Mint Julep
This key to this classic Southern summer cocktail is fresh mint (properly muddled) and old-fashioned Kentucky bourbon. Some of the oldest cocktails were born at the hands of apothecaries, who would grind up herbs and spices and roots and whatnot as medicine. They'd add a little bit of sweet liquor to, you know, make the medicine go down a little more easily. Well, I don't know if the mint julep was born that way, but I do know it's good for what ails you, if what ails you happens to be the hot old sun and three-piece suit in the middle of summer. This recipe first appeared in Season 9 of Good Eats and was updated in Season 2 of Good Eats: Reloaded.
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail
Software
- 10 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
- Seltzer water
- Crushed ice
- 2 1/2 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon whiskey
Procedure
- Place the mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and top with the sugar. Muddle these together until the leaves begin to break down. Add a splash of seltzer water, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.