The Creole Julep

Posted on April 22, 2009
Filed Under Blair Reynolds | 2 Comments

The Creole Julep has been named as the offiical drink of Tales of the Cocktail 2009!  Well folks, I could go and post the official announcement from Ann, and so I will!

NEW ORLEANS – April 1, 2009 – Tales of the Cocktail, the annual culinary and cocktail festival, announces the winning bartender and recipe of their annual Cocktail Competition to determine the “official cocktail” of the event. Maksym Pazuniak. a mixologist at Rambla and Cure won over the judges with his balanced and well layered julep featuring Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum, Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb, Captain Morgan 100 Proof, Peach Fee Brothers Bitters, Angostura Bitters, fresh mint and Demerara sugar.

“The Mint Julep was the drink that put American mixology on the map, the thing that foreigners pointed to when they wanted to say something nice about the rough-and-tumble new nation on the western shore of the Atlantic. And originally, like most American inventions, it allowed for plenty of individuality and improvisation. With this contest, the Julep is back,” said author and cocktail historian David Wondrich.

Maksym’s cocktail will be served throughout Tales of the Cocktail, July 8-12 and will be featured in the summer issue of Culinary Concierge Magazine and on CocktailTimes.com.

Seeing as Maxym is the new king of swing in New Orleans, working his magic at Rambla and the new mixological hotspot Cure, I thought I’d give his award winning drink a go at the home bar, and boy howdy is it worth it!

Creole Julep
Created by Maksym Pazuniak, Cure/Rambla

• 2 1/4 oz. Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum
• 1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb
• 1/4 oz. Captain Morgan 100
• 2 dashes Fee Bros. Peach bitters
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• 8-10 mint leaves
• 1 Demerara Sugar Cube

Muddle sugar, Creole Shrubb and bitters until sugar is dissolved in a 10 oz. tall glass. Add mint and press to express oils. Add cracked ice. Add Cruzan and Captain Morgan 100 and stir until frost appears on outside of glass. Garnish with mint sprig.

The drink definitely pays homage to the classic julep, with a strong liquor augmented with just a nice amount of sweetness and mint.  Maxym’s creation is extremely complex, with flavors coming at all angles, but compiling nicely into a little bundle of slightly fruity, slightly spicy, and very slightly sweet joy.  Then again, I may just be partial to the Cruzan Single Barrel used, but it’s highlighted with the citrus from the Creole Shrubb and Peach Bitters, and spice and heat from the Cpt. Morgan’s 100 and Angostura Bitters.

Kudos to Maxym.  I look forward to a few more of these at Tales of the Cocktail 2009!

Blair Reynolds is a Portland-based tiki fiend and proprietor of Reynoles Galley. He documents these obsessions at Trader Tiki.