The name Mai Tai is allegedly derived from the Tahitian word for “good” or “excellence”, maita’i. The owner of a Californian restaurant, Trader Vic’s, Victor J. Bergeron claimed to have invented the cocktail in 1944. The cocktail contains rum, curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice.
The Mai Tai became a popular cocktail in the 1950s-60s when it was served during the initial boom of Tiki-themed bars and restaurants, and the cocktail also featured in the Elvis Presley film ‘Blue Hawaii’.