How to make a mia tia

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Cocktail History

The Tia Mia is a Mexican-inspired tiki cocktail that was created as a riff on the Mai Tai by Ivy Mix at Leyenda in New York City, New York. The recipe is similar to the classic in that it’s made with dark rum, lime, orange curaçao, and orgeat, but it splits the base with mezcal for more smoky flavor. It’s name is also a play on the original Mai Tai’s that swaps the a’s and i’s in both words.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mezcal: This is one of the base spirits. We went with Sombra Joven Mezcal for its spicy, fruity, and earthy flavor that has notes of citrus. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal.

Dark Rum: This is the other base spirit. We used Brugal Doble Reserva Rum because it’s a full and smooth yet complex spirit with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the rum.

Lime Juice: This adds sour citrus flavor for balance. We prefer to use fresh citrus juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.

Orange Curaçao: This is a citrus liqueur that adds sweet orange flavor. We used Grand Marnier because it offers additional notes of Cognac, orange, and vanilla bean. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Triple Sec Curaçao Syrup in place of the orange curaçao.

Orgeat Syrup: This is a sweetener made with almonds, bitter almond oil, cane sugar, gum Arabic powder, orange flower water, citric acid, benzoic acid, and water. We used Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup because it’s one of the highest quality on the market.

Lime Wheel: This is one of the garnishes. It adds more fresh lime aroma and flavor when expressed over the drink.

Mint Sprig: This is another garnish. It adds fragrant mint aroma.

Orchid Blossom: This is the other garnish. It adds floral aroma.

Tasting Notes

The Tia Mia begins with the cooling aromas of mint as well as an almond-scented earthiness before featuring a tart citrus-forward flavor that has rum’s overripe fruit qualities blended seamlessly with orgeat nuttiness and mezcal smokiness, the latter of which are almost hard to discern, and then it finishes with more citrus paired with an earthy almond taste.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Anyone who likes a Mai Tai will be a fan of this variation! Alex, who already loves mezcal, swooned over this clever and inclusive take, and Kendall, who is typically mezcal-averse, got a ton of enjoyment from the Tia Mia too.

Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Ivy Mix showed up on my radar for the first time after seeing her on a documentary about the martini. I looked her up, found her Small Hand Foods orgeat, and bought a bottle a few days later, but it wasn’t until after I had purchased and spent that whole bottle that I found this recipe. When I finally tried it, I thought this was a fantastic introduction to mezcal since it features its earthy, smoky aromas and scents but in a friendly way. It also manages to highlight mezcal’s more flavorful aspects while the rough edges are hidden behind rum. I personally love the Tia Mia and enjoy introducing friends to it when I feel they’ve graduated to the point of appreciation for the harsher flavors the world of spirits has to offer.”

—

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I will be the first to admit that I do not care for mezcal in the slightest yet, so when I saw a full ounce used in this recipe, I expected that I wouldn’t like this drink at all. I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was! The mezcal is definitely there, but it’s not as harsh as it can be in other recipes. Similar to several of the more subtly smoky drinks we’ve tried recently, I would call this a great gateway to drinking more mezcal cocktails. It’ll quickly help you get used to its strong flavor.”

Recipe

Prep Time5 minsRating

Ingredients

 1 oz Mezcal

 1 oz Dark Rum

 ¾ oz Lime Juice

 ½ oz Orange Curaçao

 ½ oz Orgeat Syrup

 1 Lime Wheel

 1 Mint Sprig

 1 Orchid Blossom

Method

1

Add mezcal, rum, lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, and ice to a shaker.

2

Shake for 10-20 seconds.

3

Strain into a lowball glass.

4

Garnish with lime wheel, mint sprig, and orchid blossom.

Ingredients

Ingredients

 1 oz Mezcal

 1 oz Dark Rum

 ¾ oz Lime Juice

 ½ oz Orange Curaçao

 ½ oz Orgeat Syrup

 1 Lime Wheel

 1 Mint Sprig

 1 Orchid Blossom

Directions

Method

1

Add mezcal, rum, lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, and ice to a shaker.

2

Shake for 10-20 seconds.

3

Strain into a lowball glass.

4

Garnish with lime wheel, mint sprig, and orchid blossom.

Tia Mia

Make It a Mocktail: Use Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal, Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the rum, and Monin Triple Sec Curaçao Syrup in place of the orange curaçao to try a booze-free version of this drink.

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

More Tiki Cocktails

If you like this tiki cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Scorpion: A rum and brandy cocktail made with orgeat syrup, orange juice, lime juice, an orange slice, a flamed lime shell, and a mint sprig

Jamaican Mule: A rum cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, Angostura aromatic bitters, candied ginger, a lime slice, and an orchid blossom

Brancolada: A rum cocktail made with fernet-branca menta liqueur, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream, mint, and an orange wedge

Privateer (Variation): A tequila cocktail made with passion fruit syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice, smoke and salt bitters, rosemary, and Tajín

How do you make Mia?

What is mai tai mix made of?

How much alcohol is in a TIA MIA?