The refreshing mint julep became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. The best way to toast Derby Day is with a mint julep in hand. The below recipe includes lots of mint, bourbon and peach syrup for a twist:
Ingredients:
12-15 fresh mint leaves
1 oz. peach syrup (we recommend recommends Monin)
Crushed ice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
3 ounces bourbon (we recommend Knob Creek)
Glass Type: old-fashioned glass
Instructions;
Place 1/4 oz. of the peach syrup and 5 or 6 leaves of mint in the bottom of a prechilled, dry 12-ounce glass or silver beaker. Add sugar and crush slightly with a muddler. Pack glass with finely cracked ice. Pour a generous 3 ounces of Kentucky bourbon over the ice. Stir briskly until the glass frosts. Add more ice and stir again before serving. Stick a few sprigs of mint into the ice so that the partaker will get the aroma.
Still not enough mint flavor? Try this: For each julep, lightly cover about 10 sprigs of mint with superfine sugar, add an ounce of spring water, macerate, let stand for 10-15 minutes, and strain through a fine sieve into the ice-filled glass. Then add whiskey and proceed as above. If you’ll stoop to maceration, you might also want to float 1/2 ounce of dark Jamaica rum on top.
Below: The Mint Julep is the drink of choice for the Kentucky Derby. Matt Ufford sets out to Saxon and Parole in New York City to make the perfect mint julep and other bourbon/whiskey drinks.
