Mint Julep

Earlier blog about the Kentucky Distillery has generated lots of emails, especially from my Wine loving group. As you know, we are members of the American Wine Society, therefore, touring and enjoying a Distillery seems way off track.
Decided we needed to blog.

Yes, I love the ceremony of opening the wine too ~ I love the presentation of red wines on a silver tray already opened to breathe. I enjoy the little glasses of Port and the aroma of a fine cigar...

BUT, I tell you, NOTHING TOPS a MINT JULEP, especially when you are sitting in a big swing on a large porch, on a sultry summer afternoon, looking out on those magnificent Southern Magnolias and visiting with friends.

Today, we take a short-cut using Bourbon and sprite over crushed ice, crushed mint, topped with a sprig of mint, served in a tall glass.

Here is THE BEST RECIPE

MINT JULEP

The following recipe for Mint Juleps comes from Booker Noe, Jim Beam's grandson. It produces juleps on par with the recipe given to me by Bill Samuels of Maker's Mark, but it is much less labor intensive.

There are six essential ingredients for a proper mint julep:
good 90 proof bourbon whisky (I prefer Maker's Mark),
sugar,
fresh mint leaves,
metal cups (preferably silver),
short straws, and
shaved ice (the kind snow cones are made with). Once these accoutrement have been assembled, you are ready to proceed.

You cannot make just one mint julep and have it taste worth a damn. You must make them in batches. What follows is a recipe for one quart and change. Multiply accordingly for a big party.
Pick a bunch (enough to fill a quart-size bowl) of dime to quarter sized mint leaves - but no stems; they're bitter. Wash the leaves and pat dry.

Now prepare some simple syrup by combining two cups sugar to one cup water in a saucepan and heating over medium heat until it turns crystal clear. Do not let it boil, which causes the sugar to caramelize and ruins the whole wretched mess. Pour the simple syrup over the mint leaves in the bowl and let it steep like tea for 10-15 minutes (longer can't hurt).
Now you're ready to make julep. Pour a quart of whisky into a non-plastic container that holds more than a quart. Add four ounces of mint flavored simple syrup to the quart of whisky, and stir well. Put the resulting mixture back into the whisky bottle, cap tightly, and refrigerate for 24 hours. (Since you've mixed a quart of whisky with four ounces of syrup, you'll have four ounces of julep that won't fit into the bottle. The obvious solution: drink it!)

Next day, pack a metal cup with shaved ice. Cut a plastic straw so that the end extends no more than two inches above the rim of the cup. Shove the straw down into the shaved ice, and fill the cup with julep. Remove the straw and place a large sprig of mint in the hole where the straw was. (You won't be able to get the mint through the ice otherwise.) Replace the straw, sip and enjoy. Your nose should be right down in the mint leaves for full enjoyment. Be sure to put a cocktail napkin around the cup, because it will soon be too cold to hold.

The mixed up julep can be refrigerated for up to a year, and the syrup can be refrigerated for three or four months.