In honor of the Kentucky Derby, I present you with this delicious, refreshing, icy cold…
Mint Julep Cocktail!
Fresh mint, a wee bit of sugar, muddled together with a good dose of bourbon and a couple generous splashes of club soda, and garnished with more mint, stimulating and refreshing!
Mint Juleps are a longtime tradition for Derby goers, read this fun article on how the Mint Julep came to be the drink of the Kentucky Derby.
How to Make a Mint Julep
If desired, place your cocktail glasses in freezer (or your traditional silver cup) 20-30 minutes before serving so they are icy cold.
Assemble your drink by adding your mint leaves and your sugar to the cold glass.
Muddle your mint and your all natural sugar together.
What is muddling you ask, no it’s different than meddling, you actually want someone to muddle for you! 🙂 It’s gently crushing the mint along with sugar using a muddler (or even the end of a rolling pin should work). Just don’t maul it, this article is quite comical about what can happen if you over-muddle your mint.
Next pour in a dribble of bourbon and mixing with the minty sugar for a minute, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Pour in a scoop of crushed ice and then pour in the balance of your bourbon.
TIP | No crushed ice? No problem, place ice cubes in a sturdy freezer baggie, I just used the bottom of a cast iron pan and crushed the heck out of it. Or you can place in your blender on the “chop” or “crush” function.
Fill the glass with crushed ice and add club soda to top it off.
Garnish with a few mint leaves and serve with a small [amazon_textlink asin=’B00260JOYK’ text=’stirring stick’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thefreshcoo0a-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c4df4628-4d71-11e8-9b2a-5182fe0e8acf’] or [amazon_textlink asin=’B00B4M83MU’ text=’cocktail straw’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thefreshcoo0a-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0e38488b-4d72-11e8-991f-c75cbfcd1f69′].
If you don’t like a strong julep, simply make it in a taller glass, adding more club soda. It is quite strong in a small glass, though not bad! If you want to be traditional, serve it in a chilled silver cup.
This drink is also perfectly, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
*This post is for adults 21 and older only, please drink responsibly.
Serve these refreshing drinks with my Kentucky Butter Cake
RECOMMENDED FOR THIS RECIPE!
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This recipe for a delicious, refreshing, icy cold Mint Julep cocktail is perfect for any celebration or Derby party. Fresh mint, a wee bit of sugar, muddled together with a dose of bourbon and a couple generous splashes of club soda.
Ingredients
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar (such as Castor sugar)
- 1.5 – 2.5 oz Bourbon Whiskey
- Club Soda
- Mint sprigs for garnish
- Crushed Ice
Instructions
- If desired, freeze glass(es) for 20-30 minutes prior to serving.
- Tear off 10 mint leaves and place in bottom of glass, add sugar and muddle gently.
- Just a few presses and twists should release the minty fragrance and oils, don’t overdo it.
- Pour in a tablespoon or so of the bourbon and mix gently to dissolve the sugar.
- Add a scoop of crushed ice, then the balance of your bourbon.
- Top glass off with crushed ice and then fill with club soda.
- Garnish with sprig of mint and cocktail straw.
- Enjoy responsibly.
Notes
© 2018 | This recipe for Mint Julep Cocktail was featured first on The Fresh Cooky.
Keywords: mint julep, southern cocktail, game day, superbowl, kentucky derby, party drink, bourbon, whiskey, St. Patrick's day
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