It’s off to the races! Let’s make it as quick as we can to next weekend, deal?! At the risk of sounding like a complete lush, this is one of the best weeks for themed cocktails. Hello, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby! Ya’ll know this girl loves herself a good themed anything; and cocktails are certainly not an exception of that. “Bartender, pour me a mint julep and a good ol’ margarita!”
The last few years I have found myself rather intrigued and dare I say obsessed with all things Kentucky Derby come the month of May. However, I do always feel so bad for the horses that are racing, does anyone else feel like this? I’m obsessed with the hats, the searsucker, the pastels….and OF COURSE, the mint juleps. After all, the mint julep is the most iconic tradition of The Kentucky Derby.
This year I’m not hosting a party but I will definitely be indulging in a mint julep or two come Saturday. My party this year is sharing my mint julep recipe here with you all on my blog! Now, let me forwarn you… these drinks are STRONG! After just one of these delicious cocktails, I have quite a little buzz going on, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (wink, wink).
Ingredients for Mint Julep:
**1 part mint syrup
**3 parts bourbon
**Splash of Club Soda
**Chilled glass with crushed ice
Instructions for Mint Julep:
**Infuse simple syrup(I bought the pre-made syrup, but you can make your own) with mint. I did 1.5 cups of simple syrup with around 30-ish mint leaves. Let steep on low for at least 1-hour.
**While mint is steeping in syrup, chill glasses and crush ice.
**Once the mint-syrup is done, fill glass completely with ice. Seriously… the key to a good cocktail is the ice. Mint Juleps are BEST with a glass full of crushed ice.
**Add bourbon, mint syrup, and club soda to your chilled glass and stir all of the ingredients together.
**Garnish with mint and enjoy!
As strong as this drink is, it ranks high on my list of my favorite cocktails! I’d love to hear if you all like them as much as I do and if you end up trying this recipe out for yourselves!
Cheers, Ya’ll!
Xoxo,
AP
