This cocktail is spicy. When I made it for my Sunday night DnD group I somehow made each drink at a slightly different spice level, from “I get a hint of jalapeño” to “holy shit that’s spicy.”
I’m quite certain I’ve temporarily lost their trust for work-shopping my cocktails.
I don’t really care for basic mint juleps, but I love riffs on them. The basic mint julep is bourbon, mint, and simple syrup. It’s just a bit flat for my liking. The first “mint julep” I had that I liked had lime juice and fresh ginger.
The Jalapeño Lime Mint Julep is a great riff if you can zero in on the spice level. It took me seven tries but I finally got it to where I like it and twas’ worth the struggle.
If you don’t like spice, just garnish with a slice of jalapeño and the faint aroma should add just enough to feel a sense of spice.
If you like a little to medium spice level, muddle about 3 slices of jalapeño BUT make sure to remove the seeds first.
If you like an aggressive whew-this-might-be-undrinkable type of spicy, muddle 4-5 thick slices of jalapeño and leave the seeds in.
Jalapeño Lime Mint Julep
Ingredients:
- 2.5 oz Four Roses bourbon
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 2-5 Slices of Jalapeño
- Sprig of mint leaves (plus more for garnish)
- Splash of soda water
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions:
Muddle the simple syrup and jalapeño slices in the shaker (see notes above for how to adjust spiciness). Add the mint and gently muddle (you don’t need to smash the mint to bits, just softly press with the other ingredients). Add bourbon and lime juice to shaker and shaker with ice. Strain over more ice and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a mint sprig and dusting of powdered sugar.
The Bourbon Dragon 