A Rum Blend Would Do Wonders For Your Mai Tai Cocktail
BY LUNA REGINA
The Mai Tai is a cocktail that requires a careful layering of ingredients to keep it from tasting flat and unappealing, and using a rum blend instead of just one bottle can help.
Many bartenders favor a blend of two or three styles of rum in their Mai Tais to balance out the characteristics of each spirit and create a more complex flavor profile.
The blending of different rums makes the alcohol component of the cocktail more sophisticated. However, you must choose rums that complement and balance each other.
For example, an aged Jamaican rum had a smokey, intense kick. When mixed with a lighter rhum agricole, the funk can be tempered so it won’t overpower other ingredients.
Your rum blend will also rely on your desired flavor profile. Most mixologists recommend using no more than three to five rums, or else the flavors will turn muddled and harsh.