A Day at the Races ...or the Backyard

My wife and I have continued her family tradition of visiting the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for horse races each summer and several mint juleps typically take away the sting of not picking any winners. I could read all the stats, research all the jockeys, look at the "pro" picks, and still have no more luck than just picking horses based off the color, name, and/or number. That's probably why they came up with the mint julep for the Kentucky Derby in the first place. After a bad day at the races, you might want some Kentucky bourbon, and being in Kentucky, I'm sure the weather was oppressively warm. Why not make that shot of bourbon significantly more tolerable by chilling it while adding some sugar and mint? The mint julep has grown in popularity well beyond horse racing. Not too unlike an Old Fashioned, the mint julep is a straightforward recipe made many different ways. Balancing the three main ingredients can be tricky but so delicious when done well. Thanks to the awesome Christmas gifts from my brother and sister-in-law, I have been practicing the recipe the last few months. They gave me julep cups, an ice bag with a mallet and, of course, some bourbon. I am enjoying mint juleps using the recipe from Cocktail Codex and for now, until the track reopens, I have my backyard!

2.0 oz Bourbon

0.25 oz simple syrup

mint leaves

mint sprig

Rub the inside of a chilled julep cup with mint leaves. Pour in the bourbon and simple syrup. Add crushed ice half way. Stir for 10 seconds. Add more crushed ice to fill the cup 2/3. Stir until the tin is frosted. Fill the rest of the cup with crushed ice, packing in the ice to shape a cone. Place mint sprig in the top for garnish.

Crushed Ice

Crushed ice is a game changer with drinks like a mint julep and can be hard to come by at home without splurging on a specific ice maker. I've tried two different methods for making crushed ice at home, mini ice cube trays and now the ice bag and mallet from Viski. Both have been pretty successful, the mini ice cube trays create a more uniform effect and crushing ice with the mallet gives the cocktail a more rustic, homemade feel.

Simple Syrup

Traditionally a 50/50 mix of water and sugar there are many ways to make simple syrup. When not flavoring the syrup with any other ingredients I have come to make it at room temperature with sugar and water (obviously), a scale, a glass mixing jar, and whisk.

Using a scale, measure out 250 grams of sugar. Add 250 grams of water. Stir with the whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.

I find that I usually need to stir for a few minutes. Give it some time and then stir some more. After that, I'll wait to see if the sugar is completely dissolved and transfer to a jar to store in the refrigerator.