Hazeltine Bootleg
Chances are you won't ever find yourself inside the clubhouse at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Certainly you won't find yourself there this weekend during the Ryder Cup; only Team USA and their families will be allowed inside at that time.
There's nothing preventing you from imbibing on one of the cocktails that Team USA players and their families will have access to, though.
Before security and privacy needs closed the place even to members, Hazeltine's food & beverage manager, Dan Nielsen, shared the recipe for a member favorite – the Bootleg. The combination of citrus and mint can be made ahead of time, and in a large batch, to slake a crowd with ease.
Dan told me that the history of the Bootleg (sometimes called the Bootlegger) extends to before Prohibition, and is a bit like the history of the Ju(i)cy Lucy; multiple golf clubs lay claim to inventing it, and each makes it a little differently. Still, the cocktail is a unique product of Minnesota.
The recipe for the Hazeltine Bootleg is open to interpretation; feel free to substitute any of your favorite clear liquors: vodka, white rum, aquavit, and blanco tequila all work equally well!
Batch Recipe:
- 12 oz lemonade concentrate
- 12 oz limeade concentrate
- 3 oz fresh key lime juice
- 3 oz fresh lemon juice
- 30 mint sprigs
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix.
Instructions:
To make a cocktail, pour over ice in a pint glass:
- 1 ½ ounce of preferred spirit (vodka, gin, or rum)
- Roughly 2 oz of bootleg mix
Top with press (splash soda water, and a splash of Sprite). Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge.
Hazeltine National Golf Club is a private club and closed to guests not accompanied by a member. The course opened for play to club members in 1962 and, since then, has hosted the U.S. Open for both men and women; the U.S. Seniors Open; the PGA Championship, and the Ryder Cup, among other major tournaments.
(952) 556-5400