Minty at Home: Apricot Juleps

 

 

Hello Friends! As I enter week 7 of safer at home, I decided it’s time to get back to blogging! I never realized how much I was going out until this quarantine. I went to a grocery store perhaps once a month, maybe 6 weeks, sometimes every 2 months! Now I go once a week or so. Luckily I can cook and make drinks (but I really don’t want to!). Cooking for me is a relaxing hobby. Now I’m stress eating and I never used to drink at home. That’s changed!

I held out almost three weeks before I made a couple of drinks. And now I make drinks all the time. Okay, not all the time. I don’t drink at 9 a.m., silly!

I did inventory and I have an awful lot of whiskey, plenty of liqueurs/ amari (modifiers) and some other spirits. I don’t really have much by way of rum. Which is ironic since my tiki mug collection is respectable.

The first drink I made now almost a month ago is an Apricot julep. I was thinking at the time that I hoped the Kentucky Derby will still happen (it was scheduled for May 2 and now moved to September 5). Since I am not going out this year to a Derby party, I’ll just wear my big hat at home with one (or two) of these!

Apricot Julep

• Mint – save a sprig or two for the garnish
• 3 oz of Bourbon
• 1 oz Apricot liqueur (I used Luxardo but I also like the one from Giffard)
• Angostura bitters
• Crushed ice

 

**makes one drink 

 

Okay, first, you’ll need to crush that ice. If you don’t have a Lewis canvas bag, you can put your regular freezer ice in a plastic bag and beat the heck out of it with a rolling pin or wooden muddler. Don’t make it too fine though.

Now, if you don’t have julep cups, you can put these babies in in a double rocks glass, highball or whatever you got really. Jelly glasses? Cool!

Did you wash that mint? Well, do that.

Put a few leaves in your mixing container. Muddle briefly. Maybe 3 or 4 times. You don’t want to release too many bitter oils in the mint.

Pour in some bourbon. I like whiskey so I put in 3 oz. You can put in less. I’m not judging. Much. Also, I used high proof single barrel Four Roses.

Put in the apricot liqueur. I used just a little. You like it sweet, add more. Oh don’t forget a couple dashes of good ol’ Ango. Add ice. Not the crushed kind, just regular ice.

I actually just stirred all this up in my mixing tin but I suppose you can shake it. Unless you want the internet after you. Better just stir. Now, here’s the tricky part. I strained this mixture into a fresh julep cup with my crushed ice. I don’t like getting bits of dead mint in my drink so that’s why I do that. But some like the look of the mint in clear glasses. And so they actually build the drink in the glasses. You can do that and save yourself some washing up.

Now you can garnish with your mint sprig or two. If I had powdered sugar, I would have used that but you don’t need it.

And voila, you got yourself a mighty fine julep for Derby or any other time! The Kentucky Derby moved to my birthday weekend so I’ll be having another of these then!

 

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