Milano Julep — A julep built on red bitter instead of bourbon, over crushed ice

Milano Julep

A julep built on red bitter instead of bourbon, over crushed ice

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ozCampari
    Where the bourbon would be in a julep
    Substitute: Any Italian red bitter
  • 2 dashesLemon Bitters
    Two or three, stirred through the ice
    Substitute: Any lemon bitters
  • 1 tspLemon Juice
    A teaspoon; to sharpen, not to sour

Instructions

  1. Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice
  2. Add 1 1/2 oz Campari, 1 tsp lemon juice and 2 dashes lemon bitters
  3. Stir against the ice until the glass frosts, then top with more crushed ice

    The dilution is most of what makes this a long drink

  4. Garnish with a sprig of mint

Technique Notes

Crushed ice and no shaking. A julep is a dilution technique before it is a recipe: the drink is stirred against the ice until the glass frosts, and with a bitter aperitivo at only fifteen percent that dilution is most of what turns it into a long drink.

Why the Milano Julep Works

Mint and red bitter meet on the herbal side rather than the sweet one, and the crushed ice keeps knocking the sweetness down as it melts. The teaspoon of lemon is doing what the bitters cannot: adding acid rather than aroma.