● Medium 6 min
Mai Tai
A tropical tiki classic based on rum and nutty orgeat.
Quick answer: 40 ml light rum • 20 ml dark rum
Recipes
Rum cocktails
Rum cocktail recipes: Mojito, Daiquiri, Piña Colada, Cuba Libre and Mai Tai. Exact measures, substitutions and a single shopping list.
BrandBar Editorial Team
Content prepared and tested by BrandBar's professional bartending team.
Rum splits into three working types, and the type decides how the recipe turns out. White (light) rum is the base for refreshing lime-and-mint drinks: Mojito, Daiquiri, Cuba Libre. Gold and aged rums bring caramel and vanilla and belong in drinks you sip slowly — Mai Tai, El Presidente, rum and cola for the evening. Dark rum is usually floated on top rather than built into the base.
The acid in rum drinks is almost always lime; lemon gives a sharper, less tropical profile. Keep fresh lime, mint, sugar syrup and coconut purée or syrup on hand — that covers most of the drinks on this page.
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Frequently asked questions
Which rum do I need for a Mojito?
White (light) rum: it does not overpower the mint and lime. Gold rum works too, but the drink becomes sweeter and less refreshing — closer to a summer punch than a Mojito.
How is a Mojito different from a Daiquiri?
In build and service. A Daiquiri has three ingredients — rum, lime juice and sugar syrup — shaken and served straight up with no ice. A Mojito adds mint and soda, is built in the glass and is drunk over ice.
What can replace rum in a cocktail?
In lime-and-soda drinks, cachaça works (the Mojito moves towards a Caipirinha) as does tequila, which turns the profile herbaceous. For sweet, creamy cocktails, aged brandy is the closest match.
Other bases
GinWhiskeyVodkaTequilaCognac & brandyLiqueursBitters & infusionsAbsinthe & sambucaAperitifsSparkling & wineCoffeeLemonadesAlcohol-free
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