This Hawaiian Mai Tai is the perfect truly cool and tropical drink you need to have this summer. This crowd-pleaser can be made ahead of time in your favorite pitcher until party time. This Hawaiian Mai Tai is set to be the star of your next summer gathering! In This Article Why This Recipe Stands OutKey Recipe IngredientsSUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONSSTEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONSHOW TO PREP AHEADWHAT TO SERVE WITH Hawaiian Mai TaiCommonly Asked QuestionsHawaiian Mai Tai (make-ahead!) RecipeMore to Cook and eat View more Why This Recipe Stands Out Here’s why this Hawaiian Mai Tai is perfect for your next party: Light and Refreshingly Delicious: The combination of pineapple, lime, and orange is so refreshing. It’s like summer in a glass! Make a Large Batch: This recipe can be easily multiplied to make a large pitcher, which means you won’t have to play bartender all night. It’s like our Big Batch Pineapple Margarita Recipe. Make Ahead: You can easily make a giant pitcher of this, chill for hours, and serve it up when you’re good and ready. Crowds Love It: Just like our Summer Berry Sangria, this Hawaiian Mai Tai is a crowd-pleaser. It’s the perfect cocktail recipe for your next summer gathering. Key Recipe Ingredients Pineapple Juice – The base of our drink, cold pineapple juice gives our Mai Tai its tropical, fruity flavor. Rum – Half a cup of rum adds a pleasant kick to our Mai Tai for that quintessential flavor. Orange Liqueur – We use Grand Marnier for its citrusy, orange flavor which pairs beautifully with the other fruity elements. Almond Extract – Although the addition of almond extract may sound unique, you’ll definitely want to include it. It lends such a great flavor to the mai tai, and it won’t taste like almonds SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS Here are a few ways to switch up this classic cocktail: Different Rum: Consider adding different types of rum such as dark rum or even a combination of light and gold rum to change up the flavors. Other Juices: Pineapple adds a lovely tropical flavor but you can use mango juice or a tropical blend as well. More Citrus: Add some extra freshly squeezed lime juice to make your mai tai extra citrusy. Make a pitcher of Hawaiian Mai Tai ahead of time for your next summer party! STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS Combine pineapple juice, rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave nectar, and almond extract in a pitcher. Stir well and chill in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, add lemon-lime soda, stir gently, and pour into glasses over ice. For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below. HOW TO PREP AHEAD Take a look at our best prep-ahead strategies for this recipe: Entirely Make Ahead: All the ingredients for this mai tai (except the lemon-lime soda) can be mixed in a pitcher and stored in the fridge several hours in advance. WHAT TO SERVE WITH Hawaiian Mai Tai Hawaiian Dishes Making mai tai for a lūʻau? Consider putting out a pupu platter with tasty Hawaiian-themed appetizers such as this Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Nachos. It also goes great with some Slow Cooker Kalua Pork sandwiches and Poke Bowls. Meat and Seafood This Hawaiian Mai Tai goes great with dishes like Honey Lime Shrimp with Sriracha and Shrimp Scampi Pasta. We also devour it with some Grilled Steak Tacos and these Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops. Commonly Asked Questions What kind of rum is best for a Mai Tai? We recommend using a light or golden rum for this Hawaiian Mai Tai. While you can use any rum you prefer, a quality light rum will give you the most authentic flavor. How long does this Hawaiian Mai Tai keep? This Mai Tai is best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep the pre-mixed base (everything except the lemon-lime soda) in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add the soda and serve over ice when you’re ready to enjoy it. Print Hawaiian Mai Tai (make-ahead!) For a truly tropical, breezy drink this summer, look no further. This Hawaiian Mai Tai is a sure crowd pleaser. This recipe can be made ahead of time in your favorite pitcher until party time. Course drinkCuisine AmericanDiet VegetarianMethod Mixing Prep Time 5 minutes minutesTotal Time 5 minutes minutes Servings 5 servings Calories 170kcal Author Amy Dong Ingredients1 ½ cups pineapple juice cold½ cup rum⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice¼ cup orange liqueur i.e., Grand Marnier1-2 TB agave nectar depending on how sweet you prefer it2 tsp almond extract1 cup lemon-lime soda for use right before servingcrushed ice for serving InstructionsIn a pitcher, combine the pineapple juice, rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave nectar, and almond extract. Stir well. Cover and place in fridge to chill until ready to serve (can be done several hours ahead of time.)When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice. Pour lemon-lime soda into the pitcher, gently stir, and divide into glasses. Notes This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Although the addition of almond extract may sound unique, you’ll definitely want to include it. It lends such a great flavor to the mai tai, and it won’t taste like almonds. Be sure to pour this mai tai into glasses that are filled with ice. A bit of melting ice will give you the perfect flavor balance. It goes great with some Slow Cooker Kalua Pork sandwiches and Poke Bowls.   If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We hearing from you!  Join our Free Recipe Club and get our newest, best recipes each week! NutritionCalories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg More to Cook and eat Mint Julep – A glass of Mint Julep is refreshing and perfect for the warming weather. Aside from water/ice, this cocktail only needs 3 ingredients! Strawberry Julius – This Strawberry Julius Recipe is a copycat of that popular smoothie everyone adores. All natural ingredients, nothing artificial. 200% yum. Cherry Mojitos – These Cherry Mojitos are just the thing for a summer gathering, cookout, or just sipping on the deck. Champagne Punch – This Berry Champagne Punch is refreshing, delicious, and makes any gathering superbly festive. The post Hawaiian Mai Tai appeared first on Chew Out Loud.