Mint Julep
Bourbon, mint, sugar, and more crushed ice than seems reasonable. The frost on the outside of the cup is the whole point.
- Serves
- 1
Mint Julep
Bourbon and mint over crushed ice, packed until the cup frosts. It looks simple and people still get it wrong, usually by muddling the mint to shreds.
Mint is bruised, not pulverized. Press it gently against the sugar until you smell it, and stop. Torn mint leaves release chlorophyll and the drink turns grassy and bitter.
Tips
- Crushed ice, not cubes. It's what makes the cup frost and what dilutes at the right rate.
- Slap the garnish sprig between your palms before planting it. It wakes the oils up.
- A metal cup frosts properly and a glass one doesn't, which is the only reason the julep cup exists.
Ingredients
Make these first
Method
-
Put the mint leaves and syrup in the bottom of a julep cup or a rocks glass.
-
Press the mint gently against the sugar a few times, just until it smells strongly of mint. Don't shred it.
-
Fill the cup halfway with crushed ice and add the bourbon.
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Stir until the outside of the cup frosts.
-
Top with more crushed ice, mounded above the rim.
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Plant the mint sprig next to a straw, so your nose is in it when you drink.
If it's not right
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grassy and bitter | the mint was muddled too hard. | |
| Too strong at the start, watery at the end | not enough ice, or not stirred until it frosted. | |
| No aroma | no garnish sprig, or it went in unslapped. |
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