Man o’ War

April 19, 2011 (Day 23) — Man o’ War

According to the interwebs, Man o’ War is considered one of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses  ever. According to Wikipedia, during his career just after World War I, he won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 in purses.

Meanwhile, the Porteguese Man o’ War is one of the most toxic siphonophorae in the sea.

Seeing as this is a bourbon-based drink, my money is on the racehorse rather than the invertebrate for this drinks name sake.

Man o’ War

• 1.5 oz Jim Beam Bourbon

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• .75 oz water

• 10-15 large fresh mint leaves

(Adapted from the original recipe appearing on jimbeam.com)

Combine all ingredients with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

If you couldn’t tell already, the taste is very similar to the Mint Julep. The preparation is a bit different, and there’s no simple syrup and there’s the addition of water. This creates a lighter version of the Mint Julep. The sugar and mint notes aren’t nearly as pronounced.

Cheers!

— Mark