Swedish Mint Julep

Name: Swedish Mint Julep
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 1 Cocktail
Ingredients: 15 mint leaves; 1 (750-ml) bottle vodka; 2 1 ⁄ 2 oz. dark rum; 3 ⁄ 4 oz. mint aquavit; 1 ⁄ 2 oz. Demerara syrup; 1 sprig mint, for garnish

Serves
makes 1 Cocktail

HELEN ROSNER

In addition to using caraway and dill—the most traditional flavors for aquavit—in Sweden, home cooks make the spirit with an infinite variety of spices, herbs, and other flavorful botanicals. New York City's Restaurant Aquavit combines their homemade mint-infused aquavit with dark rum for a cooling, molasses-flavored take on the classic mint julep.

Ingredients

For the Mint Aquavit

15 mint leaves
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka

For the Cocktail

2 ¹⁄₂ oz. dark rum
³⁄₄ oz. mint aquavit
¹⁄₂ oz. Demerara syrup
1 sprig mint, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Make the aquavit: Crush mint leaves lightly. Combine with vodka and steep for 24 hours at room temperature; strain.

Step 2

Make the cocktail: Combine rum, aquavit, and syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into a julep glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig.