Make a big batch of Alton Brown's simple mint syrup to enjoy quick, easy, and refreshing mint juleps for Derby Day or any summer celebration.

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Cocktails, Entertaining, Hacks, Southern, Summer

Mint Syrup

Name: Mint Syrup
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 200 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; 8 cups water, divided; 2 cups ice; 10 sprigs fresh mint

Simple mint syrup in a squeeze bottle drizzled into a mint julep cup filled with crushed ice and garnished with a mint sprig.

ACTIVE TIME: 20

TOTAL TIME: 3 20

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

The classic method of infusing mint into cocktails like mint juleps and mojitos involves muddling, or crushing the leaves with sugar. While fairly effective at extracting flavor, this procedure leaves you with clumps of green stuff in your cocktail, which are bound to get stuck in your teeth...embarrassing.

Now, I employ mint syrup to do the job. This recipe makes a lot, so go ahead and invite a few friends over so they can be impressed by your cocktail wizardry.

This recipe first appeared in Season 2 of Good Eats: Reloaded.

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Software

2 cups sugar
8 cups water, divided
2 cups ice
10 sprigs fresh mint

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale

Blender

Fine-mesh sieve

Plastic squeeze bottle

ACTIVE TIME: 20

TOTAL TIME: 3 20

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Procedure

Combine the sugar with 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved — 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to your blender carafeIf your carafe is heat-resistant, you can skip the rest period.. Allow the syrup to cool to around 80°F. Clean the saucepan.
Meanwhile, combine the ice and 2 more cups of water in a large bowl and have it standing by near the cooktop.
In the same saucepan, bring the remaining 5 cups of water to a boil over high heat and tie the mint into a bunch with cotton butcher’s twine. When the water reaches a hard boil, dunk the mint bouquet and count to 15, then immediately plunge the mint into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the colorThis is called “blanching” and“shocking.”.
Once thoroughly cooled, pat the mint dry, pluck as many leaves off as possible, and add them to the cooled syrup. Then blend on medium speed until the mint is reduced to very fine pieces. Strain through a fine sieve set over a 2-cup liquid measuring cup then transfer to a plastic squeeze bottle and refrigerate for up to 2 months...or freeze forever.
To use the syrup in say, a mint julep, combine 1/2 fluid ounce of it with 2 fluid ounces bourbon in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Stir, then garnish with additional mint if desired. (Just don’t let it get stuck in your dental work at Bingo!)