Mint Julep
Bourbon, sugar, and fresh mint, churned over crushed ice until the cup frosts over — the official drink of the Kentucky Derby and a Southern classic in its own right.
About the Mint Julep
The Mint Julep is a bourbon, mint, and sugar cocktail built and churned over crushed ice until the outside of the cup frosts over — no citrus, no bitters, just spirit, sweetened mint, and ice that dilutes as you drink. It’s cooling and herbal up front, giving way to warm, sweet bourbon underneath, and it gets gentler with every sip as the ice melts.
The word “julep” comes from the Arabic julab (by way of the Persian gulab, rosewater), originally a sweetened drink used from roughly the 1400s to the 1700s to make bitter medicine easier to take. The spirit-and-mint version took root in the American South, where Kentucky Senator Henry Clay is often credited with popularizing the bourbon-and-mint pairing in Washington society in the early-to-mid 1800s. It became linked to the Kentucky Derby from the race’s first running in 1875, and was named the Derby’s official drink in 1939 — a title it’s held for more than 80 years, with well over 100,000 served at Churchill Downs each Derby weekend.
Woodford Reserve has been the Kentucky Derby’s official bourbon since 1999, while the recipe published on the Derby’s own site calls for Old Forester — both are genuine, well-documented choices, and either makes a proper Julep.
The Classic Recipe
Classic Mint Julep — Serves 1
- 2.5 oz (75ml) bourbon
- 0.25 oz (1 tbsp) mint simple syrup
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
- Crushed ice
Method
- Add the mint leaves and mint simple syrup to a chilled julep cup or rocks glass. Gently press (don’t shred) the leaves with a muddler to bruise them and release their oils.
- Pour in the bourbon, then pack the glass tightly with crushed ice.
- Stir with a bar spoon in an up-and-down churning motion until the outside of the cup frosts over, then mound a little more crushed ice on top.
- Slap a full mint sprig between your hands to release its aroma, tuck it into the ice near a short straw, and serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Mint Julep
- Bruise the mint, don’t shred it. A gentle press with the muddler releases the oils; shredding or grinding the leaves pulls out chlorophyll and turns the drink grassy and bitter.
- Use crushed ice, not cubes. Crushed ice packs tightly, dilutes at the right rate, and is what gives the classic frosted-cup look — cubes won’t get you there.
- Chill the cup first. A pre-chilled metal julep cup frosts dramatically once it’s packed with crushed ice, and that frost is half the presentation.
- Make mint syrup ahead of time. Steeping sugar syrup with mint for a few hours gives more consistent sweetness and mint flavour than muddling raw sugar to order.
- Slap the garnish, don’t shake it. Clapping the mint sprig between your hands releases aroma right under the drinker’s nose without bruising it into bitterness.
Popular Variations
Champagne Julep
A classic bourbon Julep topped with a splash of sparkling wine for extra lift and effervescence — a popular brunch-table twist.
Rum Julep
White or aged rum in place of bourbon, a nod to the Julep’s pre-bourbon history when brandy and rum versions were just as common.
Peach (Georgia) Julep
Peach brandy or peach liqueur added alongside or in place of some of the bourbon, giving a fruitier, softer take on the original.
Brandy Julep
The original spirit before bourbon took over in the American South — cognac or brandy in place of bourbon, still built and churned the same way.
Where to Buy
Both bourbons below have a genuine, documented tie to the Kentucky Derby’s own Mint Julep tradition, making them the two most fitting picks for this entry.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
An affordable, widely available Kentucky bourbon with enough sweetness and body to hold its own against mint and sugar.
Check price on AmazonWoodford Reserve
The official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby since 1999 — rich and slightly spiced, it’s the bottle behind the Derby’s own Mint Juleps.
Check price on AmazonHow to Serve
Glass: Traditionally a silver or pewter julep cup, chilled beforehand so it frosts dramatically once packed with ice; a rocks glass works fine if you don’t have one.
Ice: Crushed, packed tightly and mounded above the rim — it’s what gives the Julep its texture and its signature frosted exterior.
Batching for a crowd: Pre-mix the bourbon and mint syrup in a pitcher ahead of time, but build and churn each Julep individually over fresh crushed ice at serving time — the frosted cup and floated presentation don’t hold up if the drink is mixed too far in advance.
Related Database Entries
Explore the key ingredients and spirits in this cocktail: