Bitter Mai Tai
Campari standing in for half the rum — tiki with a spine.
Time
5 min
Difficulty
Medium
Glass
Rocks
Method
Shaken
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Add all liquid ingredients to a shaker with a small scoop of crushed ice.
- 02
Whip-shake for 5–6 seconds, just until the ice is gone.
- 03
Pour unstrained into a rocks glass and fill with fresh crushed ice.
- 04
Swizzle briefly, then mound more crushed ice on top.
- 05
Garnish with the spent lime shell and a slapped mint sprig.
Bartender's Tip
Real orgeat, please — the almond fat is what tames the Campari. Bottled syrup with almond flavouring leaves the drink harsh and thin.
A Little History
Jeremy Oertel built the Bitter Mai Tai at Dram in Brooklyn around 2010, replacing most of the rum in Trader Vic's 1944 original with Campari. It was one of the first drinks of the bitter-tiki wave, and it works because orgeat's almond richness cushions Campari's bite exactly the way it cushions overproof rum.
