Herbs to Use in Your Mint Julep Pineapple Sage Rum Julep Going for maple or coffee syrup? I’d look to Willett’s three year rye as I get those notes (and some mint) from their whiskies. Want to go for cherries? I’d use Old Forester 1920, which always tastes like cherries to me. If you decide to add a fruit element, choose a whiskey with either aromatics or flavors that remind you of that fruit. Choose a sharp, peppery rye and you’ll have a great counterpoint to the sweet mint and sugar base. Choose a high proof bourbon and you’ll be able to taste the change in the sweetness of the drink as the bourbon dilutes without getting watery. If you love rye and bourbons in your mint julep, your choice of the particular brand and proof of whiskey greatly impacts the final flavor of your julep. Aged rums and tequilas can make a beautiful mint julep, and often have flavor profiles reminiscent of whiskey.īecause different base spirits work best with different herbs and sweet elements, make sure all three are in alignment and smell and taste good together. If I’m using a non-whiskey spirit, I prefer aged spirits. If you want to keep the flavor and alcohol taste present in the cocktail, don’t substitute a low ABV base spirit. Since you’ll be putting the cocktail over crushed ice, dilution will occur. If you enjoy a little more heft to your julep you could use an unaged spirit, or a rum. Try swapping out that whiskey for a sweet brandy or cognac. How to Swap out the Base Spirit in a Mint Julep Classic Mint Julepĭon’t like whiskey? No problem! The earliest mint juleps were likely made with brandy or rum. With just those three elements to manipulate, we can drive the mint julep to many tasty destinations. Sweet (1/2 oz) – the classic mint julep relies on a sugar cube and water or simple syrup, but you can use other flavored syrups, liqueurs, jams, or sweet muddled fruit.Herb – traditionally mint, but you could choose any kind of herbal aromatic.Early versions of the julep were likely brandy or rum based (see this article on the Classic Mint Julep). Base spirit (2 oz) – this is the bulk of the alcohol in the drink, and traditionally it’s whiskey.Let’s go through the elements we’ll tweak in a riff on the mint julep: It’s as fun for me as playing with the old fashioned. I love playing with the mint julep because you have just a few variables to tweak, but hundreds of possible variations. Do you have a favorite flavor, like chocolate, or pecan or strawberry you want to highlight? Think about base spirits or herb garnishes that would pair well with those flavors. If you want to create your own mint julep recipe, think about what flavors and what tastes you want to focus on.ĭo you have a favorite herb you’d like to use instead of mint, say lavender? You might decide to pair that with honey syrup or blueberry syrup to create a julep. Like any great classic cocktail, the julep’s simple ratios and elements means it’s easy to manipulate and blend with different flavors to create new combinations. But look a little deeper and there are endless mint julep variations to discover with those few elements. (Post may contain affiliate links.) How to Hack your Mint JulepĪs a cocktail, the mint julep recipe (just whiskey, sugar, mint and ice) presents itself as an easy cocktail to master. Sure you can start with a classic mint julep, or look up mint julep variations online, but wouldn’t you rather create your own? In the spirit of mad scientists/mixologists everywhere, take a minute to get a few tips before heading out to create your own mint julep riff. If you envision the Kentucky Derby festivities each time, then you’ve understood just a little of the romance that surrounds this Run for the Roses and Kentucky lore.Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Cherry Mint Julep They’re the perfect cocktail for a hot summer evening. Because, Kentucky Bourbon!Įnjoy Mint Juleps all summer long don’t think that they are only for the Kentucky Derby. I don’t often drink, so I prefer my Mint Juleps with more of this lovely minty-sweet syrup along with an identifiable amount of bourbon. 1 jigger is a usual “shot” of whiskey but many recipes call for two. So good!Īs with any alcoholic drink, you can dial the potency up or down. But I often make our Mint Juleps a refreshing drink choice for the entire summer season by adding just a slice of orange, lemon or lime. Think of a cold bourbon drink enlivened with the fresh taste of sweet mint plus an optional twist of citrus.Ī Mint Julep purist will insist that a Julep only contain bourbon, mint, sugar and ice. It’s just as refreshing as it is bracing. My Gram’s recipe was our family’s favorite for as long as I can remember. Mint Juleps are synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, and rightly so.
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