Digging into the guts of eGullet for this one, a drink that was posted by Alchemist last September 30 — far too late to enjoy as a summer drink, especially here in Seattle, where it was already drooping toward a rainy, windy autumn.
But now that we’re seeing the mid-90s in June (for you non-Pacific NW-types out there, that’s a BIG deal here), it seems like the perfect time to dig into the archives of “tall, cold drinks I mean to try” and pull out this recipe for the Prince Parker Swizzle.
Why difficult? Well, a couple of reasons — first, there’s the recipe requirements, which dictate mandatory waiting periods in the mixing of the drink, for the purposes of blending the flavors, and chilling the entire concoction to the requisite sub-Arctic level. Then, there are the ingredients: rich demerara syrup, crushed ice, precisely prepared fresh mint leaves — nothing too complicated, granted, but still, items that require advance preparation and careful handling. This ain’t just knocking together a whiskey and soda. Finally, the preparation: as the name indicates, this drink requires swizzling. Assuming you haven’t just returned from the Caribbean, toting several classic swizzle branches, this means you’ll be studiously spinning your bar spoon between your palms in order to generate the proper mix, and the proper icy freeze, that a swizzle drink requires. Could you just stir the damn thing and be done with it? Sure — but, as with making a proper Mojito or Mint Julep, small steps make all the difference in quality.
I meant to post a photo for this, but the aroma and appearance of the drink were too much, and I dove in before I could break out the camera. Maybe Rick over at Kaiser Penguin could snap one of his gorgeous shots of this drink, but of course, that would mean he’d have to summon more willpower than I could, faced with this frigid, friendly drink.
Prince Parker Swizzle (posted by Alchemist at eGullet)
- 1 ounce light rum (I used Matusalem Platino)
- 1 ounce aged rum (Alchemist suggests Matusalem; I used Appleton Extra)
- 1/2 ounce rich demerara syrup
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 7 mint leaves
Gently bruise the mint leaves in a highball glass then, using a muddler, lightly swab the sides of the glass with the oils from the leaves. Add the rum, lime juice and demerara syrup, and let sit for a few minutes while the mint infuses the liquid. Fill the glass with crushed ice and swizzle until ice starts to form on the outside of the glass. Fill again with crushed ice, then drip three drops of Angostura bitters and one dash of Peychaud’s bitters on the top of the drink. Let the glass sit for one or two minutes, while the ice develops on the exterior. Take another few mint leaves, place them in the palm of one hand then slap them with the other to release their aroma, and adorn around the top of the drink. Add a straw. Be thankful that it’s summer.
This sounds infinitely tasty, as I’m always intrigued by overly complicated recipes.
I will give it a try this evening!
Good drink. I think I had around 30 of these last summer.
Wow. This is like magic in a glass. I thought I’d be smart and mix in the bitters on my first go-around, and boy was it potent. I think I’ll let them sit on the top and drip down their happiness next time.
[…] filled with a white peach mousse. The drink was a twist on one Paul posted about a while back, the Prince Parker Swizzle. The bartender was a workhorse the whole night, and I’m sure this one put him to the test. I […]