Cheers! Here's how to make the perfect Mint Julep for Derby Day
The classic cocktail called the Mint Julep is enjoying an anniversary this year. During the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep celebrates its 80th year as the official drink of the Derby.
In 1938, the year Lawrin, a Kansas-born horse won the running of the roses, the mint julep was declared the official drink of the event. While Lawrin retired soon after his win because of a bowed tendon, the julep held fast as the choice sipper for horse racing fans every year since.
Traditionally served in pewter julep cups with crushed or shaved ice, this beautifully chilled bourbon drink is surprisingly simple to make.
Three ingredients and very little prep work are required. However, even though it is a simple cocktail to construct, it is also an easy cocktail to make horribly wrong.
Too much bourbon will leave you sleeping in paddocks, missing the entire race. If you use the wrong ice, the drink will not dilute properly, and you’ll be sipping watered down minty bourbon.
There are even guidelines for how to hold a julep cup. Etiquette says to hold the cup either from the top rim or the bottom rim so frost can develop on the outside of the cup.
Keeping the drink frosty, well-iced and allowing for proper dilution will ensure your enjoyment during the most exciting 10 furlongs of the year.
The Mint Julep has a much longer history than just being served at the Kentucky Derby. Recipes can be found dating back to the 1700s when it was considered a medicinal drink used by farmers for an energy boost before going out into the field.
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Recipes for mint juleps in the 1800s often used spirits other than bourbon, such as brandy. Recipes varied depending on the bartenders making it.
During Derby weekend at Churchill Downs, more than 120,000 mint juleps will be sold. That’s a lot considering 155,000 people are expected to attend.
If you can’t be at the Derby in person and want to wear a fabulous hat while sitting at home sipping a julep, making them on your own is super simple.
A few days before the race is the perfect time to make a mint simple syrup. Mix two cups of water with two cups of sugar into a pot. Add mint leaves from a sprig of mint and stir while the pot comes to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool.
Once your mint syrup has cooled, transfer it a glass bottle and store in the fridge. It will keep for up to two weeks.
Once you have made your mint syrup, the preparation to make juleps is complete.
On Derby Day, set out bourbon, mint syrup, fresh mint and an ice bucket filled with crushed ice. Don’t forget your julep cups. Metal cups work best to keep the cocktail chilled and frosted to ensure maximum sipping enjoyment.
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In absence of julep cups, copper Moscow Mule mugs work well.
You can also create a delicious variation of the traditional Mint Julep by adding 3 dashes of rosewater to the cocktail.
This subtle floral note adds a bright flavor layer to the sweet bourbon and mint. But be cautious of not adding too much rosewater, or you’ll feel like you’re drinking your grandmother’s perfume.
So make your trifecta pick, place your bets and sip a julep for the 144th running of the great Kentucky Derby.
Mint Julep
2.5 ounces Kentucky Bourbon
1 ounce mint simple syrup
Crushed Ice
Mint Sprigs
Lightly muddle 4-5 mint leaves in the bottom of a julep cup. Add crushed ice to fill the cup almost to overflowing. Pour bourbon then mint simple syrup into the cup. Stir gently. Garnish with a mint sprig or two. Insert straw and swizzle stick, enjoy!
Christina Jordan is a member of the Straw Hat Barmen and an advocate for quality cocktails. Her book, Everyday Exotic Cocktails, Florida Edition, features 50 recipes for fresh, easy-to-make, exotic cocktails with a Florida twist. It is available through Amazon and Etsy. She recently published her second book, Every Day Exotic Cocktails, Country Chic Edition.