This multi-part series on the Mint Julep is presented in honor of the upcoming 150th Running of the Kentucky Derby. Long time friend and supporter, Corey White, generously authored this series and we are thankful for his support.
The following is taken from a May 1935 letter between Lieutenant Colonel S.B. Buckner, Jr., and General William D. Connor, after General Connor requested the recipe for the famed mint juleps that President Roosevelt and General MacArthur fawned over after the West Point commencement two years prior:
The preparation of the quintessence of gentlemanly beverages can be described only in like terms. A mint julep is not the product of a FORMULA. It is a CEREMONY and must be performed by a gentleman possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion. It is a rite that must not be entrusted to a novice, a statistician, nor a Yankee. It is a heritage of the old South, an emblem of hospitality and a vehicle in which noble minds can travel together upon the flower-strewn paths of happy and congenial thought.
So far as the mere mechanics of the operation are concerned, the procedure, stripped of its ceremonial embellishments, can be described as follows:
Go to a spring where cool, crystal-clear water bubbles from under a bank of dew-washed ferns. In a consecrated vessel, dip up a little water at the source. Follow the stream through its banks of green moss and wildflowers until it broadens and trickles through beds of mint growing in aromatic profusion and waving softly in the summer breezes. Gather the sweetest and tenderest shoots and gently carry them home. Go to the sideboard and select a decanter of Kentucky Bourbon, distilled by a master hand, mellowed with age yet still vigorous and inspiring. An ancestral sugar bowl, a row of silver goblets, some spoons and some ice and you are ready to start.
In a canvas bag, pound twice as much ice as you think you will need. Make it fine as snow, keep it dry and do not allow it to degenerate into slush.
In each goblet, put a slightly heaping teaspoonful of granulated sugar, barely cover this with spring water and slightly bruise one mint leaf into this, leaving the spoon in the goblet. Then pour elixir from the decanter until the goblets are about one-fourth full. Fill the goblets with snowy ice, sprinkling in a small amount of sugar as you fill. Wipe the outsides of the goblets dry and embellish copiously with mint.
Then comes the important and delicate operation of frosting. By proper manipulation of the spoon, the ingredients are circulated and blended until Nature, wishing to take a further hand and add another of its beautiful phenomena, encrusts the whole in a glittering coat of white frost. Thus harmoniously blended by the deft touches of a skilled hand, you have a beverage eminently appropriate for honorable men and beautiful women.
When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the garden, where the aroma of the juleps will rise Heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose a worthy toast, raise the goblet to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep breath of its fragrance and sip the nectar of the gods.
Being overcome by thirst, I can write no further.
Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.
With such an eloquent description, it’s easy to get excited about the idea of a mint julep in the springtime, especially around the Kentucky Derby! The Derby Festival is a fun and celebratory time of year in Louisville, and mint juleps are a staple for any Derby party.
In my opinion, mint juleps get a bad rap primarily due to the premade mixers you can get in stores. I believe that there’s a good julep out there for everyone, with just the right tweak needed to fit your tastes.
To that end, I use this time of year to experiment with changes to the traditional julep recipe until I feel like I’ve perfected it.
In 2023, I found that I enjoyed using a brown sugar/mint simple syrup far more than white sugar with muddled mint.
This year, I’ll experiment with the base bourbon and see what we find! I’ll continue to use the brown sugar mint simple syrup as my preferred sweetener.
From now until the “greatest two minutes in sports” on Saturday, I’ll share the results of my 2024 mint julep trials. For starters I’ll share the first two experiments using bourbon I have around the house.
Controls:
- Same amount (roughly) of brown sugar mint simple syrup
- Same amount of bourbon (measured with the heart)
- One good-sized mint leaf for garnish
- Same amount of ice (cubes from the dispenser, just for ease of prep)
2024 Trial #1, Bulleit Bourbon 10 Years Old (91.2 proof).
Aim: baseline sample to measure against.
Trial #1 thoughts: This bourbon was a solid choice. The julep was what I expected: refreshing, sweet, with notes of oak and mint that didn’t overpower. 8/10
2024 Trial #2, Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon, Rickhouse Proof (117.9 proof).
Aim: test recipe with high quality, high(er) proof bourbon to see how it holds up.
Trial #2 thoughts: Surprisingly, this bourbon did NOT work in this recipe. I’m stunned. Holladay makes great bourbon and you should try it, just…not this way. And the proof really didn’t seem to matter much in terms of flavor impact. I was hoping for a more complex julep, but something here didn’t mesh well. 5/10
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