Ingredients
Method
- Prep. Rinse the mint leaves to make sure any dirt splashed on the underside of the leaves is gone. Don't dry them. The moisture from the rinse is helpful in making the drink. Pluck the leaves off the stems.
- Muddle. Put the leaves in a 12-ounce (355-mL) cocktail glass and pour the sugar on top. Add the bitters. Muddle them together gently with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. When the leaves and sugar begin to turn a little mushy, add the water and the bourbon, and stir with a fork until the sugar dissolves.
- Serve. Top with crushed ice, garnish with the sprig of mint, add a straw, and you're off!
Notes
About the Bourbon. There are so many great new Bourbons and Ryes on the market in the past decade. Knob Creek Bourbon is my standard affordable sippin' whiskey, but no way I'm mixing it with sugar and mint. For this recipe, the mint is the star, so I use an inexpensive bourbon like regular Jim Beam.
About the mint. Be sure to remove the stems and the large central vein which can be bitter. Leaves only, please.
About the bitters. Have some fun and use orange bitters.