OK, so I might be wayyy too insanely excited about today’s guest blogger, my girl Gina from So…Let’s Hang Out. Lovely Miss Gina is just about the most magical, polar bear loving, super sweet lady you will ever meet. I am proud to have her as a friend and to bring her here to Tasty Yummies for the first time to share an incredible cocktail with you guys. I hope you enjoy.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Firstly, I want to thank and virtually chest bump my friend Beth for letting me come over to her really pretty corner of the interweb today and sully you all with booze and tomfoolery. I think we can both agree that this lady is pretty tops! Like, if we were texting right now and you asked me, “how do you feel about Beth from Tasty Yummies?” I wouldn’t have enough Emojis to properly respond. I’d have to use all of them. But, I think I’d probably use the one that looks like tap dancing twins more than once, because it just feels right. There would be exclamation marks and goings-on about how this lady is for reals one of the loveliest friends and one heck of an inspiring blogger. Since this is still my fantasy text to her, I think I’d end it with these Emojis in the following order: donut, ramen noodles, panda bear, thumbs up, jazz hands, tap dancing twins, donut, donut, guy with mustache, camel, tap dancing twins, donut.

It’s so like me to write an entire paragraph of arguable nonsense without introducing myself. Hi there! *Waves enthusiastically*My name is Gina and I write over at So…Let’s Hang Out. It’s a whole lot of gluten-free recipes, the occasional drawing of animals in human clothes, and spontaneous dance party encouragement all doused in copious amounts of oversharing about how I learned for the hundredth time that cooking bacon without wearing pants is just not a good idea. Splatter. Bare thighs. No. Just, no.

I know we’re just getting to know each other (even though I’ve already talked about my penchant for not wearing pants—too soon?) so, why don’t we just do this thing over cocktails? That would probably be best.

So I have this thing for bourbon. It just happened one day. I woke up and my taste buds were swapped out with those of a Southern gentleman. Have you ever seen the movie Freaky Friday? Kind of like that except instead of swapping whole bodies, we only swap tongues. So essentially we’ve created a super gross film that no one should ever watch EVER. Cool.

But really, I’ll put bourbon on your roasted carrots, I’ll get wild and put it in your BBQ sauce. I’ll make you cocktail after cocktail where bourbon is the star player. So, is it any wonder that when I suddenly got a mad craving for a mojito (as one totally does), that I swapped out the traditional rum for some belly-warming bourbon? No. The answer is no.

This cocktail is equal parts getting a tan in Mexico on Spring Break and sitting on the back porch, playing blackjack while sipping bourbon with your Grandpa. Essentially it’s like partying with your Grandpa on Spring Break… but in a totally non-creepy and extremely awesome way. Put on your board shorts, Gramps. Grab some mint. We’re going to the beach.

Muddle together mint and agave with some ice in a highball glass.

Shake Fresh lime juice and bourbon vigorously in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and then pour over your muddled agave and mint.

Top off your cocktail with a little bit of soda water and then garnish the whole thing with a couple of sprigs of mint and a lime wedge. Look at that. You’re fancy. I’m impressed.

You know the next step. We’re going to put this thing down the hatch. Should we cheers first? I think so.

Here’s to new friends, bourbon, and awkward suggestions about taking your grandfather on Spring Break!

I’ve seriously had such a great time here with you guys today. I hope you’ll stop on by my neck of the woods sometime. I’d totally love to hang out. Cheers! Tap dancing twins, tropical drink, Spanish dancer, smiley face, donut, donut.

[print_this]The Kentucky Mojito:
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ shots of bourbon
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 TBSP agave nectar
• Leaves from two sprigs of mint, torn off the stem.
• Ice
• Splash of soda water
• Sugar to rim the glass (optional)
• Mint sprigs and lime wedges, to garnish

Directions:

• Using a lime wedge, wet the lip of your cocktail glass. Place the moistened lip of your glass down in a plate of sugar. This will leave you with a sugared rim.
• Add your agave nectar and fresh mint leaves to the bottom of your glass. Add in a couple of ice cubes and muddle everything together until the mint is bruised and becomes fragrant.
• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add in your bourbon and fresh lime juice. Shake vigorously.
• Pour your bourbon and lime mixture into your glass containing the muddled mint and agave.
• Top off your cocktail with a heavy splash of soda water and garnish as desired with mint and a lime wedge.
• Enjoy! [/print_this]

 

Gina is a photographer, gluten-free food blogger and writer living in the San Francisco bay area. When she’s not in the kitchen or taking pictures, you can usually find her chasing after her crazy Golden Retriever, making really bad puns, spending time with her husband, singing show tunes in the shower, and doodling polar bears on napkins. You can sometimes find her writing about what she finds in other people’s cupboards on The Kitchn. Connect with her: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram