thejuleps

Baseball has beer, the Indy 500 has milk, and fans at Wimbledon and Ascot drink Pimm's. But few beverages are as synonymous with a sport as the mint julep and the Kentucky Derby.

The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century

Mint Julep Recipe

    * 2 cups sugar
    * 2 cups water
    * Sprigs of fresh mint
    * Crushed ice
    * Kentucky Whisky
* julep cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint

Non Alcoholic Version

5 - 8 Mint sprigs
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 cups Cold water
3/4 cup Lemon juice
(add a little lime for variation)
1 1/2 quarts Ginger ale
lemon slices -- thin (garnish)
marachino cherries (garnish)
mint sprigs (garnish)

Rinse the mint and discard stems.
Place the sugar, water, and lemon juice
in a medium-sized saucepan,
bring to a boil
cool and let sit overnight
Add the mint leaves and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes

Fill a large pitcher with ice cubes
and strain the liquid over the ice.
Add the ginger ale and
your choice of garnish, and serve.

Optional Mint Flavoring:
Add 3/4 cup creme de menthe (syrup available at liquor stores. Do not confuse it with creme de menthe liqueur)