Absolut Drinks (absolutdrinks.com) recently revamped their web site and added an interesting interactive area where users can create drinks. They call this “Mix Your Own”.

Now I know my liquor. I have a well stocked bar at home. By this, I mean not only a variety of liquors, but also a variety of mixers and, when the time is right, garnishments. I have a library of bar books (some good, some not so much). I believe in using fresh ingredients whenever possible. I do not believe in pre-mix anything. My mind is filled with recipes.

To test the “Mix Your Own” drink recipe drink recipe application, I decided to use a known drink. A drink that I enjoy immensely. A drink that isn’t exactly common, but one that isn’t totally obscure. A Mint Julep.

Mint Juleps are extremely easy to make and only have a few ingredients – bourbon, mint, simple syrup, and crushed ice.

For an application that would allow me to create a new drink, I figure the same application should also allow me to recreate an established drink. Especially an easy one.

Step 1: Choose the glass
A mint julep should be served in a julep glass, but I didn’t expect this to be an option on the site. Their listed options were a highball, cocktail (martini), rocks, champagne, wine, and shot. I went with the highball- I prefer to call these Collins glasses.

Step 2: Mixing method
Mint needs to be muddled in the bottom of the glass to release the oils from the leaves to get maximum flavor. Muddling was an option and this made me happy.

Step 3: Choose your ice
3 options here – cubes, crushed, or no ice. Mint Juleps are strong drinks and you need the melting ice to make them easier to drink. Crushed ice it is.

Step 4: Base Spirit
6 options here and one option of “Other” which was really a miscellaneous category. I selected Whisky. Then a sub menu came up that presented bourbon, Irish whiskey, scotch, Canadian whisky, and Rye whiskey. What I found to be interesting is that this sub menu included varieties of whiskey, but did not include an option for actual whiskey. In other words, all of these varieties are whiskey, but not all whiskeys can be categorized into these varieties. Anyway, Bourbon is what is needed for a mint julep, so I was OK with this.

Step 5: Pick a Flavor Agent
Here we are presented with a listing of 124 different options. There is no limit to the number you can select, however a warning does come up if you start going crazy with your selections. This is good because a complex drink does not always taste great. So a true flavor agent for a mint julep would be the mint. Mint is not an option here. This is a problem. The mint should actually have been added 2 steps ago – before the bourbon… actually before the ice. But that’s OK. At least it should be an option here because mint is used in many drinks other than a garnish. I don’t have that option here and that is bad. Simple syrup is available and I was available to select it. Not having mint is a mistake.

Step 6: Pick a filler
113 options here. Simple syrup isn’t an option. For most drinks, it wouldn’t be. It would make a drink much too sweet. But with mint juleps, this helps balance out the bourbon along with the melted ice. There are a few other drinks where simple syrup would serve this same purpose. It should be an option here. I did select it in the previous step, so it is included in the recipe.

Step 7: Garnish
79 common and unique garnishes listed. Mint is listed, but only as a leaf sprig. Mint juleps need quite a bit of mint in them. As I said before, the mint needed to be muddled. But it is here and it was selected. This would be a traditional garnish for the drink.

Final drink
Well, I ended up with a drink with all of the necessary ingredients, but not really a mint julep. More of bourbon on the rocks, sweetened a bit with a mint sprig.  Doesn’t look like a mint julep.  Would not taste like a mint julep.

Final verdict on the “Mix Your Own” application, I had fun with it. It has room for improvement – while there are a ton of options with some steps, they are missing some basics (I did try this for a few other drinks and this isn’t based solely on the mint julep). Would I use it as a reference for other drinks? Absolutely not. Some of the recipes on there may work, but I don’t think that there is a substitute for some good ol’ trial and error when it comes to concocting new cocktails. It is fun, though. And if their goal is to get people to their site and spend several minutes playing around, the “Mix Your Own” application will accomplish that.

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Review sponsored by absolutdrinks.com

Tags: Thank You1, drinks //