MXMO ~ MANHATTAN

Yes, more flowers!

For the last two weeks Toronto has been obsessed with cherry blossoms. There is a beautiful bloom in High Park every year, from a donation of trees the city received from Japan fifty years ago. It's called Sukura Hanami  and it clearly isn't new but there has been a palpable desperation for outdoor activity after the particularly long winter. Thousands of residents and tourists hit the park this year to view the blossoms and they were spectacular.

I too have been caught up in it. As my interest in gardening has grown, I've become hyper aware of all the gardens around me. I've realized you don't have to be in High park to see the blossoms, they are in yards and other parks all over the city. Lucky for me, because you're really not supposed to take blossoms from the trees in High Park. A neighbor took pity on me after I explained my odd but very serious need for a small cluster.

Don't worry, you won't need them to make the drink, I just couldn't bear the thought of not getting some for the garnish on my Cherry Manhattan. After mixing Japanese whisky with cherry liqueur and bitters, it only seemed right to catch the beauty of the season by adding the cherry blossom garnish. I think the theme and motivation for the combination of Japanese whiskey with the Cherry are fairly obvious. The Maraschino and dry vermouth are more closely related with the Brooklyn cocktail but I kept a portion of the sweet vermouth to bring it back to Manhattan. The subtle smoke of the whisky matches beautifully with the cherry. If you want to make this without having any Japanese whisky, stick with a light smoke and citrus style.  



Sakura 
1 1/2 oz  The Hakushu 12 yr
1/2 oz sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
3 drops Cherry bitters (Fee Brother's)


Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass 3/4 filled with cracked ice. Stir to chill, strain into chilled glass. Optional to strain over ice. 





















    Always fun to participate in MxMo.  

Thank you so much to our leader for hosting. That Virgin Slut keeps it all going. Here's the roundup of what everyone created.

JULEP IN JULY

I can't do it.

I just can't post another pink drink this week. It's high season for all things berry but even I need a reprieve.

It's time for a classic but since it is the middle of summer only certain drinks will do. In the extreme heat I want something boozy but refreshing, it's got to be a Mint Julep.

I went with store bought mint this time. The supply in my garden had dwindled

If you're heading down to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail...well then you're probably more than just a home enthusiast and are already familiar with the Mint Julep. For everyone else this will be a brief introduction and with some luck, will spark your wanderlust and have you dreaming of a trip to one of the great southern States where a perfectly crafted Julep is so ingrained in the culture, they're available on almost every corner.

I had my first "Mint Julep" in a small, after work hangout bar in Vancouver. It was presented in a very cool Maker's Mark silver Julep cup but what was inside that cup simply did not do it for me. It lacked the cool refreshment I had been imagining and had barely a whiff of mint, if any at all. My vision of this mysterious potion had been erased, it was just some watery Maker's in a cup, not a Julep.

At the time I was working in one of Vancouver's top restaurants, a place where someone (not me) was meticulously crafting every sip that crossed peoples lips. I was tasting drinks all the time (classic, simple and elaborate concoctions) that were being presented at their absolute finest, this sad cup of whiskey from across the street, didn't stand a chance.

I had written the Julep off until a few years later when I found myself in Metairie, Louisiana. Always wanting to take in as much of what's local as possible, I sat down with a skeptical but open mind to a proper Mint Julep and had my "drinks world" changed.

Here are two videos of the Gentleman who made the drink. This is actually taken two years later when I returned to the Pavilion, a cocktail spot known only to a few outside of the small city near New Orleans. There is no other place like it in the world.

The key message is that no matter which recipe you prefer, don't scrimp on the mint. The recipe from the videos is given here so that you can start to practice making your own at home. Don't forget to adjust to your own tastes or that of your guests...

Mint Julep
1 3/4 oz Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1/2 oz mint simple syrup
1 bar spoon super fine sugar
1 bar spoon peach brandy

garnish generously with fresh mint and seasonal fruit












Method
In a Julep cup or double old fashioned glass, add mint syrup and bourbon. Fill glass with crushed ice, garnish with mint, add sugar and berries, pour brandy over
Go ahead and rub pineapple too if the spirit moves you.

* Mint Syrup
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 c mint leaves

Method
Over medium heat,bring sugar and water to the boil. Turn off heat add mint. Steep for 3-5 mins and strain. Store, airtight, in fridge for up to two weeks.

**A special note for the Canadians, that Old Forester is a little over proof at 86. I would dial back the sweetness a touch if using one of the standard 80 proof Bourbons available at the LCBO or if you have elected to make a "Moose Julep" instead by using rye whisky. Also, you will be relegated to using a limited selection of peach liqueurs and unless you make your own, you'll also need to dial back for sweetness here.
Please do not let me go on about the assassination of the peach trees in Niagara after the jam factory closed. There were so many other profitable uses for those beautiful trees...


Have you ever had a proper Julep? Are you guilty of scrimping on the mint?