The Mai Tai’s name comes from the Tahitian expression “maita'i,” meaning “good.”
Victor J. Bergeron, known as Trader Vic, claimed to have created the Mai Tai in 1944 at his restaurant in Oakland, California. According to his account, he served the new drink to friends from Tahiti, and one exclaimed “Maita'i roa ae!”—roughly, “out of this world, the best!” The name was shortened to Mai Tai.
The original cocktail was a rum-based drink. Early recipes included lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup and a rich Jamaican rum. Later versions often became sweeter and more elaborate, using fruit juices and garnishes that are not part of the earliest formulation.
The Mai Tai is frequently grouped with tiki drinks, but its name is not a general word for a tropical cocktail. “Maita'i” is a Tahitian word, and the drink’s origin story is tied to Trader Vic’s restaurant culture in California. Donn Beach’s competing claims are part of the broader history of tiki cocktails.