A Bit of History of the Mint Julep:
May 6, 2023 will mark the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. The derby means three things: wearing your best formal clothes, sporting big hats, and drinking frosty mint juleps. The mint julep recipe first emerged in the 1700s and was typically consumed by Virginian farmers in place of coffee. (That makes me feel better about my morning coffee with Baileys.)
The Kentucky Derby takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, and is often referred to as “the greatest two minutes in sports.” The mint julep has been promoted as the official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938 and contains none other than good old Kentucky bourbon. For a whiskey to be considered a bourbon, it must be produced in America and made from 51% corn as well as stored in new oak charred barrels. About 95% of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky. Here is a mint julep recipe that is 100% big hat approved.
Mint Julep
Ingredients
Instructions
Gather all your ingredients, including whatever dark liquor is sitting on a shelf in your dorm or apartment but keep in mind that it won’t be an authentic mint julep if its not bourbon!
Add 4-5 fresh mint leaves to a highball or rocks glass.
Add the 2 teaspoons of water and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar and muddle all the ingredients together.
Fill the cup with ice and pour the 2 oz of bourbon in. (About 2 regular sized shot glasses or 1 tall double shot).
Stir it all up and add the finishing touch: a sprig of mint…and maybe a little more bourbon.
Put on your big hat and let the race (to finish your drink) begin!