The Drink Of The Derby
It’s been around for a millennium, serving many purposes in many forms, but today the word “Julep” evokes one image: an icy, mint-muddled cocktail made with Bourbon whiskey. And that picture usually comes with a time and date stamp: early May at the running of the Kentucky Derby.
No other official drink is as inextricably linked to one sporting event. Drinking a Pimm’s Cup doesn’t instantly conjure visions of Wimbledon. Watching the Indianapolis 500 doesn’t make you crave milk. But in addition to the 120,000 or so quaffed at Churchill Downs alone on Derby Day, millions across the United States are tempted to tipple a Mint Julep—even if it’s only that one time a year. (Kind of a shame, since it’s delicious all year round.)
The Julep began as a nonalcoholic Persian panacea made from macerated flowers (the name derives from a word for rosewater). By the 18th century, it was being spiked by Americans in the South, but was still considered medicine, a tincture with such things as camphor and wormword. But in the early 19th century, with a formula shift to mint, sugar and ice, the Julep had lost its prescriptive nature and was reclassified as a recreational quaff for warm weather. There were rum Juleps, brandy Juleps, gin Juleps, even Juleps made from wine, but by the end of the century the Mint Julep was known as a Bourbon drink.
It pairs almost perfectly with the Derby, the event’s timing coinciding with the emergence of spearmint in mid-spring in a region famous for Bourbon. While plenty were no doubt downed at the first Run for Roses in 1875, the Mint Julep wouldn’t become the official drink of the race until 1939. Since 1974, most of the Juleps have been sold in commemorative glasses listing past winners, which are now prized collectors’ items.
Brown-Forman is the official Julep purveyor of the Kentucky Derby, and on May 4 at Churchill Downs they will go through 10,000 bottles of Old Forester just for their ready-to-serve Mint Juleps. (That bartending feat will also require 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.) The company also offers Super Juleps in silver and gold commemorative cups to benefit racehorse charities, which sell for $1,000 to $3,500 apiece.
The key to making the perfect Mint Julep on your own is accepting that there is no single accepted method. Arguments erupt over every nuance: what time of day to pick the mint; whether it should be muddled or bruised; crushed or chipped ice; powdered sugar or simple syrup. Rather than wade into that morass, we simply offer Woodford Reserve’s take as a guideline.
The Essential Mint Julep
2 oz. Straight Bourbon
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Fresh Mint Leaves
Crushed Ice
Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass. To the same glass, add simple syrup, Bourbon and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more ice, fresh mint and powdered sugar. Sip while you enjoy the race.
