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Thin Mint Julep

Thin mint julep

This beyond-awesome illustration courtesy of graphic designer and cocktail blogger Dr. Bamboo.

Do I really need to break down where the inspiration for this cocktail came from? Fine, okay, I was eating Thin Mint cookies while drinking bourbon. Oh, like you haven’t.

Anyway, this is a drink recipe that practically writes itself. After all, if my cocktail math is right:

  • Mint + bourbon = mint julep = yum
  • Mint + chocolate = Thin Mint cookie = yum
  • Chocolate + bourbon = just plain old yum

So, applying the law of conservation or whatever, that’s, like, yum cubed. I may be wrong on that, since they didn’t teach cocktail math in my high school, which is just one more reason why I don’t need to relive those years.

My first attempt at building this recipe involved making my own chocolate liqueur, made with a mint-infused simple syrup, and muddling mint leaves in the glass. The end result was fine, if rather … subtle. But sometimes subtle is highly overrated. I mean, this is a cocktail modeled after a Girl Scout cookie, fercryinoutloud. Do you think they sell hundreds of thousands of boxes of cookies with subliminal advertising and gentle hints? No, they cast their doe eyes on you and beat you over the head with their cuteness. Subtle ain’t exactly the name of the game.

I knew this much; I wanted the drink to have a rich chocolate base and a clean peppermint high note. Casting artisanal ingredients and techniques out the window, I went straight for the peppermint schnapps — which our local booze store doesn’t even stock, it’s so lowbrow. I also invested in some crème de cacao, but opted for the good stuff since that’s something that might actually have an application in a future drink. (For the record, as far as I can tell, there is no “good stuff” when it comes to peppermint hooch.) Et voilà — one of America’s favorite cookies in cocktail form. Bottoms up!

So promise me this: When this gets picked up and becomes the hottest girl drink of 2009 and is sold prefab in bottles and poured directly from spigots and is converted into one of those frozen slushie cocktails served from a churning machine, remember that you read it here first. Scout’s honor?

Thin Mint Julep

3/4 oz peppermint schnapps, plus extra
3/4 oz dark crème de cacao, plus extra
3 oz bourbon
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp fine sugar
Mint sprig

Sift together sugar and cocoa powder into a shallow dish. In another dish, pour a splash each of peppermint schnapps and crème de cacao; stir to mix. Dip the rims of your cocktail glasses in the schnapps-cacao mixture, then into the cocoa-sugar mixture. Let stand for a minute to set. Alternative: If you actually have Thin Mint cookies and are a glutton for punishment, cut away the chocolate exterior, and crush the cookie part to a fine dust with a mortar and pestle, then rim the glasses with that.

Fill a shaker with ice; add the crème de cacao, peppermint schnapps and bourbon. Stir well, and strain into the rimmed cocktail glass. Add mint sprig for garnish.

thin-mint-julep-cocktailRelated:

I guest blogged the regular old mint julep over at Married… with Dinner a while back, then made some juleppy poached peaches.

Heidi makes an all-natural, trans-fat free homemade Thin Mint.

Or how about a chocolate mint cupcake? You can still have it with bourbon.

Don’t forget to visit Dr. Bamboo!

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This Post Has 32 Comments

  1. I could do with one of those right this very moment.
    Now I see what you were sniggering about. Excellent illustration.

  2. Holy Mother of God. I’m trying now to figure out how I can sneak out of work early, acquire these ingredients, and make this drink.
    (Oh, and the illustration — AWESOME!)

  3. I need you to know how much I hate you right now. Because all I want, at this very moment, is a Thin Mint Julep.
    You are going to singlehandedly increase crappy schnapps sales in America with this post.

  4. Shannon: Isn’t it great? He cracks me up. The initial creative vision was to have a Girl Scout that was a little too old, in a skirt a little too short, with a bottle of bourbon; I got cold feet, considering my employer. 😉
    Genie: The challenge, as I found, will be sourcing that particular crème de cacao — but I recommend that you do. I had to call about 6 different booze purveyors in the peninsula, and finally found it at one in Burlingame.
    Fatemeh: They are surprisingly drinkable! And believe me, I had to get over my own inner snob when I purchased de Kuyper’s peppermint schnapps at BevMo. It’s a low point for me.

  7. This sounds yummy and I’m totally going to have Dr. Bamboo whip one up for me the next time I’m hanging out with him and the Bamboo Babe!

  8. Yum is right! Peppermint Schnapps is also a nice addition to hot chocolate, though I can’t think of any other uses for it.

  12. There was no stopping me from clicking the picture of Colonel Sanders looking disgruntled in a tight-fitting ensemble, a la The Girl Scouts of America. At first, I thought Thin mint Julep would be one mean cookie, but a cocktail makes a lot more sense. Great post! 🙂

  13. Chasa: Yes! Make Dr Bamboo make you one.
    Kate: Right? When I tried to buy it, the mgr at Plumpjack said they don’t carry it cuz he never tasted one worth drinking. I said, well not on its own!
    Michael: Yes, most people lose their crushes on me when they meet me in real life.
    Andrea, LMS: Thanks!
    Anita: Yes, thanks for being my guinea pig. And no, that’s not a slur on your Italian heritage.

  19. Peppermint Schnapps and cocoa powder; who knew such a taste combination with the mint julep. Chocolate mint cupcake…so tempting.
    You may find it interesting to note that I had just posted a recipe for Derbie Day on my blog for Chocolate-Walnut Pie and for a traditionmal Mint Julep.

  20. Donna: I’m setting the glassware up now.
    sue bette: In retrospect I could have waited till closer to Derby Day, but I just couldn’t hold back!
    Alice: They’re all sold out up here. 🙁
    crockpot lady, Faith: Enjoy!
    Grace: Cool! Definitely going to check out the pie for Derby Day.

  23. So on this beautiful day, the first for real pool sitting, I invented my own cocktail…I call it the Antioxidant Cocktail. It has real health benefits! One part Pomegranate infused Vodka, two parts Pomegranate-Blueberry juice, a splash of tonic and a squeeze of lime. Mm,mm,mm…I feel better already!

  27. Paula: I’ve been told that before.
    Codfish: Eager to hear how it turned out! And no, I was not aware of Popcorn Sutton. Our little mascot is a mashup of a Kentucky Colonel and a Girl Scout, and it still makes me chuckle every time I see it.
    Donna: That’s my motto — drink yourself healthy!
    EB: Don’t let me cramp your style. 🙂
    Virginia: Yet another awesome photo by DPaul
    Rebecca: Yes, I suppose it might make your pillow rather sticky.

  28. I’m a sometimes alcohol imbiber, averaging maybe 3-4 drinks a year. If more drinks combining my favourite flavours sounded this yummy, I might be tempted to drink more.

  30. I LOVE YOU!!! Why do I always end up here on my searches?! Because you are me but way cooler and on the west coast! In Kentucky, looking for a mint julep recipe and I find you yet again… Schnapps owes you, that’s all I can say. Now off to the mint patch, then to make simple syrup for the traditional Kentucky Julep if there is such a bird- secret recipes and such abound this time of year…
    Thank you. I’ll be back…

  31. OMG This sounds wonderful!!! Will have to stock everything and serve at next girlie get-together. I’m usually more of a Scotch-on-the-rocks girl, but THIS! This sounds yummy!

  32. Angela: Perhaps we are somehow separated at birth? P.S. We snuck some peppermint schnapps into today’s mint juleps by the pitcher. People had seconds. Mmkay?
    Alta: Do it!

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