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Mint Julep
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- 4 ounces bourbon whiskey
- 4 to 6 sprigs of mint
- 2 sugar cubes
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Put Bourbon, Mint, and Sugar into the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
Muddle to dissolve sugar and blend mint leaves.
Let stand for a bit to help release the mint flavor.
Add ice, and shake well to chill, then strain into a glass filled with shaved ice.
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Mint Julep
Most likely originated in 1803, when John Davis, a travler from Britain and a Virginia plantation tutor, defined a julep as "a dram of spiritous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians of a morning". From there, it evolved into a putting mint and sugar into a tumbler, and then adding equal parts of peach and regular brandy. To this was added plenty of crushed ice.
Ahh, such a refreshing drink...
Up here in the bitter north, such cool and thrist
quenching drinks are rarely seen. Warmer drinks
such as the Coffee Nudge would be more appropriate.
But I do remember a trip to Atlanta some time ago
when I went Questing for a Mint Julep. Silly me
thought that it would be available everywhere in
the south, but I soon learned that my requests
would be quickly returned with a blank stare by
most bartenders.
I was then told by somebody that one place that
would surely have it would be "Aunt Fanny's
Cabin". A quick gathering of the troops (this was
a Comdex visit, so gang mentality was the norm) ,
and a heartily hailed cab, and we were on our way.
"Are we there yet?" was a oft repeated phrase
during our journey as we were led out of Atlanta,
and into the countryside beyond. But soon (in a
manner of speaking), we were brought up to an
extremely quaint looking building. It truely was a
'cabin' at one time. Apparently an old slave
cabin, that upon emancipation was converted to a
small restaurant. Over the years, it was added on
to in a rather haphazard way. It really is an
interesting structure. But back to the Julep...
The menu was down south cooking thru and thru.
Deep fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed
potatoes, okra, cornbread. But for starters, a
round of Mint Juleps for everyone!
They came in a narrow but tall 'souvenir' glass,
and while I had never had a Mint Julep before, I
think this was a pretty good example of what they
'should' taste like. I've had a couple since,
which tasted like 'instant' Juleps, instead of
having been carefully made from fresh ingredients.
I still have the souvenir glass, a proud part of
my small collection. Stored right next to the
infamous "Drink Bigger Then Your Head" glass.
But -that- is another story...
Of course, the proper glass to drink the Mint Julep out of is a special silver plated Mint Julep cup. You stir the drink in the cup with crushed ice, until a thin layer of ice frosts the outside of the cup. You can pick up a set of your own at the Silver Superstore.
