In springtime every young mans fancy turns to Mint Juleps

I am a seasonal whiskey drinker. As soon as a chill hits the air I open a bottle of Scotch and drink nothing but...perhaps I will have an occasional sip of Irish here and there too. But when the warm weather starts, and the flowers are in bloom I switch to Bourbon.

I have not been in years, but I used to go to the Virginia Gold Cup on the first Saturday in May. I went for 10 straight years, and it was F-U-N. The drink of choice for the day was Mint Juleps. Now you can't just go out and drink 5 or 6 Juleps in one afternoon cold, you have to work up to it. So a couple of weeks before Gold Cup, I would start training. A Julep or two each evening in the proceeding weeks, tapering off in the days before hand. You distance runners out there will recognize this training strategy as one similar to yours in preparation for a big race.

So in remembrances of Gold Cups past, I give you springtime's perennial favorite.


How to make a top notch Mint Julep:

1 heaping tsp confectioners sugar
3-4 mint leaves
1 splash of branch water

Muddle 3 ingredients in the bottom of your 1999 Gold Cup souvenir Julep cup.

Fill cup with crushed ice.
Top off with Kentucky Bourbon.

Stir vigorously until the sides of your cup frost.
Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!