Manageability – Easy and Drinkable.
I love a whiskey cocktail. With spring in full bloom I was really pumped about the Kentucky Derby and sipping a mint julep. But, thanks again to that wonderful surprise called COVID-19, the horses stayed put and the jockeys just stood around being short.
But you know what? I made one anyway.
Now, it stands to reason that a good mint julep depends heavily on the bourbon. For Miss Allie’s Kitchen’s Perfect Mint Julep I went with FEW’s straight bourbon. Out of Evanston, IL, this whiskey has clear notes of the charred oak barrel aging. There’s also a complex layer of malt that I think combined perfectly with the mint to create a balanced, surprisingly refreshing julep. I made sure to drink three or four more, just to be sure. But enough with making my own simple syrup.
Ingredients
For the mint simple syrup (makes about 8oz, or enough for about 16 (8oz) cocktails)*
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 10 fresh mint leaves
* I only made four, so I have a lot of mint simple syrup left.
For the mint julep
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 2 oz bourbon
- .5 oz mint simple syrup (or 1 Tbsp.)
- crushed ice
- mint for garnish – optional, but oh so cute
Instructions
- To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water, and fresh mint in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Let it come to an almost-boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Just before it boils, remove from the heat and let it cool in the saucepan for 5 minutes. This is 5 more minutes you are not drinking a mint julep.
- Transfer the syrup to a glass jar with a lid and let it cool in the fridge for a few hours until totally cool or cold. Miss Allie like to leave the mint leaves in the syrup.
- For the cocktail, muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of a glass cocktail pitcher or large glass. Add the bourbon and mint syrup and muddle again.
- Add a handful of ice cubes to the pitcher and stir for 20-30 seconds.
- Immediately pour the drink, straining out the muddled mint, into a julep glass or an 8oz. glass (because I know you don’t have a julep glass). Fill to the brim with crushed ice.
- Drink y’all!