The Kentucky Maid cocktail marries the robustness of bourbon with the crispness of cucumber and the vibrancy of mint.
It’s a drink that beckons the senses to a serene Kentucky garden in the height of summer, offering a balance of flavors that’s both invigorating and complex.
This drink, ideally made with Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon for its rich and full-bodied profile, is a testament to the art of cocktail recipes, where every ingredient plays a pivotal role in the overall experience.
Kentucky Maid Cocktail Ingredients:
- Mint Leaves (8): The freshness in the cocktail, mint leaves add a cool, aromatic quality that complements the sweetness of the bourbon and the tartness of the lime juice.
- Cucumber Slices (2 thin slices): Cucumber introduces a subtle, clean crispness that enhances the cocktail’s refreshing quality, making it perfect for warm weather sipping.
- Simple Syrup (3/4 ounce / 22.5 ml): Acting as the sweetener, simple syrup balances the acidity of the lime juice and the strength of the bourbon, ensuring a harmonious blend of flavors.
- Bourbon (2 ounces / 60 ml, preferably Elijah Craig Small Batch): The choice of bourbon is crucial, with Elijah Craig offering a depth of flavor with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak that anchor the cocktail.
- Lime Juice (1 ounce / 30 ml, freshly squeezed): The zesty lime juice cuts through the sweetness and richness, adding a necessary acidity that brightens the overall profile of the drink.
- Garnish: Mint Sprig skewered through a Cucumber Slice: This garnish not only adds a visually appealing element but also reinforces the mint and cucumber aromas with every sip.
Kentucky Maid Cocktail Recipe:
- Prepare the Mint and Cucumber: Begin by placing the mint leaves at the bottom of a shaker. Add the cucumber slices on top of the mint. This layering helps to evenly distribute the flavors when muddled.
- Muddle Gently: Pour the simple syrup over the mint and cucumber. Using a muddler, gently press down on the mint leaves and cucumber slices. The goal is to lightly bruise the mint to release its oils and to break up the cucumber skins without shredding the mint leaves, which can introduce bitterness.
- Add Bourbon and Lime Juice: Measure and pour 2 ounces (60 ml) of bourbon and 1 ounce (30 ml) of freshly squeezed lime juice into the cocktail shaker. The quality of the bourbon and the freshness of the lime juice are key to the cocktail’s success.
- Shake: Fill the shaker with ice, seal it, and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds. The shaking not only chills the drink but also helps to further integrate the flavors of mint, cucumber, bourbon, and lime.
- Strain and Serve: Strain the cocktail into a double rocks glass over a single large ice cube. A large ice cube melts slowly, diluting the drink less over time and keeping it well-chilled.
- Garnish: To garnish, skewer a mint sprig through a cucumber wheel and place it atop the drink. This garnish enhances the aesthetic appeal of the cocktail while also adding a burst of aroma with each sip.
The Kentucky Maid Cocktail
Venturing into any cocktail bar of repute, it’s almost a given that a creation by Sam Ross will grace the menu. Ross, a co-owner of Attaboy and a partner in the recently revitalized Temple Bar, boasts a repertoire of contemporary classics, including the Paper Plane, an innovative bourbon-and-Aperol twist on the Last Word, and the Penicillin, a scotch sour enriched with honey-ginger syrup.
During the nascent phase of the craft cocktail movement, Ross led the bar at Sasha Petraske’s iconic Milk & Honey in New York City for seven years, where he first made the Kentucky Maid in 2005.
This invigorating bourbon cocktail, featuring muddled cucumber, mint leaves, and simple syrup, showcases his ingenuity.
The Inspiration Behind The Kentucky Maid
The inspiration for the Kentucky Maid came from the London Maid, a beverage Ross originally mixed for Lynnette Marrero, bar professional and co-founder of Speed Rack, while she visited East Side Company, another Petraske establishment.
This earlier version was gin-based and initially dubbed the “Ol’ Biddy,” a name later dismissed by Petraske. With a name change by Ross, the Maid category of drinks was established.
As Ross explains in Petraske’s 2016 publication “Regarding Cocktails,” the foundational recipe can adapt to any base spirit by altering the name to match the spirit’s origin, thus creating variations like the Mexican Maid with tequila, the Polish Maid with vodka, and the Irish Maid, which uses Irish whiskey and introduces St-Germain for a floral twist.
Like Some Others – But Different
The Kentucky Maid distinguishes itself with its likeness to the Mint Julep, yet stands apart due to the muddled cucumber and fresh lime juice that cut through the sweetness for an even fresher taste. It also shares similarities with the Whiskey Smash, which combines muddled lemon and simple syrup topped with bourbon.
For the Kentucky Maid, Ross prefers Elijah Craig Small Batch for its robust spice notes and high proof. However, the beauty of this cocktail lies in its versatility; any preferred bourbon can be used, encouraging personal twists on the classic mix of spirit, citrus, mint, and cucumber.
This flexibility invites the creation of new variations, perhaps even inspiring a unique name for each innovative blend.
Check out some more of the best bourbon cocktail recipes.
