“This play on the Derby Day favorite the mint julep uses the whole sugar snap pea plant: pea greens in the simple syrup and snap pea “juice,” plus pea blossoms for garnish, if you’re lucky enough to find them.”
Ingredients
1 cup water, divided
½ cup sugar
1 cup pea greens (pea shoots), coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
½ cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
Pinch of salt
1 cup fresh mint leaves, divided, plus more for garnish
1½ cups bourbon, divided
⅓ cup lemon juice, divided
8 cups ice cubes, divided
Pea blossoms for garnish
Directions
1Combine ½ cup water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in pea greens. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Strain into a small bowl and refrigerate the syrup until cold, about 30 minutes.
2Meanwhile, combine snap peas and the remaining ½ cup water in a blender. Blend at medium speed for 1 minute. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Season with salt. Refrigerate the juice until cold, about 30 minutes.
3To prepare each cocktail: Place 2 tablespoons mint and 1½ tablespoons of the syrup in an Old-Fashioned glass. Mash the mint with a muddler or wooden spoon until lightly bruised. Add 3 tablespoons bourbon, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the pea juice. Add ½ cup ice cubes and stir. Top with another ½ cup ice cubes. Serve garnished with pea blossoms, additional pea greens and mint, if desired.
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