Kentucky Derby: Mint Julep Recipe

The Kentucky Derby is today and even though we aren’t sure when we are going to have football to look forward to again, we can still appreciate the other exciting sports we do have to watch.

I didn’t really get into horse racing until a few year’s ago but I now really enjoy watching the major races of the Triple Crown. It is fun to get a group of folks together and have a Derby party. We sometimes write down all the names of all the horses and put them into a hat. Then everyone throws some money into a pot and grabs a couple of horses. If your horse wins, you get the money. Fun stuff. It adds more intrigue to the race because you now have a horse in the race, so to speak.

Anyway, whether you are having a Derby party today or you are just watching from home in between reading AA articles, you have to have a mint julep in your hand when the horses begin the race.

The mint julep is the classic drink all the people in the funny hats throw back at the Derby so you have to get in on the action.

I am not one for sugary drinks but the mint julep is perfect for a beautiful spring or summer day. If you need a recipe, here you go:

3 or 4 fresh mint springs

2 to 3 shots of bourbon whiskey

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of water

People like to use a collins glass for their mint juleps but I prefer mine in a rocks glass. Simply throw in the mint, then the sugar and then the dribble the water on top. You need to muddle this all together. I usually just use a wooden spoon. Once you have the mint nice and ground in and mixed, throw in a handful of ice and pour in the bourbon. Give it a good stir, throw a couple of extra pieces of mint on top and you are good to go.

Are you guys watching the Derby today? More importantly, do you have any variations on the classic min julep recipe?