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a hand picking up a bootlegger drink in a tall glass, garnished with lemon and mint.

Bootlegger Drink

Cindy
The Bootlegger is famous in Minnesota, and delicious no matter where you live. One sip and you will quickly fall in love with this minty-lemon-lime combination!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 drink
Calories 1048 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Mint Syrup

  • 1 1/2 cups water divided
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 medium-sized lemons juiced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 large limes juiced (about 1/4 cup)

For the Cocktail

  • 2 ounces mint syrup
  • 2 ounces vodka
  • Club soda enough to fill the glass

Instructions
 

To make Mint Syrup:

  • Combine 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has fully dissolved— about 5 minutes. Remove the simple syrup from the heat and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. 
  • Juice lemons and limes.
    a hand juicing lemons and limes, viewed from overhead
  • Transfer the simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, and mint leaves to a blender, along with the remaining 1 cup of water.  Blend until the syrup is well combined and the mint is finely chopped— about 30 seconds on high speed. 
  • Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. One batch of syrup will make about 8 cocktails. You can store the syrup in the fridge for up to four days. 

To make a Bootlegger Cocktail:

  • Pour 2 oz of the mint syrup into a cocktail shaker or highball glass. 
    mint syrup added to a cocktail glass
  • Pour 2 oz of the vodka into a cocktail shaker or highball glass. Stir to combine. ( If using a cocktail shaker, transfer the mixture into a highball glass.)
    vodka added to a cocktail glass
  • Fill the cup with ice and top club soda. 
    soda added to a tall highball glass
  • Garnish with a wheel of lemon and sprig of fresh mint, if desired. Enjoy immediately.
    Bootlegger drink in a tall glass, garnished with mint leaves

Notes

  • This recipe makes enough simple syrup to make 8 bootlegger cocktails. Each individual drink uses 2 ounces of the syrup and 2 ounces of vodka. 
  • The vodka can be substituted for gin or bourbon— or left out entirely for a nonalcoholic variation.
  • I like my bootlegger cocktails on the sweeter side! If you prefer a more sour drink, you can add one extra lemon and one extra lime, or reduce the amount of sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/3 or 1/4 cup— depending on your taste preferences.
    • Keyword bootlegger drink