fbpx
Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

View From Your Mint Julep

How about that! That’s a mint julep I’m currently drinking, and the mallet that crushed the ice. I’ve been in Franklin, La., all day, speaking to the Rotary Club, and visiting with my friend Stephen Stirling, a woodworker who made this beautiful mallet by hand for me. The head is persimmon wood: Here’s Stephen and […]

get-attachment-1

How about that! That’s a mint julep I’m currently drinking, and the mallet that crushed the ice. I’ve been in Franklin, La., all day, speaking to the Rotary Club, and visiting with my friend Stephen Stirling, a woodworker who made this beautiful mallet by hand for me. The head is persimmon wood:

get-attachment-3

Here’s Stephen and me, on the back porch of his Creole cottage on Bayou Teche:

get-attachment-4

get-attachment-5

I am going to name my cocktail-ice-smashing julep mallet “Uncle Walker.” If you come down for the Walker Percy Weekend, I’ll let you fondle it. Last year, I featured some of the wooden spoons Stephen made. He’s working on his Etsy store now, but if you want a mallet or a muddler for your bar, write me at rod (at) amconmag.com, and I’ll put you in touch with Stephen. This mallet is already a treasure of mine. Get you one!

Stephen, his wife, and kids live in this 19th-century Creole cottage that he restored. This, friends, is home. If you come down for the Walker Percy Weekend, I suspect you’ll get to meet Stephen, and talk to him about his work. You should come; he’s something else. Thanks, nice people of Franklin, for having me today.

get-attachment-2

Advertisement

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Subscribe for as little as $5/mo to start commenting on Rod’s blog.

Join Now