Sparkling Peach Mint Julep is a refreshingly cool summer cocktail with a light, fruity taste. Mint and bourbon are joined by peach schnapps and prosecco to put this drink in a class by itself.
Last Wednesday was National Mint Julep Day and it got me thinking of making some different kind of mint julep that would be a refreshing fit for the summer season. To be honest, I'd never had a mint julep before so I needed to find out exactly what it was.
A "julep" is defined as a sweet drink that was once used to deliver medicine. What!!! I guess the alcohol would make the medicine go down easier, either that, or you wouldn't care what it tasted like after having one. lol
The base of juleps these days is bourbon whiskey, although it did originally start out as a gin drink. It is in the class of drinks called smashes to which my favorite Pineapple Coconut Mojito is one. So now I just had to figure out how I was going to change up the standard mint julep to be something a little lighter and a little fruitier?
Add Prosecco to make your Mint Julep sparkle!
Since I had just seen peaches on sale in the grocers it gave me the idea of adding peach flavor to the mix of bourbon and mint. But I wanted it to be a little easier than blending the peaches and straining them so I opted for peach schnapps.
The schnapps has the same lovely peach flavor as the fruit but without all the fuss. And to make the cocktail lighter I decided to top it with some prosecco. After all, no one ever went wrong with a little bubbly!
So I muddled my mint with a little powdered sugar and water, which is a lot quicker and easier than making a simple syrup, added bourbon whiskey and schnapps then shook it all up. Then I poured the mixture over ice, added a few slices of peach, and topped it with Prosecco.
Whoa Nelly!!!! Now that's one powerful drink! If you've ever had a Mint Julep and thought that was strong, this drink has enough kick to send you to the moon. But oh, it was soooo good! And super refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day while lounging around by the pool. Here's to a fantastic summer with a Sparkling Peach Mint Julep in hand! Cheers!
More cocktail favorites
Georgia Peach Cocktail - Fresh pureed peaches mixed with orange juice and vodka then poured into a glass. Swirl in a little cranberry juice to create the perfect peach blush.
Loquat Mojito - combines sweet loquats with the tropical flavors of lime, rum, mint, and a bit of effervescence from sparkling coconut water.
Sangria with Sprite - has just 3 ingredients. Mix an inexpensive red wine with lemon-lime soda & pile in the sliced fruit like oranges, lemons, limes, and berries. That's it!
Pinot Grigio Spritzer with raspberries is a refreshing and pretty pink drink.
Find lots more summer cocktail recipes here on 2CM!
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Sparkling Peach Mint Julep
Ingredients
- 4-6 mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 small squirt of fresh lime
- 1 ½ oz peach schnapps
- ¾ oz bourbon whiskey
- Prosecco
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the sugar and water until you can really smell the mint. Squeeze in a bit of lime juice.
- Add the schnapps and bourbon whiskey along with some crushed ice and shake it up.
- Prepare an old-fashioned or tall glass by rubbing the rim with a slice of lime and dipping rim into colored sugar.
- Fill glass with crushed ice.
- Here you can either strain the cocktail mixture or leave as is and pour over ice.
- Add a few slices of peach to the glass then top with Prosecco.
- Garnish rim with a peach slice and additional mint if desired.
Nutrition
This post has been updated and was first published on June 6, 2018.
