Orgeat (pronounced or-zhat) is almond syrup — a rich, milky-pale infusion of almonds, sugar, and water, finished with orange flower water and traditionally a small amount of brandy. It is the ingredient that makes a Mai Tai a Mai Tai, and the foundation of an entire branch of the tiki cocktail canon.
Why Make It
Commercial orgeat exists and ranges from passable to industrial. The best bottled versions — Small Hand Foods, Orgeat Works, Liber & Co — are good enough that no home bartender needs to apologise for using them. But homemade orgeat is a different drink: rounder, more clearly almond, less sweet, and dramatically fresher. The first Mai Tai you mix with homemade orgeat will explain why people bother.
The Build
Orgeat is a two-step extraction: an almond milk made from blanched almonds and water, then a syrup made by dissolving sugar into that milk. The almonds steep for several hours to release their oils and flavour; the sugar dissolves on gentle heat; orange flower water and brandy finish the syrup. Total active time is short — about thirty minutes — but the steep adds an overnight wait.
Blanched Almonds
Blanched (skinned) almonds are non-negotiable. The skins contain bitter compounds that come out in extraction and make the orgeat taste flat and slightly off. Whole blanched almonds work; sliced are even better because they expose more surface area.
Orange Flower Water
A teaspoon per cup of finished syrup. The orange flower water is the secret weapon — it gives orgeat the floral lift that distinguishes a great Mai Tai from a sweet rum drink. Without it, the syrup tastes one-dimensional. With too much, it tastes of soap. The amount is right when you can just barely smell it.
The Brandy Question
Classical orgeat — the kind Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber were buying in the 1940s — included a small amount of brandy as a preservative and flavour accent. Modern recipes split on whether to keep it. The brandy extends shelf life by a few days and adds a faint warmth; omitting it makes a cleaner, brighter syrup. Try it both ways.
Storage and Shelf Life
Refrigerated in a clean jar, orgeat keeps about two weeks — shorter than most syrups because the almond oils oxidise. The brandy version stretches this to about three. Either way, taste before mixing; rancid orgeat is unmistakable and ruins anything it touches.
Variants
Toasted orgeat — almonds dry-toasted before steeping — is a darker, richer, almost cocoa-leaning syrup that works in stirred drinks. Pistachio orgeat, made the same way with pistachios in place of almonds, is a more modern variation seen in tiki revival bars.
Bottom Line
If you make tiki drinks, make orgeat at least once. It is more work than a syrup but less than a shrub, and the difference is large. A homemade Mai Tai is reason enough.