Speaking of Orgeat… I finally obtained a bottle of this and put it to the test. Giffard is a product of a brand who’s liqueurs I really love, especially their Blue Curacao and Banane du Brésil. So, I was really eager to try this.
A unique aspect to Giffard’s Orgeat is that it is somehow shelf-stable and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Handy, since it is such a large bottle. Ingredients are sugar, water, and almond flavoring (including almond extract).
This tastes okay when sampled directly but when I made the Mai Tai there was a strange and unpleasant aftertaste. Perhaps your mileage will vary, but I’ll stick the Orgeat you have to store in the fridge.
I don’t have the same reaction to the finish but different orgeats may taste better than others depending on the orange liqueur and the rum in the drink. I’ve been mixing Grand Marnier and Clémont Creole Shrubb lately.
I know orange liqueurs react very differently with different tequilas.
Certainly true, but I’ve tasted enough Orgeats to know this wasn’t for me in any format.