Rich Ginger Julep

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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free/Vegan

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes (for the syrup)

Equipment Needed:

• Small saucepan

• Small whisk

• Cutting board

• Chef's knife

• Microplane zester

• Shot glass measure/Jigger

• Muddler (see note below if you don't have one)

• Pint glass

• Cocktail shaker

• 10-oz rocks glass

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

For the rich brown sugar syrup:

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

For the cocktail:

• 1/4 of a lemon, cut into 4 wedges

• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (about 1 teaspoon grated)

• 10 mint leaves

• 2 dashes aromatic bitters

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 ounce rich brown sugar syrup

• 2 ounces bourbon

• Splash ginger ale

• Additional sprig of mint, for garnishing (optional)

Procedure:

1. Make the rich brown sugar syrup by combining brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the brown sugar has dissolved completely (do NOT let it come to a boil; reduce heat if it starts to bubble too much). This should take 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes if you are planning to use immediately, if not transfer to a covered container and store in fridge.

2. Add lemon wedges, grated ginger, mint leaves, bitters, and pinch of salt to a pint glass. Use a muddler (see note below if you don't have one) to crush everything together VERY well. You want to extract all of the delicious oils from the rind of the lemon, so really give it a good go.

3. Add a scoop of ice, the rich brown sugar syrup, and the bourbon to your cocktail shaker. Empty the contents of the pint glass into your shaker.

4. Shake vigorously a minimum of 15-20 times.

5. Fill a 10-ounce rocks glass with fresh ice. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into your rocks glass.

6. Top the glass with a splash of ginger ale.

To Serve: Garnish your cocktail with a sprig of mint, if desired.

Adjusting for your diet: If you don't drink alcohol, simply omit the bourbon. You will add extra ginger ale in the last step, and have yourself a refreshing, minty, gingery mocktail.

Tips:

• Although I always list cocktail garnishes as "optional," in my humble opinion they should be there. There is an awesome book I use as a resource called The Flavor Bible, and in the first chapter it talks about how aroma is responsible for as much as 80% or more of flavor. I think taking a drink of a flavorful cocktail and inhaling the aroma of a sprig of herb or a twist of citrus really does enhance the overall experience.

• If you don't already have a muddler, don't buy one (unless you think you're going to get really into mixology, in which case I fully support you). You can use the handle-end of a wooden spoon as your muddler, or if you happen to own a French-style rolling pin, this would work great, too.

• If you haven't worked with fresh ginger a ton (you will find this in the produce section of your grocery store, btw), I actually don't recommend removing the peel with a traditional vegetable peeler since there's usually lots of knobs and stuff to get in your way and make your hand slip, peeling your finger (ouch). Using the edge of a spoon is a super easy way to do this and not lose too much of the ginger. You can also simply use a chef's knife to take off the sides, but you will probably use a bit of the ginger if it's a piece with a lot of nubs.

• Use a microplane zester for best results when grating ginger, and remember not to grate all the way to the very end (no need to be a hero...), because that thing will chew up your fingers and not even feel bad about it.

I stop grating when I have a piece left that is about the length of my pinky nail.

• If you don't have dark brown sugar, light brown will work as well. The reason this syrup is called "rich" is because unlike the 1:1 ratio of regular simple syrup, it uses twice as much sugar as water.

• I used what I call a "fancy brown sugar" (see photo below) for this recipe that was recommended to me by a friend. It's actually called muscovado sugar, and India is the top producer. It is an unrefined sugar made only from sugar cane. The flavor is insanely earthy and complex, with hints of toffee and smoke. It's extremely dark in color, so my syrup looked like dark roast coffee (see photo below). Assuming you are using light or dark brown sugar, your syrup will look substantially lighter and subsequently, so you will your cocktail.

My rich brown sugar syrup; super dark and the flavor was just amazing.

The Story:

I've really gotten into bourbon cocktails this summer! I've always been a little indifferent when it comes to this spirit, but I think I've just never had a really solid cocktail made with it before. Since my pots of mint are doing great, I thought it would be fun to put a spin on the traditional Mint Julep cocktail (bourbon, sugar, water, and mint), by adding lemon, ginger, and bitters; all flavors that I thought would also pair well with the bourbon. That rich dark brown sugar syrup was really the icing on the cake in terms of adding interest.

Getting my ingredients together.

I actually planted 2 types of mint this year: mojito mint, and pineapple mint. The pineapple mint is quite tasty; it has just the tiniest hint of pineapple flavor. I hadn't used it in a cocktail yet this year, so I actually used it in this one and I thought it tasted great.

I love the slight variegation of the leaves on the pineapple mint.

A lot of the cocktails I've tried out this summer have been super fruity, so it was fun to try one that was less fruit and a little more complex. The combo of the ginger ale and freshly grated ginger gave the nicest zip and contrast to that deep toffee flavor coming from the syrup and the light citrusy tartness of the lemon. The pinch of salt helps to brighten up and acentuate all of those fresh, beautiful flavors.

Building the base of my cocktail in my pint glass.

Cheers!