The keys to a perfect mint julep are careful preparation and quality ingredients:
Equipment: two four ounce bowls (silver is preferable), bar spoon, strainer.
Into the first bowl put several fresh mint sprigs, one teaspoon of sugar, and two tablespoons of spring water. In the other pour two ounces of Bourbon (Blanton's, if you prefer an ethereal smoothness; Booker Noe's for superior flavor). Crush the leaves with the spoon, then stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Now carefully strain the contents of the first bowl into the sink, and drink the second.
Disclaimer: Mr. Riley did not receive any free product from either Blanton's or Booker Noe's in exchange for his endorsement, but he's not totally averse to the idea.
Perfect! That would go well with some food recipes that call for alcoholic beverages, like beer and brats. My recipe for that is really simple:
ReplyDeleteOpen can of beer.
Drink.
Grill Brats, repeating steps 1 and 2 as necessary.
I find that the silver can adversly effect the taste of the resulting julep and prefer drinking straight out of the bottle, preferably encased in a brown bag to enhance 'grip-ability'.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if a sink is not readily available, throwing the mint mixture at a passerby while shouting, "dont' touch my stuff" is also acceptable.
Hokie, I believe the order of Champagne sweetness (from driest to sweetest) is this:
ReplyDelete* Extra Brut (which I've never seen)
* Brut (90% of what is out there)
* Extra Dry (pretty good in Mimosas)
* Sec
* Demi-Sec (great with desserts)
* Sweet
I recommend trying a bottle of each grade in rapid succession to see which you like best. Think of it as wedding reception training.