Recipes

Mint Julep

Matt Lee

Adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook (W.W. Norton & Company, 2006)

This classic cocktail is a must for watching the Derby, but it is also equally refreshing on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

  • 2 stems fresh mint
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup crushed or cracked ice
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) bourbon

Method

Strip the leaves from one of the mint stems; you should have 8 to 12 leaves. Using a pestle, muddle (crush) the mint with the sugar in the bottom of an 8-ounce julep cup or rocks glass. Add the crushed ice and burbon and stir vigorously with a spoon. Garnish with the top sprig of the remaining mint stem.

Yield

1 drink