TRADUZIONE ITALIANA

“Daisy rose, smiling faintly, and went to the table.‘Open the whiskey, Tom,’ she ordered. ‘And I’ll make you a mint julep. Then you won’t seem so stupid to yourself…. Look at the mint!’”
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Last Summer we read “The Great Gatsby”, by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, a classic of American literature.
In my house there’s always been a copy of the novel, which belonged to my mother, however I’d always postponed this reading to a later time. But the chance to finally read this classic came when we decided to read “The Great Gatsby” for our mini bookclub. I’m so happy we did, because, even though I knew the story through the movie adaptation with Robert Redford (never seen Leo as Gatsby yet), I think I hadn’t really understood Gatsby’s character, his sadness and loneliness.
Jay Gatsby is a millionaire who makes it seem like he has everything he can wish for, but he really is lonely, living in a world that doesn’t really know him, so desperate that he gives and does everything for love.

His decadent world, made of money, wealth and extravagant parties inspired us to make a drink! The Mint Julep.
This drink is mentioned almost at the end of the novel, in chapter seven, during a scene full of tension (which is an understatement), when everything is finally revealed, but no one in the end get to drink the Mint Julep…

We tried the traditional version of the drink, which is from the Southern United States, and it’s bourbon-based. It should be served in a silver or pewter cup, but since we didn’t have one, we opted for an old-fashioned glass.

Print Recipe

Mint Julep

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: alcohol, bourbon-based, cocktail, drink, drinks, grande gatsby, great gatsby, menta, mint, old-fashioned, whisky

Servings: 1

Equipment

Muddler
pewter cup or old-fashioned glass

Ingredients

80 ml Bourbon
13 Mint leaves
2 tsp Sugar
Water a splash
Ice crushed
Top of some mint sprigs for garnish

Instructions

In your glass of choice (traditionally a pewter cup) put about 2 tsp of sugar;
Add a bit of water, just enough to melt the sugar and create a syrup;
Save the top of your sprigs of mint and put about 13 leaves in the glass (the number really depends on the size of the mint leaves);
Press the leaves against the sugar syrup, until they're lightly crushed and have released their oils;
Add the bourbon;
Add enough crushed ice to top your glass;
Garnish your drink with the mint sprigs.

“That’s a great expression of yours, isn’t it?’ said Tom sharply. ‘What is?’ ‘All this ‘old sport’ business. Where’d you pick that up?’ ‘Now see here, Tom,’ said Daisy, turning around from the mirror, ‘if you’re going to make personal remarks I won’t stay here a minute. Call up and order some ice for the mint julep.”
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Traduzione italiana:

Mint Julep

La scorsa estate abbiamo letto Il grande Gatsby, un classico della letteratura americana. Ho sempre visto girare per casa una copia del libro, che apparteneva a mia mamma, ma benché sia sempre stata tentata di leggerlo, è una lettura che avevo sempre rimandato. Ora sono felice di averlo letto, perchè nonostante avessi da tempo visto la versione del film interpretata da Robert Redford, non ricordavo bene il personaggio di Gatsby (o forse non l’avevo capito), e l’idea che mi ero fatta di lui era completamente sbagliata.
Jay Gatsby è un miliardario che sembra avere tutto, ma è profondamente solo in un mondo che non lo conosce davvero, disperato al punto da dare tutto per amore.
Il suo mondo decadente, fatto di soldi, ricchezza e feste stravaganti ci ha ispirato a preparare un cocktail: il Mint Julep.
Questo drink è citato quasi alla fine del romanzo, nel capitolo sette, durante una scena carica di tensione, dove tutto viene rivelato e dove, alla fine, il Mint Julep non lo berrà nessuno…

Abbiamo provato la versione tradizionale del drink, che è originario del sud degli Stati Uniti ed è a base di Bourbon. Dovrebbe essere servito in una coppa d’argento o di peltro, ma siccome non ne avevamo… abbiamo optato per un bicchiere di tipo “old-fashioned”.

Print Recipe