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Overcome by Thirst!
May 1, Every Year!
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The mint julep is a tradition as old as the Kentucky Derby itself,
as much a part of Derby tradition as bugles and roses. Rarely seen the rest of the year,
this potent concoction is the national drink for a few hours every first weekend in May.
The julep is the official toast to the winning horse, but fans at Derby parties tend to
start long before the finish. Most Southerners will admit that it's an acquired taste, at
best, this mixture of bourbon, sugar, mint, and ice.
"I like the taste. I grew up with them," native Kentuckian Norma Taylor says
with a smile. "You have to like bourbon...and mint."
Like another Southern delicacy, Coca-Cola, the julep was concocted to mask the taste of
medicine. It caught on among the healthy.
Legendary U.S. Sen. Henry Clay served juleps on his Kentucky plantation, and introduced
Northerners to the beverage when he went to Washington. In the 1850s, Clay brought his
recipe to Washington's Willard Hotel.
Willard bartender Jim Hewes still makes juleps based on Clay's recipe: "A teaspoon
of sugar, six or eight red-stem mint leaves, and a small measure of bourbon," Hews
says.
He churns that mixture, then adds a lot of ice, more bourbon, a splash of water, a
sprig of mint and a sprinkling of sugar on top.
Controversy rages over the minutiae of a proper julep -- chipped or shaved ice,
crystalline or boiled sugar -- but julep purists agree that a real mint julep must be
served in a frosted silver julep glass. And, of course, made with the finest Kentucky
bourbon. Moonlight and magnolias are optional.
Correspondent Rebecca Cooper contributed to this report. 
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"The Quintessence of Gentlemanly Beverages. . . "
--Lt. Gen. S.B. Buckner, Jr.
March 30, 1997
Major General Wm. D. Connor
West Point, N.Y.
My dear General Connor:
Your letter requesting my formula for mixing mint juleps leaves me in the same position in
which Capt. Barber found himself when asked how he was able to carve the image of an
elephant from a block of wood. He replied that it was a simple process consisting merely
of whittling off the part that didn’t look like an elephant.
The preparation of the quintessence of gentlemanly beverages can only be described in like
terms. A mint julep is not the product of a formula. It is a ceremony and must be
performed by a gentleman possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the
ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion. It is a rite that must not be
entrusted to a novice, a statistician nor a Yankee. It is a heritage of the old South, an
emblem of hospitality and a vehicle in which noble minds can travel together upon the
flower-strewn paths of a happy and congenial thought.
So far as the mere mechanics of the operation are concerned, the procedure, stripped of
its ceremonial embellishments, can be described as follows:
Go to a spring where cool, crystal-clear water bubbles from under a bank of dew-washed
ferns. In a consecrated vessel, dip up a little water at the source. Follow the stream
through its banks of green moss and wildflowers until it broadens and trickles through
beds of a mint growing in aromatic profusion and waving softly in the summer breeze.
Gather the sweetest and tenderest shoots and gently carry them home.
Go to the sideboard and select a decanter of Kentucky Bourbon,
distilled by a master hand, mellowed with age yet still vigorous and inspiring. An
ancestral sugar bowl, a row of silver goblets, some spoons and some ice and you are ready
to start. In a canvas bag, pound twice as much ice as you think you will need. Make it
fine as snow, keep it dry and do not allow to degenerate into slush.
In each goblet, put a slightly heaping teaspoonful of granulated sugar, barely cover this
with spring water and slightly bruise one mint leaf into this, leaving the spoon in the
goblet. Then pour elixir from decanter until the goblets are about one-fourth full. Fill
the goblets with snowy ice, sprinkling in a small amount of sugar as you fill. Wipe the
outside of the goblets dry and embellish copiously with mint.
Then comes the important and delicate operation of frosting. By proper manipulation of the
spoon, the ingredients are circulated and blended until Nature, wishing to take a further
hand and add another of its beautiful phenomena, encrusts the whole in a glistening coat
of white frost. Thus harmoniously blended by the deft touches of a skilled hand, you have
a beverage eminently appropriate for honorable men and beautiful women.
When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the
garden where the aroma of the juleps will rise Heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose
a worthy toast, raise the goblet to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep
breath of its fragrance and sip the nectar of the gods.
Being overcome by thirst, I can write no further.
Sincerely,
*Lt. Gen. S.B. Buckner, Jr. Of Kentucky
V.M.I.
Class of 1906
*Killed in Okinawa, 1945
Promoted Posthumously to full General, July 1954
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| Mint
Julep We'd sip this fine bourbon and mint elixir on
Derby Day only if we were at least 10 miles from the track. As far as we're concerned, the
Kentucky Derby is slowly slaying this classic
summer cocktail with its sorry fake dispensed from drink guns and served to imbibers
certain to find its sugary mint syrup distasteful, if not poisonous.
