Hawaiian Mai Tai

By Amy Dong
Updated Jul. 10, 2024

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.

A glass of Hawaiian Mai Tai with ice, garnished with a pineapple slice and a blue umbrella. — This Hawaiian Mai Tai is set to be the star of your next summer gathering!

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 makes a large pitcher, which means you can just enjoy spending time with friends. It’s like our Big Batch Pineapple Margarita Recipe.
Make it in Advance: You can make this recipe and chill for several hours prior to serving.
Your Friends will Rave: Just like our Summer Berry Sangria, this Hawaiian Mai Tai is a crowd-pleaser. It’s the perfect cocktail recipe.

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.
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 fragrant flavor to the mai tai.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few ways to switch up this classic cocktail:

Vary the 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.
Vary the 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!

Easy 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 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.

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

Hawaiian Mai Tai (make-ahead!)

5 from 8 ratings

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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.

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: servings

Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients

1 ½ cups pineapple juice, cold
½ cup rum
⅓ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup orange liqueur, i.e., Grand Marnier
1-2 TB agave nectar, depending on how sweet you prefer it
2 tsp almond extract
1 cup lemon-lime soda, for use right before serving
crushed ice, for serving

Instructions

In 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!

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Nutrition (per serving)

Course: drink

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Method: Mixing

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