Hibiscus Mai Tai Recipe
Hibiscus Mai Tai Ingredients
1 oz / 30 ml Dark Jamaican rum (I used Appleton Estate 12)
1 oz / 30 ml Cachaca or rhum agricole (I used Novo Fogo Silver Cachaca)
0.5 oz / 15 ml Creole orange shrub or orange liqueur such as Cointreau
2.25 oz / 8 ml Orgeat
2.75 oz / 22 ml Hibiscus syrup
1 oz / 30 ml Fresh lime juice
Hibiscus flower, for garnish
How to make a Hibiscus Mai Tai
Shake all ingredients with ice and open pour over crushed or pebble ice. Garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Hibiscus is tart on its own, which is what makes it work here instead of turning the drink into a floral novelty. This version keeps the classic Mai Tai structure, a split base with lime, orgeat and orange liqueur, and lets hibiscus syrup take over part of the sweetening.
The balance shifts. There is more lime here than the classic carries and half the orgeat, with hibiscus filling the gap, so this drinks sharper and more floral rather than nutty. The almond is still underneath, just further back.
The second half of the base is cachaca or rhum agricole rather than a Martinique rum. Both bring the grassy side the drink wants. If you want to see cachaca carry a Mai Tai on its own, that is the Rio Mai Tai. For the smoky version of the same idea, the Tia Mia splits the base with mezcal.
Hibiscus syrup is sold ready made, and it is also one of the easier syrups to make yourself: steep dried hibiscus in hot water until it is strong and deeply red, strain it, then dissolve one part sugar into one part of the liquid.
