The mint julep. No cocktail is more simple - mint, simple syrup, bourbon, and ice. And while I enjoy an authentic julep more than the next guy, when it comes to a crowd, I like things to be simple, easy, and DIY (meaning, fix it yourself, I’m busy). I know I might be reinventing the wheel here, but this is how I like to make mint juleps for a crowd while keeping it as fresh and authentic as possible...
First, make a mint syrup:
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar
1/2 cup demerara sugar
** Just a quick note - cane sugar and Demerara sugar are more course than white sugar (and more flavorful if you ask me). If you want to use regular white sugar, go right ahead, but I’d probably just go with 1 1/2 cups to make a simple syrup.
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water until syrup is clear, stirring regularly, and without boiling. Next, take your saucepan off the heat and add 1 1/2 cups loosely packed mint leaves (give them a little slap in bunches to release the oils), give it a gentle stir, cover with a lid and let it steep for 30 minutes to an hour (or until you have the mint flavor you are looking for). Strain the syrup, discarding the mint, and bottle.
For the ice: Mint juleps require small nugget-like ice that you can almost make a snow-cone with. You can use a blender, Lewis bag, or one of those hand crank ice grinding gadgets... but that’s a lot of work if you are planning for a crowd. My solution - if you have a Sonic nearby, they sell a 10-pound bag of their nugget-ice for around $2.50. Perfect for mint juleps.
For the mint julep:
2 oz of bourbon of your choice
1 oz mint syrup
Put bourbon and syrup in cup (I use copper mule cups because I just like them better because they have a handle). Fill cup halfway with nugget ice, then mix using a bar spoon or what ever you have on hand to make it slushy and start the dilution. Add more ice and do it again. Then top off with ice to make it look like a snow cone. Cut you a nice bushy sprig of mint and gently stab it into the ice. Serve with one of those stainless straw spoons so you can mix as you sip. Enjoy!
First, make a mint syrup:
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar
1/2 cup demerara sugar
** Just a quick note - cane sugar and Demerara sugar are more course than white sugar (and more flavorful if you ask me). If you want to use regular white sugar, go right ahead, but I’d probably just go with 1 1/2 cups to make a simple syrup.
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water until syrup is clear, stirring regularly, and without boiling. Next, take your saucepan off the heat and add 1 1/2 cups loosely packed mint leaves (give them a little slap in bunches to release the oils), give it a gentle stir, cover with a lid and let it steep for 30 minutes to an hour (or until you have the mint flavor you are looking for). Strain the syrup, discarding the mint, and bottle.
For the ice: Mint juleps require small nugget-like ice that you can almost make a snow-cone with. You can use a blender, Lewis bag, or one of those hand crank ice grinding gadgets... but that’s a lot of work if you are planning for a crowd. My solution - if you have a Sonic nearby, they sell a 10-pound bag of their nugget-ice for around $2.50. Perfect for mint juleps.
For the mint julep:
2 oz of bourbon of your choice
1 oz mint syrup
Put bourbon and syrup in cup (I use copper mule cups because I just like them better because they have a handle). Fill cup halfway with nugget ice, then mix using a bar spoon or what ever you have on hand to make it slushy and start the dilution. Add more ice and do it again. Then top off with ice to make it look like a snow cone. Cut you a nice bushy sprig of mint and gently stab it into the ice. Serve with one of those stainless straw spoons so you can mix as you sip. Enjoy!
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