Here's what I think: the world will end but the recipe for a Mint Julep will remain. It's one of those drinks that have survived the ravages of time and will always be with us. I'd like to tell you something about its origin, history and the recipe. So go clip some mint leaves and come join me on the front porch so we can sit a spell and discuss the Mint Julep's legacy.If you went out on a survey-tour and asked for names of the world's most known classic cocktails, the Mint Julep would surely be one of them. It has a classy, Southern, even literary aura about it. Mint Juleps are served at the Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans, and the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. Binx Bolling, the hero of the novel The Moviegoer, drinks them on a hot summer day. In fact, if you ask someone to name a drink that is famous in the American South they will likely say Mint Julep in an almost automatic fashion.
How did it reach this legendary universal status? Because it's simple, cool and delicious. The recipe for Mint Julep involves only three ingredients: Bourbon, sugar and mint. Oh, and ice. Lots of it. It's a cool summer drink well-suited to a hot climate, those days when work seems far away and there is time to unwind and address one's thirst.
The origin? Hard to say exactly, but Louisville, Kentucky seems like a good bet. The traditional horserace at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky has been a place where people have been sipping Mint Juleps since the late 1800s. But Louisville's habit could go even further back. One rumor has it that a barman there had grown a lot of mint in his garden and had a lot of bourbon in his bar. The Bourbon was already a big hit -- now what to do with the mint? He combined the Bourbon and the mint, added some shaved ice -- and voila! The Mint Julep. World Class Cocktail. (One that is still very connected to the classic horserace).
And that word “julep”? One story claims that doctors in those 19th Century days masked the unpleasant taste of medicine with a sugar syrup called a “julep.” Thus the aroma of the mint and sweetness of the sugar are masking what -- in those days -- was considered the harsh taste of Bourbon. (Probably not the delicious aged bourbons one finds in Kentucky these days.) Many American states claim the Mint Julep as its own. Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Maryland and Georgia all say they were first. Even England has tried to make a case as the originator of the Mint Julep. But they better not say that when they visit the American South. Bottom line: this drink originated in USA. We know that because bourbon is a true and genuine American invention.
Nowadays there are many variations of the Mint Julep. For instance, I remember that on my trips to Asia this drink was on offer almost everywhere. The proud barman had his own pot of mint standing on the counter. (Remember the 1800s barman?) Even the famous bartender Dale De Groff has his own Mint Julep. He “spices it up” by adding a touch of Apry -- apricot liquor -- to the classic recipe.
Some bartenders insist on using only mint sprigs with red stems, claiming this type of mint has a stronger and more aromatic flavor. My good friend Martin adds a splash of rum to the drink. As for myself, I prefer the Classic Mint Julep, ideally on a porch in the shade of a Georgia White Oak on a hot summer day. Cheers!
CLASSIC MINT JULEP1 part Bourbon
4 fresh Mint sprigs
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon confectioner’s sugar
Place the mint sprigs into a julep cup, a highball glass or a Collins glass. Add the water and sugar. Gently muddle. Fill the glass (and I mean fill) with crushed ice. Pour the Bourbon. Stir and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve with straws.