No less an authority than Hunter S. Thompson described the Derby as
a scene of "decadent and depraved ... people, most of them staggering drunk."
Even the Kentucky Derby
Museum's curator, Candace Perry, won't defend the event, saying that with 140,000
people ordering more than 100,000 Mint Juleps and 100,000 hot dogs and other linear meats,
the cheapening of the julep was bound to happen. A representative from Churchill Downs compares the predicament to that of McDonald's:
"You know the first burger cooked for McDonald's was the best, and well the rest is
just that - the rest."
For us, this only slightly softens the blow that the Mint Julep has
been vilified as toxic by imbibers worldwide. Most, no doubt, have never tasted a properly
concocted Mint Julep. As far as the Mint Julep being synonymous with the South, well, a
poll by the University of North Carolina debunks that myth: The majority of Southerners -
74 percent, in fact - had never tasted the drink.
Contrary to the jaundiced press reports that appear every year
around race time, the Mint Julep is a fine libation when made with 4 ounces bourbon,
6 sprigs of mint, 2 tablespoons simple
syrup, and shaved ice.
Basic ingredients aside, this simple concoction is mired in mixing dictums started by the
South's well-heeled gentility around the turn of the century in hopes of removing this
drink from its working-class heritage.
The racetrack's clubhouse began mixing Mint Juleps around 1875 out
of convenience - the mint was right out back, and the bourbon
was well-stocked within. According to Ms. Perry, the Mint Julep probably didn't become the
track's signature libation until 1938, when track management began charging 75 cents for
the drink and the small glass vessel it came in.
In Charleston Receipts, Colonel Aiken Simons's julep
recipe from the late 1800s says that to crush or not to crush is debatable and depends on
the strength of the mint.
Nonetheless, he stipulates that the mint should indeed be crushed in the glass and left to
stand for a while before the drink is mixed.
We follow the lead of the colonel, though we're indifferent on other
matters of common disagreement. Whether a mixologist uses powdered or granulated sugar is
of little interest to us, and we take our juleps served in glass, silver, or pewter. We
let personal taste and geographic locale settle such debates.
If we're sipping Mint Juleps in Kentucky, we accept a straw in our
drink. But when in Virginia, we dare not ask for one, knowing such a request will only
encourage the gentlest of bartenders to rant about the ridiculousness of serving distilled
spirits with something designed for soda sipping. But be warned: Several other states -
including Maryland, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi - as well two other countries -
England and Canada - lay claim to this drink.
John Davis, a traveler from Britain and a Virginian plantation
tutor, seems to have first mentioned the Mint Julep, in his 1803 Travels of Four
Years and a Half in the United States: a "Dram of spirituous liquor that has
mint in it, taken by Virginians of a morning."
Whether or not Kentuckians can claim to have originated the Mint
Julep, it is now indelibly linked to the state. Bourbon - America's only native spirit -
can by legal definition come from Kentucky only. However, we're obliged by good conscience
to mention the stance of most Virginians: They used to own Bourbon County, from which this
whiskey
hails.
Richard Barksdale Harwell wrote a treatise in 1975 on the matter:
"Clearly the Mint Julep originated in the northern Virginia tidewater, spread soon to
Maryland, and eventually all along the seaboard and even to transmontane Kentucky."
We suspect that's how Harwell accounts for the infamous 1842 night
in a Baltimore hotel when Charles Dickens argued with Washington Irving
about the merits of a particularly large julep. "It was quite an enchanted
julep," Dickens later wrote, "and carried us among innumerable people and places
that we both knew. That julep held out far into the night, and my memory never saw
[Irving] afterwards otherwise than as bending over it, with his straw, with an attempted
air of gravity."
We often try to copy this air of gravity, and if we're annoyed by a
mixer's barside manner - particularly if he's retailing silly julep
lore about glassware
while serving our drink with snow-cone ice - we burst his bubble by mentioning that Samuel
Pepys, an English (no, not American) government official, was drinking
"cans of good julep" back in the 1660s.
If we've only had one Mint Julep, we're adequately embarrassed by
such an outburst, though inevitably we console ourselves with words penned by William
Grimes: "If the mark of a great cocktail is the number of arguments it can provoke
and the number of unbreakable rules it generates, the Mint Julep may be America's
preeminent classic, edging out the Martini in a photo finish." |
Mint Julep
Many people hear of a mint julep and say, what is that? Others say, I had
one once, and it totally knocked me over. Still others laugh at the thought
of actually drinking one, and pose as bourbon dislikers.
But why dislike fine bourbon, especially when made with sugar? What follows
is the official recipe of Call to the Derby Post. Nothing promised except a
good time.
