Bitter Strawberry Mai Tai

We always love a classic Mai Tai, but the recipe can also be a great foundation to build other drinks on. The Bitter Mai Tai is a kind of modern classic, adding a generous dose of Campari to a mai tai foundation. The result is a cocktail that is still refreshing, but has a strong bitter orange note to it and a hint of tropical funk from Jamaican rum. Now, as with any drink that calls for Jamaican rum, you can adjust the funk level by using different brands.

The Campari is the element of this drink that is typically used as-is. Last year, however, we made a few batches of strawberry-infused Campari that were such a hit, we started making more as soon as strawberries came back into season. That strawberry-infused Campari went into all kinds of cocktails – and the Bitter Strawberry Mai Tai was one of our favorites. The strawberries temper the bitterness of the Campari and add a nice undertone of berry sweetness that plays well with orange. The riper the berries, the more flavorful your infusion will be.

The Campari is combined with Jamaican rum – and the recipe can easily work with a darker rum, as well as a lighter one – lime, dry curacao, orgeat and simple syrup. We use a little simple syrup here instead of all orgeat because it seems to help bring out the strawberry flavor a bit. The result is a very well-rounded cocktail with a nice sweetness, a subtle bitterness and a refreshingly addictive quality. It’s a great summer drink.

Bitter Strawberry Mai Tai
1 1/2 oz strawberry-infused Campari
3/4 oz Jamaican rum
1/2 oz Dry Curacao
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz orgeat
1/2 oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, fill with ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint and a strawberry