Irene is spending the weekend (yay!) and our plans are to go to the Hwy 86 Yard Sales tomorrow. Less than an hour after her arrival, she disappeared right in the middle of our conversation. I knew it must be 4 pm. I found her in the kitchen and she was opening cupboards, drawers, the refrigerator, the oven door. One guess what she was looking for: her cocktail!

In honour of the upcoming Kentucky Derby, today’s cocktail was a variation of a Mint Julep. We replaced the mint with basil (which has a minty, but peppery flavour) and added strawberries for sweetness and colour. It was spring-time fresh and the fruitiness in the Woodford Reserve Bourbon was enhanced by the strawberries. Delicious!

RUN FOR THE BASIL

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 6-8 Strawberries (washed and patted dry)
• 2 stems fresh Basil (washed and patted dry)
• lots of Bourbon (for Juleps, we only use Woodford Reserve)

Makes 2 delicious cocktails

Start by making a simple syrup: In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water and bring it just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Don’t let it brown! Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

While your simple syrup is cooling, slice 2-4 average sized basil leave into small strips. Use a mortar and pestle to muddle the basil and get the juices flowing. Divide the muddled basil between 2 rocks glasses.

Dice 2-3 average-sized strawberries. Place the diced strawberries on a small plate and smash them with a fork. Keep smashing. Imagine it’s Clara! Divide the smashed strawberries between the glasses with the muddled basil.

Add 2 ice cubes to each glass. Into each glass, pour 2 jiggers of Bourbon (about 3 oz). Add slightly less then 1/4 cup of the simple syrup to each glass. Stir.

Garnish with a strawberry slice, basil leaf and red straw.

We actually preferred “not” to strain the strawberry and basil mash. They soaked up the bourbon and became a delicious treat. If you prefer, you can strain it.

Additional note, if you don’t make a second batch of cocktails (and we doubt that you won’t), you’ll have a half cup of simple syrup left. Put it in the fridge until you need it for iced tea, or ice cream toppings or tomorrow’s cocktails.

The stems of the basil can be put in a glass of water to root. Make sure there are nubs that are immersed in the water. Once the stems root, you can plant them in a pot or the garden and you’ll have fresh basil for cocktails all summer.