With the 135th Kentucky Derby being run today, there’s really only one choice for what to drink: A Mint Julep. The Julep brings to mind old Southern days of relaxing on the veranda, but has become as synonymous with the Derby as roses.
The Julep is potent drink (it’s essentially all bourbon) but is meant to be cold and drank slowly – you know, on that hot veranda.
You really only need a couple of ingredients: mint, bourbon, sugar, and ice.
Add 4-6 mint leaves to the bottom of your glass*
Add ½ oz of simple syrup**
Lightly muddle the mint into the simple syrup
Add 3 oz. bourbon
Add crushed ice to top of glass
Use a bar-spoon to stir until the contents are really cold
Garnish with mint sprig.
Put your feet up, relax and enjoy the Derby.
* there are special julep-cups. I don’t have one, which seems like an egregious home-bar oversight on my part.
** you can use 1 tsp powered sugar, but I don’t like the texture.
Stevil 
Nice. Put me down for three of them please.
[SOOOO good]
Where's the pic of you in your Derby hat?
Oh man, I forgot to watch the horses run, bummer. I thought of earlier today and then forgot.
Bobby Flay ? on Rachael Ray made his with the same ingredients but after he had finished he poured an additional splash of bourbon over the crushed ice! MOM/PAT
Ummm…. if that's one per family member, I'm afraid the Goddaughter isn't old enough yet… :)
Oddly, we didn't put on Derby hats…. though the Beloved has made me promise we would go one year to see the Derby — complete with hats… :)
I remember that on Bobby Flay! These turned out pretty well… ;)
Grandma-P — it was a fun race (though sloppy track) — on to Pimlico!
Shame on you for not having julep cups! (Just kidding.) My husband has one – not sterling silver or pewter (like real julep cups), of course, but it gets icy cold with the drink!
Hum… we have a problem. I did not even consider that Rob and the God-daughter may want one. I guess that means I need 5, not three.
I kept saying I was going to have a mint julep when I was in Savannah a year or so ago, but never did. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever even tasted bourbon.
Eileen — I actually cracked one of our thinner glasses because I got it so cold. It split and everything went all over the counter — tragic!
Never. Tasted. Bourbon? Wow — we gotta fix that.
The list of drinks you need to make for me is constantly growing. I do need to start saving for a plane ticket.