Recipe: Mai Tai

Makes 1.

Note: Within the pantheon of exotic cocktails, one stands above the rest as the most iconic of the era. This is an elegant and simple concoction with a nuanced taste. Origin: Trader Vic, 1944, adapted by Smuggler's Cove.

• 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

• 1/4 oz. SC Mai Tai Rich Simple Syrup (see below)

• 1/4 oz. orgeat syrup (find at a grocery store, or replace with almond syrup)

• 1/2 oz. dry Curacao

• 2 oz. blended aged rum

Directions

Combine all ingredients with 12 ounces of crushed ice and a few cubes in a cocktail shaker. Shake until a frost forms on the shaker and pour the entire contents into a double Old-Fashioned glass. Garnish with a spent lime shell and a mint sprig.

Makes 4 cups.

Note: From Smuggler's Cove

• 2 c. water

• 4 c. demerara sugar

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Bring the water to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the demerara sugar and stir vigorously with a whisk (or use an immersion blender) until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. (The water should become clear so that you can see the bottom of the pot.) Immediately remove from heat and let cool. Add the vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine. Pour into a lidded bottle or other sealable container and store in the refrigerator. The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.