Smoked Julep Cocktail with Laphroaig

Those who know me, know that I love the frog aka Laphroaig. However, it’s a notoriously difficult ingredient to incorporate in cocktails because it can easily beat up the other ingredients. I came across this cocktail in the Death & Co book and instantly went out to purchase some fresh mint. In most of their julep cocktails, the mint is not muddled but instead just used as a garnish for the whiff of mint while sipping. It actually works surprisingly well.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Laphroaig 10
• 1 oz Lairds Applejack
• 0.25 oz Maple Syrup
• Garnish – apple slices (for a fan) and mint

Glass

Rocks glass with pebble ice (to make my pebble ice, I take a lot of fridge ice and smash them… but they end up more melty than my liking)

Instructions

• Stir Laphroaig, Lairds, and maple syrup in a ice-filled mixing glass
• Strain into a glass filled with pebble ice
• Slice an apple and stick a cocktail pin through slices to create a fan. Use a fresh sprig of mint for garnish. (I also added a mint at the bottom)