You Can Sip On The Original Mai Tai At One Iconic Georgia Restaurant

A nod to Caribbean culture

The origin of the mai tai dates back to a night when Victor Jules Bergeron was crafting cocktails for a couple of friends from Tahiti. Inspired to create something special, he combined Jamaican rum with a vibrant mix of lime juice and orange curaçao, along with sugar and nutty almond orgeat syrup, and then shook the concoction (rather than stirring it). The drink got its name from a phrase his friend exclaimed after tasting it—mai tai-roa aé, which translates to "out of this world" in Tahitian.

This rum-forward cocktail, perfectly balancing tartness and tropical flavors, quickly became a sensation. Its artisanal and unique ingredient list stood out in an era dominated by drinks made from canned components and generally bland flavors. However, over the years, the mai tai has lost some of its original prestige. Many versions found at beach bars today tend to be overly sweet and made with low-quality mixers. Other contemporary variations, like the Hawaiian mai tai, often overshadow the authentic flavor with sugary additions such as pineapple juice. While these adaptations can be enjoyable in their own right, they stray from Bergeron's original vision.

To experience the mai tai as it was intended, a visit to Trader Vic's is a must. Here, bartenders continue to craft the purest, original version of this iconic drink. The world-renowned mai tai remains a highlight on Trader Vic's drink menu, which features a wide selection of other tropical tiki cocktails alongside its prized creation.