Mint Blulep
Contributed by on Apr 29, 2013
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Ingredients:
2.5oz Bourbon
.75 Maraschino
.25oz St. Germain
1brspn Creme Yvette
2 dashes Peach Bitters
12 Blueberries
10 Mint Leaves
2 Mint Sprigs
Blueberries (garnish)
Instructions:
Add the blueberries and mint leave to the bottom of a Julep cup (a highball glass or double old fashioned glass would also work). Top with the maraschino, then generously muddle the mixture. Add the boubron, St. Germain, Creme Yvette and peach bitters. Fill the cup with crushed ice, so that the ice fills the cup, but doesn’t mound up above the cup. Garnish with the mint sprigs, then add a few blueberries to the top of the drink to finish it off.
Notes:
Sweet mint and blueberry nose. The Yvette pumps up the berry flavor, while the maraschino and St. Germain add layers of cherry and elderflower sweetness. A slight hint of peach rounds out this fruit flavored Julep variant. Bourbon holds through and works great in this combo, keeping it in the Julep spectrum, albeit in a delicious dessert-like form. This one is insanely refreshing.
Tip:
- Break off a piece of mint from the garnish, grab a blueberry from the top and enjoy them as you sip this one. This is part cocktail, part dessert, and work synergistically to enhance the flavor.
History:
The Mint Blulep was designed to appeal to even those who don’t like juleps or whiskey drinks at all. That being said, it is sure to please almost anyone. What’s not to like about whiskey, blueberries and mint in a sippable and also edible form?
To those familiar with The Straight Up, this one plays out similar to Minty Blues, with almost identical ingredients, although in somewhat different ratios. This wasn’t done intentionally; in fact the Mint Blulep started out with just bourbon and maraschino. Eventually the other ingredients were added bit by bit, until the ingredients ended up similar. This combination of liqueurs goes over well with the berries and mint.
The main difference between the two recipes, besides presentation, is using bourbon whiskey, rather than gin. The bourbon is a bit heavier and sweeter than the gin based version, pairing nicely with the berries.
Minty Blues is a refined and some would say elegant way to get your blueberry and mint fix in a cocktail; while the Mint Blulep is an ice cold refreshing drink that is sure to cool you off on the hottest of days. Eating the garnish as you sip also adds to the fun of the Mint Blulep. This is the drink to make to appeal to all palates, so long as they like blueberries and mint.
Variations:
Try this with raspberries, blackberries or any combination of berries.
