Luxury Portfolio Vol. 07 Issue 02 - George Scarpias

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PROOF ON MAIN AT THE 21C Louisville, KY

LA MAMOUNIA Marrakesh, Morocco

Say mint julep to many people and they immediately think of the Kentucky Derby. In the Derby’s hometown of Louisville, the art-filled 21c hotel serves the famous cocktail at their well-regarded Proof on Main bar. Founded by arts patrons Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, 21c brings works of art to the public through innovative exhibitions and their art-filled bar. Their mint julep is made with Kentucky’s own Woodford Reserve Bourbon and fresh mint and is served in a classic silver julep tumbler. The bar also offers a comprehensive bourbon library and a bourbon flight. proofonmain.com Recommendations: If you are staying for a meal, a perfect pairing with a mint julep is their famous bison burger served with their house-made Jezebel sauce, a tangy concoction of apricot preserves, apple jelly, horseradish and spices. THE SLANTED DOOR San Francisco, CA Mint is an essential grace note in Vietnamese cooking, adding delicate flavor to the rice vermicelli salads such as bun bo and bun cha. In 1995, Charles Phan and his family started their first restaurant, The Slanted Door, in the Mission district in San Francisco with an eye toward serving home-style Vietnamese food in a modern setting. The Slanted Door has been at its current location, The Ferry Building, since 2004 and works with farmers at Ferry Building farmers’ market to source fresh ingredients. It received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2014. slanteddoor.com 2 Recommendations: Noodles are a popular favorite including an option with grilled organic chicken, cucumber and mint. The classic Slanted Door spring rolls feature gulf shrimp, pork, shallot mayonnaise, peanut sauce and of course, mint.

Moroccan mint tea, served in a stunning Moorish-inspired setting awaits visitors to the Menzeh pavilion at the famed

La Mamounia hotel and spa in Marrakesh. Opened in 1923, La

Mamounia was a favorite of Sir Winston Churchill and one of the hotel’s bars even bears his name. Surrounded by a lush garden, the tearoom offers a tea service with delicate traditional and contemporary sweets made by the hotel’s pastry chef. The tearoom is opened to guests at the hotel as well as other visitors and day passes to the hotel spa are available. mamounia.com Recommendations: After your mint tea, indulge in a stroll through the gardens of La Mamounia with ancient olive trees, lemon trees, jacarandas, bougainvillea, amaranth, agaves, prickly pear trees and more. JACQUES GENIN Paris, France Mint and chocolate have always been a natural match with cooling mint deliciously offsetting rich, dark chocolate. Chocolatier Jacques Genin is a Paris legend and said to be one of the best chocolate makers in the world, known for turning out prodigious amounts of sugary confections in his chocolate laboratory. He elevates the mint chocolate experience with his Menthe Amante, a chocolate ganache with fresh peppermint that is one of his shop’s best sellers. His delectable bonbons are packaged in elegant silvery metal boxes perfect for that person who has everything. jacquesgenin.fr Recommendations: After you’ve enjoyed a Menthe Amante, note that Genin is also known for his caramels which come in delicious flavors such as mango-passionfruit, raspberry, black currant, rhubarb and pistachio. A memorable treat not to be missed. 4

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