Let's get serious here for a minute, and realize that mint juleps
themselves are taken seriously by their maker. Care and effort are demanded
as the first ingredients of a mint julep.
Now for the good stuff. A mint julep is actually easy to make, it just
requires a bit of preparation.
Ingredients per batch (see below for batch theory):
The Official Call To The Derby Post Mint Julep
Approximately 10 sprigs of fresh mint.
2 cups of natural spring water
2 cups of granulated sugar
Crushed ice
1 bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon. Obviously, you don't pour a whole bottle
into one mint julep, but you should probably have a bottle or two of
bourbon around on Derby Day. Maker's Mark goes great with coffee for your
Derby morning boost! If for some terrible reason you can't find Maker's
Mark, Call to the Derby Post recommends Woodford Reserve, a very high-class
bourbon. Wild Turkey, surprisingly, will suffice.
Lately, there's been a stir over the exact definition of bourbon. For
years, this is what we had to say about it: "Remember, bourbon is whiskey
made in Kentucky. If you aren't sure whether your whiskey is bourbon, look
on the bottle for where it was distilled." It turns out this information is
wrong. Instead, the following will be our working definition of bourbon, as
taken from the "The Kentucky Insider's Guide to Fine Bourbon", published by
Maker's Mark:
"To be considered a genuine bourbon the spirit must be: 1) made from a
mixture of corn (at least 51%) and malted barley, with rye or wheat as a
flavoring grain, 2) distilled at no more than 160 proof, entered into a
brand new, charred oak barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at no
less than 80 proof [and], 3) free of additives, such as extraneous sources
of alcohol, coloring or caramel flavoring.
The spirit need not be made in Kentucky to be called a bourbon (unless it's
labeled Kentucky Bourbon!) But it must be made in the United States, and,
if labeled "straight" bourbon, it must be aged at least two years (emphasis
ours).
We apologize for the flawed dissemination of erroneous information, and
stand corrected.
Optional: Official Derby glasses and drink stirrers. For more on this, head
to Throw Your Own Derby Party.
On Wednesday before Derby, the day of The Great Steamboat Race, head to
your local market and confirm that mint is available. For those who are
unfamiliar with markets, mint will be found in the herb section near the
produce. Purchase the mint on Thursday, and keep in sight until you need it
the next night. (This is just the way I do it. There is no reason why you
can't make the julep syrup earlier so you can go to parties on Friday night
instead.) Anyway, on Friday, the day of the Kentucky Oaks, wash and prepare
the mint (tear some leaves, leave 6-8 sprigs complete). Spread the full
mint sprigs in a container. Boil 2 cups water, then add 2 cups sugar. Keep
the mixture at boiling level for 5 minutes. Do not stir.
Making sure to spoon out all the sugar, pour the mixture into the container
(a tupperware container will suffice) and over the sprigs. Then sprinkle
the top of the container with loose mint leaves. Cover, and refrigerate
overnight, preferably at least 12 hours.
When it's time, pour some crushed ice into preferably a Derby glass, but
any glass, then add bourbon to taste. The more syrup you use, the sweeter
the drink. Many recipes call for equal syrup and bourbon, but Call to the
Derby Post honestly feels that extra syrup may make the mint julep more
accessible to the average Derby/Derby party attender. As per tradition,
glass should be in hand for post. Kentucky Derby post time is approximately
6:00 Eastern on the first Saturday in May.
Special Caution:
Call to the Derby Post wants you to be prepared for any Derby situation and
therefore makes the following suggestion. Extra batches of syrup are great
insurance if something, say, something like dropping the container of syrup
right as guests arrive, were to happen. MAKE AN EXTRA BATCH OF SYRUP,
WHETHER IN CASE YOU RUN OUT OR SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE ORIGINAL. Thank you.
Other Mint Julep Recipes
Most of these recipes will be similar in nature, but read 'em anyway so you
can learn how to make you own special blend!
Maker's Mark Mint Julep
Fresh spring spearmint leaves
750mL Maker's Mark
T-shirt
Granulated Sugar
Water
1-liter or larger pitcher
Straws
Powdered Sugar
Mint Julep Cups
Crushed ice
Make the mint extract using only the tender spring spearmint leaves. Throw
away the darker leaves and the stems.
Start intense bruising of the mint by wrapping it in a clean t-shirt and
twisting it.
From a 750mL bottle of Maker's Mark, pour 1/2 cup of Maker's into a small
bowl and dip t-shirt containing mind into it to make the mint extract.
Pour balance of 750mL of Maker's Mark into a 1.0 liter pitcher.
