Wisconsin Julep
Imagine getting off the train each evening and being overcome with the delicious smell of pho and savory noodles. Or walking 3 minutes from your home to a local market where entire aisles are dedicated to a single ingredient (eg, tea, noodles, sauces) and fresh herbs come in monster-sized packages for only $2.
These are some benefits of living in a Vietnamese neighborhood, and I gladly reap the rewards.
One of the only downsides though is that after buying a giant bag of Thai basil or mint, I'm often left with much more than I needed. I try to be creative in using the leftover herbs (pesto, salads, finding other recipes that call for the ingredient), but one of my favorite ways is to make a cocktail.
Not long ago we had a few handfuls of mint left over, so I started to peruse the interwebs for cocktails with mint. I came across one that sounded like a mint julep... but better. And after one sip it has easily become one of my most favorite cocktails we've ever made. It's smooth, well balanced, and surprisingly complex for such a simple drink.
I decided the cocktail needed a house name, and since we made the cocktail with Korbel brandy—a favorite of the boy's family—Wisconsin Julep it was! Never mind that Korbel is made in California and the other main ingredient in this cocktail is maple syrup. It's my cocktail and I do what I want! :)
Can we also take a moment to enjoy the sexy stem on my coupe glass? We got some new glasses for our wedding (along with a gorgeous bar and rose gold cocktail shaker) and I'm in love with their shape. The delicate glass elevates any cocktail it holds.
Yours in doing the best thing she knows with leftover herbs—making dranks!
Jacqueline
Wisconsin Julep, adapted from Saveur
Yield: 1 cocktail
Notes: The original recipe calls for 7 dashes of bitters; I haven't tried it with all 7, but I did 4 and it was pretty perfect for me. But feel free to decrease or increase the bitters to taste! (They also recommended Peychaud's bitters, but Angostura is what we have on hand.) Finally, if you don't have brandy I'm sure this recipe would work well with any brown liquor of choice (bourbon, whiskey, rye, etc). We've only tried it with Korbel so far, but I'm sure we'll experiment with this recipe over time.
Ingredients
Directions
These are some benefits of living in a Vietnamese neighborhood, and I gladly reap the rewards.
One of the only downsides though is that after buying a giant bag of Thai basil or mint, I'm often left with much more than I needed. I try to be creative in using the leftover herbs (pesto, salads, finding other recipes that call for the ingredient), but one of my favorite ways is to make a cocktail.
Not long ago we had a few handfuls of mint left over, so I started to peruse the interwebs for cocktails with mint. I came across one that sounded like a mint julep... but better. And after one sip it has easily become one of my most favorite cocktails we've ever made. It's smooth, well balanced, and surprisingly complex for such a simple drink.
I decided the cocktail needed a house name, and since we made the cocktail with Korbel brandy—a favorite of the boy's family—Wisconsin Julep it was! Never mind that Korbel is made in California and the other main ingredient in this cocktail is maple syrup. It's my cocktail and I do what I want! :)
Can we also take a moment to enjoy the sexy stem on my coupe glass? We got some new glasses for our wedding (along with a gorgeous bar and rose gold cocktail shaker) and I'm in love with their shape. The delicate glass elevates any cocktail it holds.
Yours in doing the best thing she knows with leftover herbs—making dranks!
Jacqueline
Wisconsin Julep, adapted from Saveur
Yield: 1 cocktail
Notes: The original recipe calls for 7 dashes of bitters; I haven't tried it with all 7, but I did 4 and it was pretty perfect for me. But feel free to decrease or increase the bitters to taste! (They also recommended Peychaud's bitters, but Angostura is what we have on hand.) Finally, if you don't have brandy I'm sure this recipe would work well with any brown liquor of choice (bourbon, whiskey, rye, etc). We've only tried it with Korbel so far, but I'm sure we'll experiment with this recipe over time.
Ingredients
2 oz. brandy
1 oz. fresh lemon or lime juice
3⁄4 oz. maple syrup
Handful mint sprigs
3 to 4 dashes of bitters
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously.
- Strain either into a coupe glass or a chilled rocks glass with a large ice cube.
- Garnish with mint and enjoy!
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