Blended Mai Tai

Ingredients

1.5 oz Orgeat syrup (you can buy it, but I prefer to make my own)
2 oz lime juice
1 ounce Grand Marnier
4 oz Flor De Caña 12 year old rum
2 cups ice

Orgeat syrup:

2 cups raw blanched skinless almonds
4 cups of water
3 cups of sugar
⅓ cup good brandy or cognac. If you have neither, use some Flor de Cana!
3/4 tsp orange blossom water

Instructions

Combine and blitz in a blender, pouring over pebble ice or as a frozen drink. Garnish with sprigs of mint and the zested strips of lime.

Orgeat syrup:

Soak the almonds in enough water to completely cover them for 6 hours on the counter in a bowl. Drain.

Place almonds in a blender with the 4 cups of water. Blend well, you want the mixture as homogeneous as you can, I blend mine for 3-4 minutes. Drain the almond mixture through a nut milk bag, or several layers of cheese cloth.

Simmer the almond milk and the sugar, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool for 20 minutes and add the cognac and orange blossom water. When syrup is at room temperature, store it in the fridge for up to 4 weeks in a sealed container