If you’ve got a liquor cabinet (or cupboard, or bar cart), you likely have a bottle of something you don’t know what to do with. For me, it’s Wondermint Schnapps Liqueur by Death’s Door Spirits. Released just a couple of years ago, Wondermint is a more sophisticated, less-sweet version of peppermint schnapps, with hints of vanilla and some floral notes. The stuff smells awesome and is perfectly fine as a shot or over ice—but I really wanted to see what it could do in a cocktail.
Death’s Door’s website offers a couple recipes: The UBoat—a sipper made with 3/4 ounces each of Wondermint and Fernet-Branca—and the Minty Mule (1 1/2 oz. Wondermint and 1/2 oz. lime juice, topped with ginger beer and garnished with a mint sprig).
Looking for something a little more creative, I reached out to Nate Howell, a craft spirits specialist at Breakthru Beverage, which distributes Death’s Door products. I’d met Howell back in May 2014, after he’d left Cusp in La Jolla to head up the cocktail program at JSix (his menu of regionally inspired cocktails was outstanding). Last year, Howell and his wife moved back to Chicago, where he’d first honed his mixology skills at the city’s famed Sable Kitchen and Bar. I knew he’d come up with something tasty, and he did. His “Hot Tub Time Machine, Part 4” is a perfect winter cocktail. Grab a bottle of Wondermint ($21 at BevMo) and give it a try.
The Wonders of Wondermint
The Wonders of Wondermint
Wondermint Schnapps Liqueur
