FOOD NEWS
Where You Can Find (And Drink) The Original Mai Tai Cocktail
BY NIKITA EPHANOV
Many tiki cocktails, such as the Mai Tai, are the creation of two iconic 1930s barmen: Donn Beach and Victor Bergeron. However, the two don't agree on the drink's accreditation.
Today, the origins of the Mai Tai are intertwined with Bergeron's Trader Vic's, but Beach claimed that the cocktail was invented at his establishment, Don the Beachcomber.
While Beach claims that Bergeron's recipe was a near-copy with only minor alterations, it was at Trader Vic's that the Mai Tai's name was coined, and the drink gained popularity.
Regardless of true origins, Don the Beachcomber closed its doors in 2018, while Trader Vic's has remained open and expanded from California to Hawaii and beyond.
You can try the original Mai Tai recipe at any Trader Vic's location, containing the bar's signature rum blend, lime juice, sugar syrup, almond orgeat, and orange curaçao liqueur.