Here's my version of the perfect mint julep, courtesy of Bill Samuels, as featured (apparently—I just found the recipe via a web search) on Cooking Live. The Cooking Live version required 24 hours to prepare, and I wanted the drink that night, so I did a bit of modifying. This recipe makes two mint juleps.- Put about 8 fresh mint leaves in a glass.
- Cover with 4 oz. bourbon, and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Remove the mint leaves, and squeeze the bourbon back into the glass.
- Drop the mint leaves back into the bourbon, stir, take 'em out and squeeze the bourbon back in again. Repeat twice more, and then discard the mint.
- Add a generous ounce of simple syrup, and stir well.
- Fill two old fashioned glasses half full with crushed ice, place a sprig of mint in each, and then fill both to the top with more crushed ice.
- Divide the bourbon/syrup mixture between two glasses. Insert a straw in each that just barely clears the ice (cut to size if necessary).
The sprig of mint and the straw are not merely there for appearance's sake. The straw means your nose is just above the drink when you quaff, and the mint sprig's fragrance wafts into your nose. |
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