Tomorrow marks the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby! As I write this blog, Essential Quality is favored to win with 2-1 odds, followed by Rock Your World at 5-1, and Known Agenda is polling third at 6-1. All fitting names for what I want to discuss next… and that is the ultimate Kentucky Derby cocktail, the Mint Julep.
Nothing says Derby Day like the sweet, fresh, minty punch of a properly made Mint Julep cocktail! Like most classics, the drink is straightforward following a simple, Known Agenda. First, you must start with an Essential Quality ingredient, my recommendation is Four Roses bourbon. You can be fancy and use the Small Batch, or the Single Barrel versions, but let’s face it, after we add the sugar and mint, the basic Four Roses will be just fine.
In a cocktail shaker add simple syrup (start with a 3/4 oz, adjust to taste) and a couple of sprigs of mint (a sprig being a stem of mint with 3 or more mint leaves growing out of it). Use a muddler to crush the mint, but don’t shred it. You want to bruise the leaves and release the flavor, but not so much that you break it into tiny pieces. Then add 2 oz of good Kentucky bourbon and ice. Shake until chilled. Strain and pour into a glass filled with crushed ice (if you have the sterling silver cup go ahead and use it). Note, using crushed ice is key. I take ice cubes and put a bunch into a cheese cloth, then use a mallet to smash them. The rough, inconsistent size of the crushed ice gives the drink that nice down home feel.
Done well, this cocktail will Rock Your World, you might just think you won the Derby!
Pyrate Bar 