Ginger and honey julep
My new favorite and, almost, made up adult beverage:
On a recent outing, I had dinner at the Dancing Bear Restaurant. They have a signature drink called the whiskey cask, which seems to be some sort of ginger liquor mixed with Prichards. I tried one and while it was good, I thought it could be better. So, here’s what I came up with.
Take one slice of ginger root and place it in the bottom of a whiskey glass. Add a splash of water and muddle for a bit.
Add about a teaspoon of honey and two shots of bourbon and stir vigorously.
Fill remainder of glass with ice. Then take a spoon and, with an up and down motion, churn the ice.
Enjoy. It’s delicious. I think next time, I may add a sprig of mint with the ginger.
January 20th, 2012 at 11:38 am
Maybe call it a “Ginger Lynn”?
January 20th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
I’ll try that this weekend.
January 20th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
How long does it take to actually get the honey to dissolve? I tend to use agave necter now. The amber stuff has a nice flavor, and it dissolves in liquid much faster.
January 20th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Takes some decent stirring to get the honey mixed.
January 20th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Sounds very tasty. I imagine you could also do a ginger syrup made with the ginger steeped in simple syrup with some honey added.
May have to try this this weekend!
January 20th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
That sounds like a fancy version of one of my favorite drinks: the bourbon presbyterian (which you also might like).
Over ice in a cocktail glass pour:
Two shots burbon (I like Knob Creek)
Dash of triple sec/orange liqueur (I like Cointreau)to taste (I do about half a shot for the sweetness)
Add half a can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Garnish with a slice of Sushi style pickled ginger
January 20th, 2012 at 6:02 pm
I like the name Ginger Lynn. A little sweet, and very adult.
You need to get you one of those square ice cube trays and save the automatic icemaker stuff for iced tea, though. Cocktails deserve proper ice.
January 20th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
We tend not to keep ginger root, which often dries out. Instead, we get the crushed-ginger-in-a-tube at the super market – it keeps forever, and also would mix better.
I wouldn’t think that you’d need nearly as much, though – since the ginger would get distributed through the drink, you could have a Death By Ginger cocktail if you were careless.
Then again, they say that ginger is good for you, so this might be an update to the old saw about the Bloody Mary – it builds you up while you tear yourself down.
January 20th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
variation:
First you need to get a hunk of fresh ginger with only a thin light tan skin that’s still tightly attached. Either that or peel the entire thing. Grate the ginger on a cheese grater and put it up in a canning jar. Cover with sherry. Age for 1 week to 1 year in fridge.
This is “drunken ginger” and I keep it in the fridge next to the “lazy garlic”, mostly to put in stir-fry dishes.
Take a half ounce of that ginger infused sherry and put it in a glass as a substitute for your fresh ginger and water. Follow the remainder of your recipe as normal. I’m calling it a “drunken uncle”
January 20th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Sounds good, I’m a beekeeper with about a gallon of honey left over this year. Hmm, 1tsp per drink, I better get moving!
January 21st, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Having one now. Very nice. Thanks.
a tip: after adding the honey, but before adding the Bourbon, I put it in the microwave 10 seconds. That dissolves the honey.