Mint Julep
intro
A frosty, aromatic bourbon cocktail from the American South, bright with fresh mint and lightly sweetened, perfect for slow sipping on sweltering hot days.
Ingredients
Steps
Make the simple syrup
Combine 25g granulated white sugar and 25ml filtered water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is clear, with no visible granules. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature for 10 minutes before using—do not let the syrup boil or turn amber.
Chill cups and prep mint
While the simple syrup cools, place 4 12-oz silver julep cups (or thick highball glasses) in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Rinse 30g of fresh mint leaves under cold running water, pat completely dry with paper towels, and set aside 4 small mint sprigs (each with 3-4 leaves) to use as garnish.
Muddle mint with syrup
Remove the chilled cups from the freezer. Divide the remaining loose mint leaves evenly across the 4 cups (roughly 7-8 leaves per cup), then pour 10ml (2 teaspoons) of cooled simple syrup into each cup over the mint. Gently press the mint 4-5 times with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to release aromatic oils; do not over-muddle, as crushing mint stems creates bitter, grassy flavors.
Add bourbon and stir base
Pour 60ml (1/4 cup) of bourbon whiskey into each cup over the muddled mint and syrup. Stir the mixture slowly with a long bar spoon for 10 seconds to evenly combine the bourbon, mint oils, and simple syrup before adding ice.
Pack cups with crushed ice
Fill each cup all the way to the rim with finely crushed ice (using about 2 cups/250g of ice per cup), packing the ice down firmly with the back of a bar spoon so it mounds slightly above the cup edge. Let the drinks rest for 2 minutes at room temperature to allow a small amount of ice to melt, which dilutes the bourbon to ideal sipping strength and creates a thick frosty layer on the outside of the metal cups.
Chill and top up drinks
Stir each ice-packed julep vigorously for 15 seconds until the exterior of the cup feels thoroughly frosty and ice-cold to the touch. Top up any cups where ice has melted and settled with extra crushed ice to reform the slight mound above the rim.
Garnish and serve immediately
Take each reserved mint sprig, slap it gently between your palms once to release its aromatic oils, and set it on top of the ice mound in each cup. Insert a short 6-inch paper or metal straw right next to the mint sprig so the mint aroma hits the drinker’s nose with every sip, and serve right away before the ice melts excessively.
Tips
2.Avoid over-muddling mint: grinding or crushing the mint stems releases bitter, grassy chlorophyll that ruins the drink’s bright flavor; you only need to gently bruise the leaves 4-5 times to release their aromatic oils.
3.Slap garnish mint sprigs between your palms before placing them on the drink: this bursts the leaf surface oil glands, releasing bright mint aroma that sits right at straw level for every sip.
OMG this is the exact mint julep I’ve been searching for! Made a whole batch for our Kentucky Derby watch party last weekend and every single guest asked for the recipe. The crushed ice makes SUCH a difference, no more watery sad juleps for us. Total game changer!
Super easy to whip up, even for someone who barely mixes drinks! Only reason I’m knocking a star is I went a little heavy on the mint the first time and it was almost too bitter. Cut back to the 8 leaves the recipe calls for on my second batch and it was perfect. Will be making these all summer long for cookouts.
My husband is from Kentucky and swears these are better than the juleps he gets at Churchill Downs! We made them for our Father’s Day backyard cookout and even my teen niece (who hates bourbon!) loved the mocktail version I made by swapping the bourbon for sparkling apple cider. 10/10, will be in our regular rotation.
First time ever making a mint julep and I was so nervous I’d mess it up! This recipe was so straightforward, I didn’t even need any fancy tools. Used a wooden spoon to muddle the mint since I don’t have an official muddler and it turned out SO good. Served it to my roommates and they thought I ordered it from a fancy cocktail bar.
Made these for our annual Fourth of July prep test run last night and they are chef’s kiss. The prep is so quick, I was able to mix up a whole pitcher in 20 minutes flat while I was grilling burgers. Perfect balance of sweet, minty, and boozy, no weird artificial syrup taste like the store-bought mix I tried last year.
Game changer alert! I added a tiny splash of peach bitters to my last julep per a friend’s suggestion and it took this already perfect recipe to the next level. Don’t get me wrong, the classic version is 10/10, but the little peach note is so good for summer. Who else has fun add-ins they love?
Really solid recipe! Only heads up is if you’re making these for a big crowd, pre-make the simple syrup the night before so you don’t have to wait for it to cool day of. Learned that the hard way when I was rushing around before my last party and almost had to serve warm juleps. Yikes!
I grew up going to the Derby every year with my grandma and this recipe tastes exactly like the juleps she used to make for us at home after the races. I got a little emotional taking my first sip, it’s such a perfect nostalgic flavor. So easy even a beginner can nail it first try.
Taste was great but I feel like I wasted so much mint when I was making these? Is there a trick to using the leftover mint for something else? I hate tossing fresh herbs, they’re so expensive at the grocery store right now.
Made these for my weekend brunch with the girls and they were such a hit! I served them with little mint sprig garnishes and cute paper straws, and everyone was posting them to their Instagram stories. So light and refreshing, way better than the mimosas we usually do. 10/10 will be a brunch staple from now on!
Went to my first ever Derby party last week and signed up to bring drinks, I was so stressed I’d pick a bad recipe. This was so easy to follow, even I couldn’t mess it up! I got so many compliments, people thought I was a professional bartender or something. Will definitely be making these again next year.