Guest Post: Bulleit Bourbon Sweet Tea Mint Julep {Virginia Wedding Photographer}

As the air becomes more crisp, my last summer soirée is on my mind—Labor Day.  Today, Lindsay Jordan with the Well Fed Hospitality Group gives a heads up on making a unique spin on the mint julep.  As a former bartender myself, I tried this baby (for research purposes only), and it’s tasty!  It’s the perfect combination of smooth iced tea and refreshing mint.

Shhhhh!  This recipe might be on my wedding menu for next August.  Lindsay's version of the julep makes a great signature cocktail, and pays homage to Washington, D.C.’s south of the Mason-Dickson location.

The photos are from a staged photoshoot I shot at Ekster Antiques (www.eksterantiques.com) recently.  See those cool glasses?  The aged mirror?  Those are totally Ekster.  Ekster is only open every three months, but the next barn is September 28-30.  It’s my favorite antiques “store,” so you know I’ll be there!

Here’s Lindsay’s recipe!

Drink. Well Fed. 

Recipe:Bulleit Bourbon Sweet Tea Mint Julep with Lindsay Jordan  

I like to play tribute to my southern roots by incorporating ingredients I remember from my childhood. My father and mother, Louisiana and Georgia respectively were both wonderful cooks and often kept typical southern ingredients in the kitchen even as we moved around the country.

To the disdain of displaced Southerners everywhere, sweet tea is simply not an everyday utilized or consumed beverage north of the Mason-Dixon line. It is delightfully paired here with bourbon and mint. Everything old is new again with the re-immergence of bourbon and whisky based cocktails such as this true southern drink, the Mint Julep. A refreshing and nostalgic alternative to other mint-muddled drinks, the Bulleit Bourbon Sweet Tea Mint Julep uses the aromatic herb lemon-thyme. With its natural citrus aroma, lemon-thyme only enhances the freshness of this perfect summertime drink.

Ingredients:

2 oz of Bulleit Bourbon

1.5 oz of Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup

½ Lemon Juiced

10 Mint Sprigs

2 oz of Freshly Brewed Sweet Black Tea

Method:

Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup: Simmer 1 Cup of Caster Sugar with 1 cup of water and ¼ cup of lemon-thyme sprigs. Allow the sugar to dissolve and steep over low heat for 20 minutes. Strain and let cool.

Freshly Brewed Sweet Black Tea: 2-3 good quality tea bags or 4 tbs of black loose-leaf tea. Steep with 2 quarts of boiling filtered water and ¼ cup of sugar. Let cool to room temperature. 

Muddle mint leaves and lemon-thyme simple syrup together with lemon juice. Add the bourbon and sweet tea and gently mix. Serve in a mason jar, collins glass, or mint julep cup. Garnish with mint and lemon-thyme.

-- Lindsay with the Well Fed Hospitality (www.wellfedgroup.com)

 

Lindsay is totally a cool chick and was awesome to work with during our staged shoot.  She was extremely professional and quickly responded to any question. 

Lindsay knows her stuff.  She recently started a business advising restaurants with everything from new menu and concept development to event organization and management.  For those of you new to the D.C. area, let me tell you, a lot of restaurants in the DMV fail.  They are open for a year or two and then gone.  Lindsay and her business partner have worked in a zillion of the DC establishments, that’s how I know her, and she knows the ins and outs.  She now consults on how to succeed in the D.C. market.

I was not paid for this blog post, but I’m pleased to feature both a cool D.C.-area businesswoman and a slamming recipe for your Labor Day Weekend southern chic BBQ…. or wedding!

** Photos by Jalapeño Photography