Stirred · 1800s
Mint Julep
Bourbon, sugar and mint over a mountain of crushed ice, in a cup that frosts.
Specification
| Bourbon | 70 ml |
| Sugar syrup 1:1 | 10 ml |
| Mint | 10 leaves plus a bushy sprig |
| Crushed ice | to fill twice |
Method
- 01Clap the mint leaves and press them gently into the cup with the syrup.
- 02Add bourbon and pack the cup half full with crushed ice.
- 03Churn with a spoon until the metal frosts, then mound more ice on top.
- 04Plant a mint bouquet at the straw and dust with sugar.
Where it comes from
Juleps predate the cocktail entirely — a mint julep was being drunk in Virginia by the 1780s, when it was as likely to be made with brandy or rum. It has been the drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938.
If you change one thing: Use a metal cup and hold it by the rim. The frost on the outside is the point, and a warm hand around the body melts it in seconds.