Mai Tai

The Mai-Tai is a bit of a drama queen, to be honest. The first one was created in 1933 by Don the Beachcomber at his restaurant in Hollywood. Eleven years later Victor J. Bergeron created a different drink by the same name at his eponymous California restaurant, Trader Vic's. For the sake of time, we'll spare you all the details. Just know that both men claimed to have created this cocktail. According to legend, the first person to taste Trader Vic's version cried out “Maita'i roa ae!” which translates roughly to “Out of this world! The best!” or something along those lines. Don't worry though, you don't need to speak Tahitian to enjoy it. The Mai-Tai has been butchered over the years, and many bars will serve you something neon with an umbrella if you order one. A true Mai-Tai is rich, amber, and rum-heavy—tiki style at its finest.