Night two was all about the drink, and a gentleman named Wyatt. I like a great cocktail but I am usually more focused on the food (while sipping wine of course). My friend had other plans. He was fastidious in the drink prep and presentation. Wyatt- at toast to you.

 

Out Saturday night menu began with the copious amount of mint discovered in a Wyatt’s backyard. If you’re 25, pretty much the first thing that comes to mind when we think of mint is a mojito, followed by the beach, surfing and consequently beautiful beach bods.  Well there really aren’t beaches to speak of in Madison but it is berry season! The exquisite and sparkly blackberry drinks are the essesnce of summer, and the center piece of this meal, served with a delicious side of fajitas of course. 

 

Made in a large pitcher, this cocktail was a crowd pleaser, individualized for each drinker with 3 plump berries and a sprig of mint. This recipe makes enough for 6 if most people drink two. Said another way, this makes enough for 12, but what fun is that?

 

 

Blackberry Mojitos for a Crowd

 

Recipe

 

1/3 cup packed mint, plus 6-12 springs for garnish

1 ½ cups blackberries plus more for garnish

500 mL of light rum (you pick your own portions, depending on how boozy you want this)

2 bottles of club soda

Juice of two limes

½ cup simple syrup

Crushed Ice

 

Muddle mint in the bottom of a heavy glass with a muddler or a wooden spoon. Muddling releases the essential oils trapped in the flesh of the mint leaves; you want to bruise them, not cut them. However, you want to mash the heck of out of the blackberries and ¼ cup of the rum in another glass. You’re goal is to extract as much juice as you can. Strain blackberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on solids to get every last bit of flavor.

 

Combine blackberry juice, rum, club soda, lime juice and muddled mint in jar. In each glass, add about 1/3 cup of crushed ice and pour in mojito! Garnish with three blackberries and a sprig of mint.

 

Gosh, it is morning as I’m writing this, but I secretly want this refreshing beverage right. When you’re on a plane you’re allowed a cocktail at normally unacceptable times, right?

 

Teasing, of course! The mojito was absolutely designed for a hot afternoon, which makes quite a bit of sense- it is pretty hot in cuba! The original mojito was muddled with yerbabuena springs, a special kind of mint and first made for Sir Francis Drake in the 19^th Century. Now it is made for me, in my kitchen and great bars all around the world. Culinary globalization has its upsides.

 

PS: Yerbabuena  means “good herb” and can mean all sorts of slightly different plant, depending which small town you’ve been exploring.

 

 

 

 

 

This Thursday, the Minneapolis Institute of Art held a “Bike Night” were cycling was celebrated with music, drink and art. But first, before Warhol, Oldenberg and Lichtenstein teased my eyes in the modern wing, I had my very first Pimm’s Cup.

Pimm’s is an odd thing, here in the US we don’t really know what a Pimm’s Cup is, and less so, what Pimm’s  itself is.  Well, it’s a full bodied, fruit, spicy liqueur; it is red and it is delicious.  The story goes like this….

Long ago in London, a man named James Pimm owned a famous oyster bar right in the center of town, where men came to slurp down briny deliciousness and toss back a few slugs of gin. But according to Pimm’s legend, that gin was pretty miserable, so James concocted something else. His “House Cup” of fruit infused liqueur and quinine (tonic) was so popular, it soon earned the nickname “Number 1 cup” in London and thus, the Pimm’s Cup was born.

Over the course of nearly 200 years, the Pimm’s people have developed six different flavors. Pimm’s No. 1 is gin based, Pimm’s No. 2 scotch, 3 brandy, 4 rum, 5 rye whiskey and finally, invented in during the psychedelic 60’s, the vodka based Pimm’s No. 6.  Today, only Pimm’s No. 1 enjoys wide spread consumption; 6 is still around in small batches and 3 has been altered for a Pimm’s Winter Cup Cocktail.  The PWC has orange peel somewhere in the mix, and therefore holds no interest for me.

Here in the States, (across the pond from Mr. James Pimm’s establishment) we savor our Pimm’s Cup in the summer months when its fruit and sparkle protects us against the July heat. Careful, these babies go down fast.  This recipe is slightly different than the one found on Pimm’s website, but it sounds way tastier to me. I generally prefer my cocktails without strawberries.

Minnesota Pimm’s Cup (Serves Six)
6 oz Pimm’s No. 1
3 oz Hendricks Gin
Sparking Lemon Soda
Soda Water
2 Cucumbers sliced lengthwise
6 Sprigs of mint
6 Lime wedges
Ice

Now, you can do this individually, or in a jug. Individually, set up each glass with ice, a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint.

Then add one shot of Pimms and half a shot of Hendricks to each cup.  Top with lemon soda and soda water for the level of sweetness you like. Finally, squeeze a good bit of lime over the top and your good to go!

If you want to mix up a batch, just add it all to a jug, reserving the cucumber, mint and lime for each cup.

After my thursday experience with Mr. Pimm, I was quite infatuated and thankfully so was my mother. This weekend, Mom and I sipped our second Pimm’s Cup cruising on the St. Croix River under the hot hot July heat.