To celebrate the Kentucky Derby on May 2, Léon 1909 on Shelter Island presents the Blanket Finish cocktail, created by Beverage Director Gillian Georges. It’s a refined take on a Derby classic that blends bourbon with ripe stone fruit, a touch of smoke, and fresh mint, finishing smooth with a gentle, tangy lift.
Blanket Finish
Ingredients
- 2 oz Michter’s Bourbon
- 2–3 wedges charred nectarine
- 1 oz Cointreau-soaked apricots (plus ½ oz soaking liquid)
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 6–8 mint leaves
- Laphroaig mist
Method
Muddle the charred nectarine, apricots, mint, and lemon juice gently in a shaker. Add bourbon and apricot-Cointreau soaking liquid. Shake with ice until well chilled. Double strain over fresh-crushed ice in a rocks glass. Finish with a light Laphroaig mist over the top. Garnish with a mint sprig and three thin slices of charred nectarine.