Alpine Mud | A White Sage, Wild Mint, Milk, Chocolate + Bourbon Cocktail

The second (and final) recipe of my Juniper Ridge Wildcrafted Tea collaboration with Kristan Raines of The Broken Bread is a bourbon cocktail that I’m absolutely head over heels for — and just in time for National Bourbon Heritage Month!

I infused whole milk with JR’s White Sage & Wild Mint Tea and fresh mint leaves, whipped in some melted semi-sweet chocolate to create a “muddy” chocolate milk, chilled the mixture, then poured it over ice and a shot of bourbon. This is a total comfort cocktail. The hints of crisp mint and sweet sage combined with the smooth, milky chocolate and spicy bourbon remind me of a darker, more decadent milk punch. It’s the perfect fall/winter beverage with a fresh, outdoorsy twist.

Kristan and I decided to make little videos to share along with our cocktail recipes, so please watch and I hope you enjoy!

A huge thank you to Brad Nolan of Bradley Quinn Photography for filming this, to AJ Hochhalter for the incredible music I used, and to The Livery crew for letting me play with tea and bourbon in their stunning space for an afternoon! I’m always blown away by the talents and generosity of my friends here in Lexington.

The following photo series captures the creation of 4 Alpine Muds and an evening in my tiny kitchen with good friends who were visiting from Nashville. The perfect closing to a long weekend.

I do hope you give this recipe a try! Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite fall/winter cocktails are — and if you make this one, let me know how you liked it! I would love to hear from you!

Don’t forget to hop over to The Broken Bread today for “The Greenleaf” — Kristan’s take on a Juniper Ridge Wildcrafted Tea Cocktail!

Alpine Mud
White Sage, Wild Mint, Milk, Chocolate Bourbon

2 cups whole milk
3 White Sage & Wild Mint Tea Bags from Juniper Ridge
About 2 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, torn
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 oz. bourbon per 8 oz. tumbler (I used Buffalo Trace)
Ice
Whole mint leaves for garnish

Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.

Add milk to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and steep teabags and 1 tbsp. of the torn mint leaves for 10 minutes.

Remove the teabags, set them aside and bring the milk to a light simmer. Remove from heat and immediately strain into the bowl of chocolate chips (removing the torn mint leaves), stirring until the chips are melted. I like to keep the chocolate from melting completely because I enjoy that “muddy” texture in the finished cocktail, but if you prefer it smooth, stir until the chocolate is completely dissolved. If the mixture cools before the chocolate is fully melted, reheat and keep stirring!

Add the used teabags to the chocolate milk along with the rest of the torn mint leaves. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Remove teabags from the bowl and pour mixture into a glass pitcher or jar. At this point, you can store it in the fridge or use right away.

Fill up to six chilled 8 oz. tumblers about 3/4 with ice. Pour a shot of bourbon into each glass, then add your infused chocolate mix to fill. You can transfer the contents to a shaker at this point, or stir to combine. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy!