Mr. Boston Peppermint

Mr. Boston Peppermint is a peppermint-flavored liqueur, the kind of bottle that sits in the cordial section for one clear job: bringing cool, minty sweetness to a drink. The details supplied for this product are limited to the name, the category, and the Mr. Boston label. Everything below about flavor and strength describes how peppermint liqueurs of this type usually behave, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect a clean mint aroma, a noticeably sweet body, and a cooling finish. Bottlings in this style are usually lower in proof than a standard spirit, so they read softer and rounder on the palate than a vodka or whiskey. Because the sweetness is up front, peppermint liqueur works best when something balances it. Poured neat in a small cordial glass, it makes a compact after-dinner sip, and chilling the bottle first tones down the sugar and sharpens the mint. Over ice in a rocks glass it opens up slowly, and a splash of club soda or a longer pour of cold milk or cream turns it into an easy long drink. Many people also add a measure to hot chocolate or coffee, where the mint reads as a familiar winter flavor. As a cocktail modifier it has a few classic roles. The Grasshopper combines peppermint liqueur, white crème de cacao, and cream, shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled coupe, and it gets its pale green color from a green mint liqueur. A clear peppermint liqueur gives you the same flavor with a white drink. The Stinger pairs peppermint liqueur with brandy, usually two parts brandy to one part liqueur, stirred or shaken cold and served up or over crushed ice. For a quick shot-style serve, a small pour over chocolate liqueur or Irish cream layers well. Treat it as an accent in most recipes, since a quarter to half an ounce often supplies enough mint to be noticed. For food, it suits chocolate desserts, brownies, and vanilla or chocolate ice cream, either poured over the top or blended into a milkshake. A small amount stirred into whipped cream or frosting gives baked goods a mint note without extract. Store the bottle upright in a cool spot and keep it capped, since mint aromatics fade once the bottle has been open for a long time.