My Favorite Drink: The Mint Julep

So, I am a total southern girl through and through….I grew up playing on the riverbanks of the Tallahatchie River in the Mississippi dirt with skinned knees, wore smocked dresses, always (and still do!) use “yes, ma’am!” and “yes, sir!”, football was second to God in my home…although I pretty much just loved all the fashion instead!, everything in my life can be improved with a monogram, my favorite fabrics are gingham, seersucker, grosgrain, and cotton pique, a bowtie turns me on, I eat “supper” at night, I made my “debut” in college, and girl, do I love my bourbon! Reese Witherspoon (and my mama) says it best…I’m a little whiskey in a teacup…which is why if you don’t find me unwinding with a glass of wine most evenings (because….#momlife), you will find me sipping a whiskey/bourbon drink of some sorts…on the rocks, mixed with water, an old fashioned, or a julep….I pretty much love them all!

When I graduated from high school, I began receiving what is now a small collection of julep cups…yes, in the south you get them for high school graduation….haha! Heck! My boys have already received their first cups. :):):) #onlyinthesouth And then for wedding gifts, we received a few more. Did you know they make them for most of the SEC states? They are so pretty! I’ve linked them here…simply click on the photos! Of course I am partial to the Mississippi one! 🙂

Mississippi Mint Julep Cup

Kentucky Mint Julep Cup

Georgia Mint Julep Cup

Carolina Mint Julep Cup

Louisiana Mint Julep Cup

Tennessee Julep Cup

Alabama Mint Julep Cup

In the warmer months of the year…pretty much beginning with Easter weekend or the Kentucky Derby weekend, you can always find a container of simple syrup ready to go in our fridge. There is just nothing like a great mint julep! And you can add all kinds of flavors and fun twists, but at the end of the day, the real thing is pretty dang good!

When I make my mint julep, I probably slightly change the portions a little bit each time, but here is my attempt to put it into recipe form:

Southern Mint Julep
Serves 4

Raw cane sugar – 1 cup
Filtered water – 1 cup
Bulleit bourbon – this is my fav, but I know the Kentucky Derby endorses Woodford Reserve
Mint leaves
Crushed

Begin by making your simple syrup! This is the easy part…1 part sugar to 1 part water. Place both of the ingredients into a small boiler and heat on medium high heat. While that is heating, place about 4 mint leaves in each cup and use your muddler (click on the photo below if you don’t have one) to muddle the leaves into the walls and base of the cup. You are basically crushing the leaves to release the mint oils and give the drink its mint flavor. The simple syrup is finished when the sugar is dissolved into the water. The drink will have a more “syrup” consistency if you allow more time for the liquid to cook down, but sometimes I am not super patient with this part of the process, and I just use it when it is super liquidy. 🙂 It works. Haha! Fill your julep cups with crushed ice….this is the most important part! Do not serve this drink over large cubes…it goes down too quickly, and you will be drunkety drunk drunk before you know it! (trust me!) If you don’t have an ice crusher in your refrigerator, use a blender or add ice to a gallon baggie, place a kitchen towel over it, and pound the ice with a wooden spoon. Use your jigger to measure a 1oz pour of bourbon into the glasses…you may decide you need 2, but start with one. Then fill remaining space with syrup…about 1/2 cup and garnish with fresh mint sprig. Yum! Enjoy!

Happy Derby Day! We are thinking of going next year so please comment below with any suggestions for places to stay, what to do, what to see!! Excited to see what you share!