Recipe of the Week – Caution!!! Mint Julip
April 27, 2009
(From The Misc Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Mint Julip
It don’t know anything about horse racing, seriously nothing. Once a year horse racing brings me to a point I look forward to… the Kentucky Derby and that brings me to the Mint Julip. This decadent drink is served at the Kentucky Derby. It is sooooo good and sooooo dangerous that we only drink it the first weekend in May; and maybe into that first week finishing off the leftovers.
My own attachment to the Mint Julip started in my twenties when the over exuberance for life led myself and others down the path of “it’s Derby Day let’s have a party.” We started with normal gatherings and then each year was spent “out-doing” the previous years. The one that finally put an end to the “destruction” was a costume party: each guest was required to dress up for the derby. There were Civil War Generals, southern ladies in big hats and a horse and jockey. I especially remember that one as I was part of the horse, and I am pleased to announce I manged to get the front part in the duet and not forced to be the horse’s a.. anyway the costumes are gone but the Mint Julips live on.
Before my Kentucky friends write in to complain that only bourbon made in Kentucky is truly bourbon I apologize in advance for my Jack Daniels thing. Really any good bourbon, or “sour mash” as the others are called will work. Just make sure that you serve these very, very cold, lots of ice and more importantly sip. Drinking these down with an open mouth will result in severe state of remorse and lots of aspirin.
Mint Julip
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Misc |
| Meal: | Derby Day (Theme Meal Plans) |
| 1 | cup | sugar, white |
| 1 | cup | water |
| 2 | oz | mint, fresh |
| 16 | oz | bourbon, Jack Daniels |
Make a simple mint syrup* by boiling sugar and water together for 5 minutes; cool. Place in a covered container with 6 or 8 bruised (crushed against the side of glass with a spoon) mint sprigs. Refrigerate overnight.
Make a julep by filling a glass with crushed ice, then adding 1 tablespoon of mint syrup and 2 ounces of bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost outside of glass. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig
We paired the Mint Julips with finger foods and light desserts in our Derby Day theme meal at emealsforyou.com.
Entry Filed under: Misc. Tags: bourbon, horse racing, Jack Daniels, Kentucky Derby, mint drinks, mint julip, Run for the Roses.
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