Sometimes I feel the desire for a certain cocktail although I do not really know if it yet exists. In such a moment I usually don’t do any research for a specific recipe in books or on the Internet but rather let myself be guided by intuition and start mixing with certain – mostly very simple – ingredients. But sometimes my curiosity wins and I am doing some research afterwards – and surprisingly realize that I can’t find a suitable recipe.

Let me explain what I mean by introducing today’s cocktail. Basically it started with a certain mood for a drink that should be inspired by typical flavors of the Southern States in the US. But instead of choosing one of the numerous New Orleans classics I was more up to a concrete combination of ingredients: Bourbon, Peach, Mint and Peychaud Bitters. What may sound like some twist on a Mint Julep or at least a little bit like the Mint Julep variant described by “Professor” Jerry Thomas, is in fact nothing more than a list of typical Southern ingredients that work great together. I must admit that indeed I had some kind of mixture of these two Juleps in my mind but nonetheless wanted to try something different and even more refreshing, like some kind of Fizz (or Silver Fizz to be precise). The result was absolutely great and I liked it very much. I was all the more astonished when I could not find any drink recipe like that in my recipe books and also not on the internet. I’m actually sure that somebody must have already made this drink before under a different name, so if you should think: “Hey, I know that one! This is the cocktail XY”, then please let me know in the commentary section and I will change the name of the cocktail. Until then, I will call the cocktail “Breath of the South Wind”, based on Joshua Soule Smith’s ode on the Mint Julep published in the Lexington Herald during the late 19th century (you can find the complete text in my article on the Mint Julep).

I opted for the 7-year old 1776 Bourbon which I presented here the day before yesterday. Its aromatic vanilla works wonderfully in the drink. I also recommend using not more than the 6 mint leaves in the recipe. Unlike with a real Mint Julep, the mint flavor in the Breath of the South Wind should be more subtle.

Recipe:

5.5 cl 1776 Bourbon Aged 7 Years
0.75 cl peach liqueur
0.75 cl sugar syrup
1.5 cl lemon juice
approx. 6 leaves of fresh mint
½ egg white
2 dashes Peychaud Bitters
soda water

Preparation: First add bourbon and mint leaves to your shaker and gently press the mint leaves with a muddler. Then add the remaining ingredients except for the soda water and do a “dry shake” without ice first. Then vigorously shake again with ice for about 30 seconds and double-strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Last top off with soda water.

Glass: Highball

Garnish: twig of mint or alternatively none

Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online.