Drink Categories II

I have started with Drink Categories I - and presented sours, fizzes, collinses, rickeys, highballs and cocktails.

in courtesy of www.esquire.com

I don't want to go towards Tiki drinks - I think they are reflecting a completely different approach to bars - which is not me.

However there are still some other classic drinks, which were not mentioned.

Juleps

These drinks are a staple from the more Southern states of the US; the most popular are the classic Mint Julep on Bourbon base and the Georgia Mint Julep which is made with brandy and apricot brandy.
Ingredients are:

Spirit [> 6 cl only a spirit is used; 4 cl if in combination with a liqueur]
Sugar [optional another sweetener like liqueurs]
Water
Mint

Mint is traditionally used only as flavor and then discarded. A lot of fresh mint is used as garnish.

Juleps are served on fine crushed ice and preferable in a silver or pewter cup.
Juleps are usually not using any juices

Smashes

While smashes were before also a quite strict category with a lot of parallels with juleps, they are now much more used for more creative recipes.
Other herbs can be used to replace the mint.
While originally made without any juice, it can be added for more diversity.
One absolutely stunning examples of a wild variation of this classic is the Basil Smash [Joerg Meyer], which is made with gin, lemon juice, sugar and basi;, other variations include a whiskey smash usually made with cranberry juice.

There are many more examples of unique categories. Just get out your Jerry "the Professor" Thomas Bar Manual [or get to Darcy's website artofdrink.com to see the online version].

Learn and try out all these unique categories [some are quite odd] and then start to add contemporary touches.

But please - leave the individual classic drinks alone. E.g. the mojito doesn't deserve to be violated with different fruits, purees and other weird stuff...

And below the long list of Jerry Thomas drinks - in courtesy of www.artofdrink.com

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opinionated alchemist

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