The 6 best mai tais in Chicago

While there’s bound to be a play on this tiki standard featured on the menu at Paul McGee’s mirage come-to-life in Logan Square, you can order the classic version from the well-versed bar staff’s second “secret” menu any day of the week. Served in Lost Lake’s own custom glassware (available for $15 if you’d like to take it home), this Mai Tai proves why it's become a tropical staple. The heady combination of orange liqueur and lime juice conceals the strength of the rum, so sip slowly—this drink packs a punch. —Rebecca Skoch

Hidden in an unassuming storefront in the suburbs, Tiki Terrace is a delightful (albeit out-of-the-way) place to spend the evening enjoying luau dancers, coconut shrimp and rum cocktails. Predating the current tiki boom, it has all the kitschy, winning charm you’d expect from a traditional Tiki spot. This aesthetic is reflected in the bar’s signature Mai Tai, a bracing concoction of Myer’s Dark Rum, fruit juice, curaçao and topped with a bright red maraschino cherry skewered by a paper umbrella. —RS