Happy Hour Friday: Mint Julep

Mint Julep. Mint Joo-lip. The name of the drink rolls off the tongue as readily as that bourbon goes down. This is a true southern cocktail, friends. Never mind that Mint Juleps are are associated with that Derby Day bullshit (I hate horse racing and I wish it was illegal); I like to think of juleps as independently fabulous, regardless of that association. Often thought of as backward and dimwitted, us southerners can actually lay claim to several important cultural contributions such as the julep, Andre 3000 of Outkast, and Al Gore and his environmental crusades. We got it goin' on down here.

In the south, mint grows like a weed in herb gardens, pots on the porch, or alongside houses near drippy faucets, dying back in the winter but always returning in the spring ready to offer itself up for juleps. The Mint Julep is a cocktail you can experiment with, adding infused bourbons or simple syrups (my friend Lara adds peach infused simple syrup and muddles fresh mint instead). Adjust it to your liking. This is one to make your own.

"They say that you may always know the grave of a Virginian as, from the quantity of julep he has drunk, mint invariably springs up where he has been buried."

Quote attributed to Capt. Marryat, C.B., 1840

From Flip 'N Drink, the cocktail app by Gary Regan

Mint Julep

2 oz. bourbon

1 oz. mint infused simple syrup

5-6 sprigs of mint for garnish

lots of crushed ice

straw

Add crushed ice to a julep or collins glass until 2/3 full. Add the bourbon and simple syrup and stir well. Add more crushed ice until it piles over the top of the glass. Add the mint garnish and a straw.


To make mint infused syrup:
Bring to a boil 1 c. water, 1c. sugar and one bunch of fresh mint. Simmer for 5 minutes, cool, and strain into a bottle. Add a little vodka to stabilize it and it will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks, maybe longer if your lucky.