Tia Mia
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.9% ABV ∙
The Tia Mia is a shaken tiki sour built on mezcal and Caribbean aged rum with lime, orgeat, cane syrup and orange curaçao, a smoky riff on the Mai Tai. Crushed ice keeps it icy-cold and diluted just enough, while a smoky edge lingers under the nutty, silky sweetness through a long, tart finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Mezcal 30 mlCaribbean aged rum 30 mlLime juice 25 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 15 mlCane syrup 10 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 10 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry and a mint sprig
Tips
- Shake hard and long enough to fully chill the two-spirit base before straining, or the mezcal's smoke will sit too hot on top.
- Express the lime and cane syrup balance to taste before serving; a slightly under-ripe lime can tip the drink sour against the orgeat's sweetness.
History
The Tia Mia is a mezcal-driven riff on the Mai Tai created around 2010 by bartender Ivy Mix, who put it on the opening menu at Julie Reiner's Manhattan tiki bar Lani Kai. Mix, a longtime devotee of floating mezcal on top of drinks, took a Mai Tai built with rhum agricole and swapped in a full measure of mezcal for its funky, smoky rum component. She later called the drink a staple on the menu at Leyenda, the Brooklyn bar she went on to open, and published the recipe in her book Spirits of Latin America. The name is an anagram of "Mai Tai" that Mix also intended as a nod to a regular customer, playing on the Spanish word for aunt.
The Mai Tai itself is generally credited to Victor J. Bergeron, known as Trader Vic, who said he invented it in 1944 at his Oakland restaurant, though rival tiki figure Donn Beach claimed to have made an earlier version years before, leaving its exact origin disputed.
FAQ
What is Tia Mia?
The Tia Mia is a smoky tiki cocktail built on mezcal and Caribbean aged rum, shaken and strained over crushed ice. It's essentially a Mai Tai variation, with mezcal added alongside the rum for a smoke-forward twist on the classic tiki sour.
What are the main ingredients of a Mai Tai?
A classic Mai Tai is built from rum, lime juice, orgeat, orange curaçao and a sweetener, shaken and served over crushed ice. The Tia Mia follows that same tiki structure but splits the base between mezcal and Caribbean aged rum and adds cane syrup alongside the orgeat.
What are some common Mai Tai mistakes?
The most common mistake is over-diluting the shake or under-packing the crushed ice, which leaves the drink watery instead of cold and bright. Skimping on fresh lime juice or using a pre-made orgeat substitute also flattens the balance between the sweet, nutty, and tart elements that define this style of tiki drink.
