Spring Break Drinks
Reid Denis
Issue date: 3/8/10 Section: Features
Whether you are going to an exotic locale or sitting at home for spring break, I have a few drink ideas to make your vacation better. These are all drinks that you will find at a bar, so you can have something to order and have the bartender know what you are talking about. Simple ingredients allow you to make them at home.
The Mai Tai is the pinnacle of vacation drinks, a fruity concoction that echoes sandy beaches and tropical paradises. The ingredients of the Mai Tai are debated and vary depending on which tiki bar you order it at. The popular restaurant chain Trader Vic's claims to have invented the Mai Tai in 1944 while the chain Don the Beachcomber claims to be the inventor. The two styles are vastly different and could be considered completely different drinks, but both call it a Mai Tai, probably because of how the name ties into a tropical paradise theme feeling. Maita'i is the Tahitian word for good and for those of you who don't know, Tahiti is an island in French Polynesia known for its beautiful vistas. Enough history, the recipe that you will most likely receive if you order it at a bar is close to what Trader Vic's currently serves.
If you are making it at home, pour an ounce of each gold and dark rum and triple sec into any funky glass you have. Mix in ½ ounce lime juice and ½ Orgeat syrup and garnish with a healthy slice of pineapple, a maraschino cherry and a sprig of mint. Orgeat syrup is a simple syrup made with almonds as well as the typical rose water and sugar. The fresh fruit in the Mai Tai are great for eating after your glass is empty; saving you money because you can sit and enjoy your booze soaked fruit and gorgeous view and not have to spend money right away ordering another. If you are stuck at home, the fruit and tropical flavors fly your mind to aforementioned peaceful beaches.
A Midori sour is probably one of the easiest drinks you will ever make. It is one part Midori liqueur, one part whiskey sour mix and two parts Sprite served over ice in a highball glass. Midori is a melon flavored liqueur with a sweet fruity flavor and a green color. The other week while attending a conference in Phoenix Arizona, I had one served with a maraschino cherry that added an interesting small twist to the taste.
The Mai Tai is the pinnacle of vacation drinks, a fruity concoction that echoes sandy beaches and tropical paradises. The ingredients of the Mai Tai are debated and vary depending on which tiki bar you order it at. The popular restaurant chain Trader Vic's claims to have invented the Mai Tai in 1944 while the chain Don the Beachcomber claims to be the inventor. The two styles are vastly different and could be considered completely different drinks, but both call it a Mai Tai, probably because of how the name ties into a tropical paradise theme feeling. Maita'i is the Tahitian word for good and for those of you who don't know, Tahiti is an island in French Polynesia known for its beautiful vistas. Enough history, the recipe that you will most likely receive if you order it at a bar is close to what Trader Vic's currently serves.
If you are making it at home, pour an ounce of each gold and dark rum and triple sec into any funky glass you have. Mix in ½ ounce lime juice and ½ Orgeat syrup and garnish with a healthy slice of pineapple, a maraschino cherry and a sprig of mint. Orgeat syrup is a simple syrup made with almonds as well as the typical rose water and sugar. The fresh fruit in the Mai Tai are great for eating after your glass is empty; saving you money because you can sit and enjoy your booze soaked fruit and gorgeous view and not have to spend money right away ordering another. If you are stuck at home, the fruit and tropical flavors fly your mind to aforementioned peaceful beaches.
A Midori sour is probably one of the easiest drinks you will ever make. It is one part Midori liqueur, one part whiskey sour mix and two parts Sprite served over ice in a highball glass. Midori is a melon flavored liqueur with a sweet fruity flavor and a green color. The other week while attending a conference in Phoenix Arizona, I had one served with a maraschino cherry that added an interesting small twist to the taste.
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