Pour in a simple syrup mixture which is equal amounts of granulated sugar
and water mixed, brought to a light boil. Add 3 1/2 parts bourbon with 1
part simple syrup (approximately 8 ounces). Add mint extract to taste
(approximately 2-3 tablespoons).
Pour mixture back into the bottle and leave in the freezer for 2 to 3 days.
Take Mint Julep mix out of freezer and pack cups with crushed ice. Hint:
silver cups work best.(Indeed, Call to the Derby Post concurs with the
assessment of silver cups.)
Insert straws to the bottom of each up and trim them i inch from the top of
the cup.
Pour 3 ounces of Julep mix into each cup. Place mint garnish next to straw
and sprinkle light with powdered sugar.
The Handkerchief--Six Shooter Mint Julep
Prepare a simple syrup by boiling together 2 parts sugar to 1 part water
for 5 minutes.
Prepare a bourbon-mint extract, made by piling mint leaves in a clean white
handkerchief, gathering ends around mint, and dipping the leaf in a small
bowl of 3-4 ounces of bourbon and twisting hard.
Mix extract with syrup until the first "ping" of bitterness is reached
(from mint, not bourbon).
Prepare mint julep mix by combining 1 part syrup with 6 parts bourbon.
Pack julep cup with shaved ice. Pour in 2 1/2--3 oz. Or chilled julep mix.
Add straw, powdered sugar and mint sprig.
Drink! Enjoy! Repeat!
The Fruity Mint Julep
Silver mugs are often used for juleps, as some people think they frost
better than glass. A glass mug with a handle may also be used so that the
hands need not touch the frosted surface. A slice each of orange and lemon,
a pineapple spear and maraschino cherry are sometimes used for garnish, and
a splash of rum or brandy may be added to the drink.
Crushed ice
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
3 ounces bourbon
Fill a collins glass with crushed ice. In a small glass, muddle the leaves
from two mint sprigs with sugar and a dash of club soda or water. Add
bourbon, stir and strain into a collins glass. Stir again with a
long-handled spoon until the glass frosts.
Serves 1
The Sieve Mint Julep
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups chopped fresh mint sprigs plus additional whole sprigs for garnish
Crushed Ice
1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) bourbon, or to taste, per julep
In a saucepan combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water and bring the mixture to
a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the
heat, stir in the chopped mint, and let the mixture stand for at least 2
hours and up to 4 hours. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a jar
or small bowl, pressing hard on the solids, discard the solids, and let the
syrup cool. The syrup may be made 2 weeks in advance and kept covered and
chilled. (The syrup will darken but this will not affect the taste.)
For each julep fill a silver cup or 10-ounce glass with some of the ice,
add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mint syrup, or to taste, and 1 1/2 ounces
bourbon, and stir the julep or holding the cup at the rim rotate it back
and forth very rapidly. (A frost will form on the outside of a silver cup.)
Garnish each julep with 1 of the additional mint sprigs.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups syrup, or enought for about 10 juleps.
The Back of the Spoon Mint Julep
6 fresh mint leaves plus 1 mint sprig for garnish
1 teaspoon superfine sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons water
crushed ice
1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) bourbon
In a silver julep cup or 10-ounce glass crush together with the back of a
spoon the mint leaves, the sugar, and the water until the suger is
dissolved and fill the cup with the ice. Add the bourbon, stir the julep
well, and garnish it with the mint sprig.
Makes 1 drink.
The Muddled Mint Julep
4 ounces bourbon
6 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons simple syrup
Mix 4 ounces bourbon, 6 sprigs of mint, and 2 tablespoons simple syrup in a
pint glass. Add three pieces of ice and muddle for about a minute. Let
stand for several minutes. Strain into a glass filled with shaved ice. For
guests who particularly like mint, remove the three pieces of ice, leave
the mint, and pour all ingredients into the glass followed by fresh ice.
Top with soda water and a sprig of mint.
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My Old Kentucky Home
After the real Call to the Derby Post is blown, as the Kentucky Derby
starters make their way from the paddock onto the track, the crowd in the
grandstands rises as the University of Louisville band plays what has
become all but the official song of the state of Kentucky.
Written by Stephen Foster in 1853, My Old Kentucky Home is a sentimental,
yearning song that celebrates the gentility of Bluegrass country. So as the
horses take the track on the first Saturday of May, and with a mint julep
in hand, the entire state celebrates in song one of the most emotional
moments in all of American sports.
If you wake up on Derby Day, and the sky is cloudy, rest assured that by
post time the clouds will dissipate, and that once again, at the moment
that strikes the heaviest on every Kentuckians' heart, the sun will shine
bright for the Kentucky Derby.
The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright;
By'n by hard times comes a-knockin' at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good-night!
Weep no more, my lady!
Oh weep no more today.
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home,
For my old Kentucky home, far away.
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