When procuring an actual ready to drink cocktail isn’t feasible, there’s a new option to consider when all you have is rum. Leisuremann’s produces a number of cocktail mixes, so when I saw that there’s a Leisuremann’s Mai Tai my interest was piqued. We give thanks to Mai Tai fan Jeff Ross for sending me a packet to try.
Let’s not pretend this isn’t what it is; it is a powdered Mai Tai that makes one drink by adding 2 oz of water, 1 oz of rum, and ice. The packet specifically states to use ½ oz each of a “White Rum” and a “Dark Rum”, which rum aficionados know is a not a precise direction. I used Denizen Light rum and our Ultimate Mai Tai rum blend for the two stated rums, but couldn’t really taste the rum in the completed cocktail so in practice you’ll want to increase the rum to a full two ounces.
Compared to ready to drink Mai Tai cocktails or Mai Tai mixes, you could do far worse than Leisuremann’s Mai Tai mix. In fact, I thought this wasn’t half bad and way better than I expected. There is a bit too much orange in the flavor profile but there is some tangy lime and almond flavor in there as well. But that added Coruba rum float certainly improved the overall character of the cocktail.