, from the memories of the juice I drank back home in Puerto Rico.
Hi Maria! My pleasureรขโฌโI always want to make it easy for folks to source recipes. If youรขโฌโขre using fresh passionfruit, juice the fruit through a fine mesh sieve or strainer to remove the seeds and then double the juice and the orgeat in the recipe (the purรยฉe is more concentrated than fresh passion fruit). You can always throw the seeds in as garnish! I would love to hear how it turns outรขโฌโcheers!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I used chinola passionfruit liqueur instead of fruit puree, so I added an extra tbs of lime juice. Overall, it was really well balanced, and I will pick up the frozen fruit purรฉe next time for a less boozy drink.
So happy you enjoyed it! Chinola is great, but the passion fruit purรฉe will give you a less sweet, more tart cocktail. Hope you love that version too!