Why, yes! It’s another week of Drunken Botanist tour dates? Are you out there, Milwaukee people? Miami people? Austin? Phoenix?
Well, if you’re interested, all the tour dates are here, and as always, check with the venue to confirm event details before heading out.
April 10 2013 07:00 PM — Boswell Books at Great Lakes Distillery, Milwaukee, WI
Join me and the folks from Boswell Books at Great Lakes Distillery for a free tasting and talk! Co-sponsored by Boerner Botanical Gardens.
April 11 2013 07:30 PM — Magers & Quinn, Minneapolis, MN
Drunken Botanist book tour
April 12 2013 08:00 PM — Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL
Drunken Botanist book tour
April 13 2013 07:00 PM — Books & Books, Grand Cayman
The Drunken Botanist
April 16 2013 07:00 PM — Book People, Austin, TX
Come sample a botanical cocktail from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, mixed with Liber & Co tonic, and learn about cocktail-friendly plants with the folks from Great Outdoors Nursery.
April 17 2013 07:00 PM — Changing Hands Books, Tempe, AZ
Join us for a talk about The Drunken Botanist–and a fabulous cocktail made with Dripping Springs Vodka.
And now–whiskey!
The Southern Belle Whiskey Garden collection was a tricky one to put together. When I think about the plants that go best with whiskey, I think about peaches, cherries, and oranges–none of which fit in a jumbo six-pack at a garden center. And since it was my job to come up with recipes that used the ingredients in each collection, quite a bit of experimentation took place.
We came up with another mint variety–‘Kentucky Colonel’ this time–which is widely regarded as the best mint julep mint. So that’s a no-brainer. Thyme and tarragon also made a lot of sense–the bold, woodsy flavors stand up well to peaches and other stone fruit that often gets mixed in whiskey drinks. And chamomile? Well, I found a chamomile hot toddy recipe that seemed downright medicinal in nature. Restorative, anyway. So we included that.
So here, then, is your recipe. Get more ideas here, and as always, remember that you can find these plants at Territorial or in garden centers on the West Coast supplied by wholesale nursery Log House Plants.
Tarragon Mint Julep
2 oz bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark)
3-4 tablespoons superfine sugar (see note)
Generous handful of fresh spearmint or tarragon, or a mixture of both
Crushed ice
Into a silver julep cup, mason jar, or highball glass, press 2 tablespoons of sugar with a small amount of water to create a paste. Add a layer of fresh mint leaves and crush gently. Top it with a layer of crushed ice. Sprinkle sugar and another layer of mint leaves, then top with another layer of crushed ice. Continue until the glass is full, then pour in bourbon.
Note: Superfine sugar dissolves quickly, but regular sugar is fine too. Don’t use powdered sugar—it contains cornstarch and can gum up a drink.