Mint Julep

Last weekend, I was in Jacksonville, North Carolina and as I drove through the residential part of town on Sunday afternoon, I saw a few people sitting on their front porches just relaxing and taking in the breeze. All I could think about was that that was true Southern living. Images of pound cake, strawberry shortcakes, sweet tea and this cocktail came to mind. Right then and there, I knew exactly how I was going to spend my next Sunday afternoon even if it’s not on a front porch and even if it’s up north. So, to kick off my Southern Living (in the north) on a peaceful Sunday afternoon (this coming one), I have decided to make and sip on this lovely classic drink. I’ve decided to make it as a trial run – a warm up, if you wish – for Sunday. I must say that I won’t be changing a thing

Ingredients…

Mint Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves + mint sprigs for garnish

Method:
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves completely. Stir in mint leaves, bruising them a bit with a wooden spoon or a muddler. Let stand one hour (or up to overnight – if keeping longer, remove and discard mint leaves).

Ingredients for Mint Julep:
Ice
1 1/2 oz (45 mL) bourbon
2 tbsp mint simple syrup (recipe above)

Method:
Fill a glass (5 oz or larger) with ice. Add 1-2 mint sprigs. Pour bourbon and 2 tablespoons of the mint syrup over the ice and stir.
Adjust strength and sweetness to taste.

Notes: My mint simple syrup is dark because I decided to use a combination of white sugar and dark brown sugar. Even though I used less brown sugar than white sugar, the syrup took on this lovely amber color. I didn’t mind though. It was very tasty!