On the first Sat. in May, know what you’re doing behind the bar. Beyond cliché’, I truly feel that having a Mint Julep and watching the Kentucky Derby is one of life’s affordable luxuries that you’d be foolish not to partake in. With such a minimum of effort, you can entertain in the home and, depending on the horses, make a great May Saturday afternoon. Even just sitting around a kitchen table watching the Derby on a tiny television set can be loads of fun as long as it’s accompanied by an ice frosted glass thick with crushed ice, bourbon and crushed mint. It’s not a 3 hour party you’re committing to, it’s a one hour race complete with the pre-race show and 2 Mint Juleps per person, tops. When made properly, this drink sings. You will love it, I promise.

Here we go –

• 2 ½ oz bourbon
• 8 sprigs of mint
• 1 tsp of sugar
• Crushed (almost to the point of powder) ice.

Get an ice crushing machine or a good blender set to crush ice and prepare enough for two fat old-fashioned glasses. Before you add ice to glass, muddle 8 sprigs of mint with teaspoon+ of sugar, till pasty in the bottom of the glass. Fill the mint and sugared glasses with ice to the rim and then pour your bourbon over top. Stir with short straw till drink is mixed. If we have as good a race as we did last year, you’ll remember the drink till next Derby.

Bourbon, Cocktail Recipes, Spring Cocktail Recipes.