![]() ![]() I’ve made completely identical juleps and placed one in a rocks glass and the other in a pewter or silver cup. Tips on Making a Classic Mint Julep Use a Metal Cup for your Mint Julep ![]() I nestle the straw right next to it and sip away.Īs simple as that is, there are some tips and tricks I’ll mention for you here. After I spank a sprig of mint against my wrist or back of my hand I place it in the drink. Next I fill the glass with crushed ice, add bourbon and give it a quick swirl. You just want to wake up the mint, not abuse it. I take a mint leaf and rub it along the inside of a julep cup, then add a little simple syrup and 9 or 10 additional mint leaves dropped into the bottom of the cup. How to Make a Mint Julep Classic Mint Julep But we can hope that all of Louisville, and many others around the world, will lift a julep cup filled with crushed ice, a little sugar, and a lovely dose of mint to help up celebrate this Saturday. This week, in 2020, with no crowds, far fewer people will be drinking at the track. In a normal Derby week, Churchill Downs would serve well over 120,000 mint Juleps. Now while the julep was associated with Virginia and the south, it didn’t become the official drink of the Kentucky Derby until 1938. The contributions of African Americans to the history of cocktails in this country has been under-represented for centuries and we’re just now able to get some of that back through dedicated research and historical investigation. Both articles are wonderful deeper dives into the subject. Although they document what’s known about African American bartenders in history, there’s much more we don’t know. We know so little about early bartenders of color, I’ve got two links for you to check out for more information about early black bartenders: The Lost African American Bartenders who Created the Cocktail and The All Too Quite History of Black Mixology. It’s likely most of the mint juleps made in the south were first made by enslaved people of wealthy families in the South. Another former enslaved man was John Dabney who famously served juleps at the Sweet Springs resort in West Virginia. And one of the most famous julep slingers in the country was an emancipated man name Cato Alexander around 1811 in New York. It became a regional drink associated with the south and Virginia in particular. The first mint juleps, born in the south, were likely crafted by enslaved hands. The Connection Between the Mint Julep and the South Several presidents sipped on them as well – Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and others. It was popularized first in the south, but rose to fame throughout the country. Like the old fashioned, the julep has its root in sweetening tinctures and medicines for easy consumption.īut with the accessibility of ice in the early 1800s, the mint julep was born – served over a cup of chilled, crushed ice, with a little sugar and mint, the julep softened whiskies of the time (although cognac, brandy or rye were likely the first spirits used). For centuries, the word julep (and its related terms in various European languages) referred to concoctions for medicinal use sweetened with syrup. The mint julep is an old cocktail, probably from the 1700s and its origins go back centuries further to find the related word julab in Arabic for sweetened rose water. History of the Mint Julep Classic Mint Julep We’ve all got a personal history with the drink. For those of us in Kentucky, the mint julep is an experience, not just a cocktail. The mint julep is about the experience of the cold cup, the tickle of the mint against your nose as you take a sip and the long slow burn of bourbon after each sip. To me, even thinking about the smell and taste of a julep takes me back to the track and family Derby parties. ![]() A well-made mint julep can be dangerously easy to drink. ![]() It cools you off, delivers sweet refreshment and keeps its flavor as it melts. The julep may be associated with horseracing and the Kentucky Derby in particular, but it’s the best kind of summer drink. Traditionally served in a pewter or silver cup, it’s garnished with a healthy sprig of fresh mint as the herbal garnish, with a straw tucked close into the mint so that with every sip of the julep you get a nice whiff of mint, too. (Post may contain affiliate links) What is a Mint Julep?Īt its most basic, the mint julep is a recipe with whiskey, sugar, mint and lots of ice. Endlessly refreshing and simple to build it’s also a cocktail with hundreds of tasty variations. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Classic Mint JulepĪs a classic summer cocktail, it doesn’t get much better or easier than the mint julep. ![]()
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