Mint Julep — Kentucky Derby's official drink is more ritual than

The Kentucky Derby’s official drink is more ritual than recipe — and that’s the entire point. For two hundred years, the Mint Julep has been less about precise measurements and more about Southern hospitality, crushed ice, and the perfect silver cup.

Ingredients

• ½ oz bourbon
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
• Garnish: a sprig of fresh mint
• Garnish: powdered sugar

Method

Start with your mint leaves in the bottom of a julep cup or rocks glass. Add the simple syrup and gently press the mint with a muddler — don’t shred it, just bruise it enough to release the oils. You want fragrance, not green bits in your teeth. Fill the cup halfway with crushed ice, then add your bourbon. Top with more crushed ice, packing it down until it mounds above the rim. Stir gently for ten seconds — you want the outside of the cup to frost over completely. The colder, the better.

Serve

Garnish with a fresh mint sprig right in the center of that ice mound. Dust the top lightly with powdered sugar — it’s traditional and adds a touch of sweetness as it dissolves.

Pro Tip

The secret is crushed ice, not cubes. Crushed ice melts faster, which sounds wrong but isn’t. The dilution is part of the drink — it opens up the bourbon and creates that signature frosty cup. If you don’t have crushed ice, wrap regular cubes in a clean towel and whack them with a rolling pin. Your neighbors might think you’ve lost it, but your Julep will thank you.