derby julep

2 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
8 leaf Mint

Build in a Julep cup, rub the mint along the sides of the cup, fill with crushed ice, and mix. Top with crushed ice, garnish with mint sprigs, and add a straw. The ingredient list is how I made it at work the day before, and the parenthetical ingredients are how I made it at home the next night.

A guest at Drink on Saturday night requested a Mint Julep but wanted it with gin and fruit notes. I immediately thought of Scott Holliday's French Julep and recalled how it was based off of the classic Derby Cocktail of gin, simple, peach bitters, and mint served up (he took it in a pear liqueur direction). The Drink recipe book alters this to apricot liqueur and Angostura Bitters, so I took that route. I kept the Citadelle gin call from Scott's drink at Rendezvous since it was already at my station that night, and I followed through using Drink's Julep building technique.When I repeated the recipe at home, the Derby Julep welcomed the senses with a mint bouquet. Next, orchard fruit on the sip raced into gin, apricot, mint, clove, allspice, and cinnamon flavors on the swallow.