The traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep, is served in sterling silver julep cups (a Southern tradition is to buy one for your teenage daughter each Derby Day so that she has a proper set upon adulthood) and held by rim in order for the cup to obtain optimum frost. As an alternative to muddling the mint and sugar cube you can make a simple syrup infused with mint. With this much bourbon in a drink, slow sipping is the appropriate way to imbibe.

INGREDIENTS
• leaves from 4-5 mint sprigs
• 2 sugar cubes or 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 2 1/2 oz Peace Maker American Whiskey (which is actually a young bourbon, or Maker’s Mark 100 proof Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is also our favorite)
• mint sprig for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the mint and simple syrup or sugar into a silver julep cup.
2. Muddle well to dissolve the sugar and to release the oil and aroma of the mint.
3. Add the Peace Maker American Whiskey
4. Fill with crushed ice and stir well until the silver julep cup becomes frosty.
5. Garnish with a lot of large mint sprigs, which should fill your nose with aroma as you sip from the cup. Add a short short straw and place in the cup which permits the drinker to smell the mint whilst drinking.Cheers.

[HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE SYRUP, INFUSED WITH MINT]

2 c. sugar
2 c. water
Sprigs of fresh mint

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 bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

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ALTERNATE VERSION

Woodford Reserve French Mint Julep Recipe

Ingredients

2 oz. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2 tsp. honey syrup (½ part Honey from Versailles, France and ½ part water)
1 lemon peel
1 orange peel
2 fresh pomegranate arils, plus more for garnish
1 bunch fresh lemon Mint sprigs, garnish

Preparation

In the Julep cup, add honey syrup, 1 peel each of the lemon and orange, 2 pomegranate arils, and muddle. Then fill the cup ⅔ of the way with crushed ice. Add Woodford Reserve and top the cup off with more crushed ice. Garnish by tucking in a fresh bunch of lemon mint, lemon and orange peels on the side. Top with fresh pomegranate arils and serve.