I think it was 1992, when I visited the Charleston Yacht Club. I don’t aways drink cocktails, but before a proper evening out I damn sure do. I ordered a mint julep to get my evening off on the right foot. It went wrong in a hurry. From my seat, I could see the young man behind the bar looking in his bartender’s guide. I went into a cold panic. I engage the bartender. He explains to me that “a mint julep is a Kentucky drink.” I explained to him that I did not allow my thirst to be limited by my geography, especially when I literally can see all the ingredients from where I was standing. He then explained to me that the recipe calls for crushed ice and that they had no crushed ice. At that point I asked permission to step behind his bar and demonstrate. I stepped behind the bar and proceeded to make my drink. When I rolled up some ice in a bar towel and started slapping the bundle on the bar to break the ice, it did make a commotion. An annoyed manager was doing her best to remain hospitable to me the guest while snapping looks of annoyance at the bartender. Luckily, it also got the attention of other bar patrons that were curious about the noise. Lots of mint juleps went out that night. I often wonder if that night launched a young bartender’s career or he found another occupation and tells stories of the horrible night he had to make all those mint juleps. Mint or any other kind of julep can be enjoyed anywhere anytime but they are the perfect beginning to any summertime night anywhere humid. I always add lemon to mine because the only other recipe I know with simple syrup and mint is iced tea and I like lemon in my iced tea. If it offends anyone’s sensibilities please exclude the lemon.
Ingredients
2 oz Bourbon (This recipe I like with a heavy wheat mash bill bourbon, so I reach for Maker’s Mark)
7 large mint leaves
1/4 oz Simple syrup
1/4 oz Lemon juice
Garnish
Lemon wedge
Mint Sprig
Glassware
8 oz snifter or copper mugs but most proper is the silver chalice
Assembly
Chill glass. Place mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and with the flat side of the muddler, smash twice. That is all. Add simple syrup, lemon juice, bourbon and ice. Shake until shaker frosts. Fill Chilled glass with crushed ice and strain shaker contents into glass.
Suggestions
You probably won’t see any shaken julep recipes from other sources. I shake mine because part of the julep’s appeal is the temperature and chilling the ingredients before going onto the ice just makes sense to me. And ice matters. It you do not like the water from your tap, you probably won’t like the ice from your freezer.