The Stinger
When I found out that this Mixology Monday - hosted at Kaiser Penguin was going to be devoted to mint, I immediately thought of crème de menthe and one of the classic cocktails devoted to it, the Stinger, a combination of brandy and crème de menthe. I’ve never had a stinger before, but then again am not a huge crème de menthe fan. There may be some good brands out there – I await to see what the other Monday Mixologists are uncovering – but in general, I find the liqueur too one-note, as subtle as a vial of McCormick’s mint extract. Frankly I wasn’t sure I wanted to plunk down twenty bucks on a bottle that would linger unused on my shelf.
My solution was to make my own mint liqueur. Nothing too refined, I just started with an overproof rum, a bunch of chopped mint and some simple syrup:
Simple Mint Liqueur
2/3 c. chopped mint leaves
1/3 c. 151-proof rum (I used J. Wray & Nephew overproof white rum)
simple syrup, 1:1 ratio, sugar to waterIn a bowl or jar placed in the refrigerator, soak leaves overnight in rum. Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing out excess alcohol. It should measure about a quarter cup. Add enough syrup to make 1/3 c. total. (Or, if making in larger quantities, keep 2 parts rum to 1 part syrup.)
From there, a nice, subtle stinger is just a step away.
I’ve actually become fond of making a number of brandy cocktails with cognac. (Cognac is brandy, but not all brandies are cognac.) I don’t break the bank, but for 25 bucks or so, maybe less, you can get a decent, full-bodied cognac with a nice kick that far more focused than the sweet, full brandies that comprise the cheaper brands. Not what you want all the time, but here a VSOP Marquis de Gensac carried the day.
Stinger Deluxe
1 jigger cognac
1 jigger simple mint liqueurShake ingredients well and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish if you like.
Since the homemade mint liqueur was far less cloying and sweet than crème de menthe, I feel justified in using a sugared rim and a mint sprig for garnish.
A lot of trouble, I’m sure plenty of you are saying. Or maybe you just want a full mint taste, something understated in my version. The traditional recipe, half brandy, half crème de menthe, may be the thing for you.
Am I crazy in my hate of Wray and Nephew’s overproof rum? The aroma and taste defy foulness.
To your homemade mint liqueur, it sounds v-good. 2/3c chopped mint seems like a small amount, but I’ve never made it myself.
For good or for ill, I’ve been using Chalfonte as my mixing cognac. It runs around $18 a bottle in PA. Is my choice pathetic?
Well, my options at the liquor store are limited. It was the only overproof rum I could find. Of course, one could use any ultra-alcoholic spirit. But PGA is illegal in Massachusetts.
2/3 c. is just logistically the amount that will fit in 1/3 c. liquid. Feel free to adjust.
I’ve not tried Chalfonte, but I think there are surprisingly decent cognacs available for not too much money.
I’ve been using Lautrec as my mixing cognac–which made for fun Sidecars when the Van Gogh triple sec was still on the market. I think I get the Lautrec for about $20 at LeNell’s in Brooklyn.
Ha! I went after the same drink for this week’s Mixology Monday. I went about it in a very similar fashion as well. It’s interesting that we both chose to replace the creme de menthe with something else. Have you tried your mint syrup in any mojitos or other cocktails?
[…] Chris shows us how to turn demon-flavored, overproof rum into mint liqueur and offers up what looks to be a tasty version of the Stinger. What?! I didn’t say “demon-flavored;” I like Wray and Nephew’s Overproof Rum…http://www.bostoncocktails.com/2006-06-04-the-stinger.html […]