The Royal Hawaiian’s recipe emphasizes use of fresh-squeezed juices, top-shelf liqueurs and rum. It’s also colored pink from a maraschino cherry and vanilla puree—a nod to the hotel that serves it.

Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Ingredients:

1 oz. silver rum
½ oz. dark rum
½ oz. Amaretto Di Sarronno
½ oz. Cointreau
½ tsp. Maraschino cherry and vanilla puree (see recipe next page)
1 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 oz. fresh-squeezed pineapple juice

Place all the ingredients except the dark rum in a 14-oz. rocks glass, filled with ice. Roll by pouring the contents back and forth into a Boston shaker tin and then into the rocks glass until cocktail is an even pink color. When done, add dark rum, in a circular motion, as a float to the rocks glass. Garnish the cocktail with fresh lime, and a cocktail parasol skewered with a pineapple wedge and Maraschino cherry.

To make the Maraschino cherry and vanilla puree:

Empty a 10-oz. jar of stemless Maraschino cherries (juice included) and a tablespoon of vanilla puree (scraped from the interior of vanilla beans) into a blender. (You can substitute a teaspoon or less of natural vanilla extract for the vanilla puree.) Blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Still thirsty for even more mai tai recipes? Check out The New-Wave Mai Tai, from HAWAII Magazine sister company Watermark Publishing. The 138-page book features more than 50 mai tai recipes, each a unique and modern take on the tropical classic. Click here for more info, or to order.


Moose McGillicuddy's Pub & Cafe. Waikiki, Oahu: 310 Lewers St., (808) 923-0751; Lahaina, Maui: 844 Front St., (808) 891-8600; Kihei, Maui: 2511 S. Kihei Road, (808) 891-8600.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel Mai Tai Bar, 2259 Kalakaua Ave. (808) 923-7311.





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