Recipe | Continental julep

(Cognac julep with muddled strawberry and Jamaican dark rum) 

The Continental Julep from Jayne’s Bartender’s Guide is a bold and vibrant cocktail reminiscent of a summertime picnic Punch, with the spice of Cognac and sweetness of strawberry enlivened by fresh mint and a potent punch of rich, spicy Jamaican dark rum. Contrary to popular belief, early renditions of the Julep rarely featured whiskey. Instead, the innovative cocktail more often comprised brandy, gin or wine combined with fresh seasonal fruits, as well as a rum float and abundant garnishes. 

Published by Dr. D. Jayne and Son, Jayne’s Bartender’s Guide was one of many cocktail books released in a bid to revive cocktail culture shortly after the repeal of Prohibition. Far from a bartender – or qualified doctor according to records of the time – Dr. D. Jayne was a patent medicine manufacturer based in Philadelphia. The ‘Jayne’s’ brand used this book and other marketing tools such as an annual almanac to advertise a variety of beauty products, pills and tonics to the American market. Ads for these appear between recipes for cocktails and mixed drinks that had become popular prior to Prohibition, along with long-lost formulas for multiple bitters and cordials. 

Jayne’s introduction explains: ‘Of the making of drinks there is no end. Even to classify all known mixed drinks into headings would be a formidable task. However, since the blending of liquors, wines and other delectable beverages into satisfying drinks has been more or less a secret art for the past decade or more, our happy escape from the restrictions of the Eighteenth Amendment (may it rest in peace!) calls for some sudden expert knowledge of these mixtures.’ 

Cognac dilutes elegantly, making it a great fit in cocktails with crushed ice, such as the Mojito Criollo No. 3. If it’s the Jamaican dark rum that floats your boat, steer towards the English Cobbler, which combines the spirit with citrus and black tea.

Jayne’s Bartender’s Guide, 1934 

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) Cognac 

½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup 

1 strawberry, halved 

6–8 mint leaves 

½ oz (15 ml) Jamaican dark rum, to float 

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Method

Muddle strawberry and mint with simple syrup in a frozen Julep cup, then add Cognac. Fill the cup with crushed ice, swizzle, then top with more crushed ice and float rum.

GARNISH: mint bouquet 

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