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Homemade Mint Julep Recipe


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My Grandma Bryant's recipe...

Syrup

1.5 to 2 cups sugar

1 cup cold water

6 to 8 sprigs of fresh mint

Boil water and sugar. Let the mixture cool. Add mint to the mixture and let it sit for 12 hours, stirring a couple times during this period. Strain through fine sieve or cheesecloth. Makes approximately one cup of syrup.

Mint Julep

1 oz syrup

2 oz bourbon

Serve over crushed ice. Adorn with 1 sprig of mint. Sprinkle powdered sugar on sprig of mint.

yum.gif

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Thank you Chuck!

I've been looking for a Julep recipe that is simple, natural, and most of all, authentic (ie, no extracts or artificial flavourings).

drink.gif

Dave

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Glad to help.

Shame on me for not posting it until now. I got the recipe back in July. I thought I had posted it, but when I looked for it to send to a friend at work, I couldn't find it. Guess I didn't post it then. So here it is.

P.S. What kind of mint do you grow in Canada? Wintergreen? (drum rim shot) lol.gif

I know - that was really bad.

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The classic way to make a mint julep forgoes simple syrup in favor of 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar, muddled with mint leaves and 1 tbsp water. Then the glass is packed with finely crushed ice and bourbon is added to fill. Additional mint leaves may be used as garnish. In addition to looking cool, the fresh scent from the garnish accentuates the taste. This drink is designed to be consumed moments after it is made. Most bad mint julep experiences are the result of dallying, which allows the whiskey to become too diluted.

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One of the chef's on the food network also suggested not adding a straw to the glass and making sure to add the mint for garnish, that way when you go to sip from the glass, it forces your nose near the mint for the 'full effect'.

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I wonder why they suggested NOT using a straw!? After all, an authentic mint julep glass is actually metallic--and should be covered with frost if the drink is made properly. The old "freezing point depression" phenomenon! lol.gif Do you really want your lips on that!?

I thought the true mint julep experience HAD to be with a short straw so your lips and nose are in the crushed ice and next to the mint sprig!?

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After all, an authentic mint julep glass is actually metallic.....

Actually, the classic julep "glass" is a silver cup.

Tim

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Right, but the particular episode I saw (i totally forget which one it was now, it has been some time ago) the juleps were made in a glass glass and that was the suggestion. In other episodes I remember seeing where they were made the traditional way, yes they suggested the short straw. I'm with you about not wanting my lips on that metallic container (ok silver cup, same thing to me) filled with all that ice haha.

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  • 2 weeks later...

>The classic way to make a mint julep forgoes simple syrup in favor

>of 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar...

I had always thought that making the simple syrup was just for bartenders

who wanted to make drinks quickly, but I recently read something

that might make me change my mind. Boiling sucrose will break it up

into it's component parts: sucrose = 1 glucose molecule + 1 fructose

molecule. This is known as "inverting" the sugar, since it changes the

way that the sugar solution reacts to polarized light. The theory is that the

mix of different sugar types will give a more richer flavor. Well, for

me, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". I've been meaning to

taste test boiled vs.unboiled sugar-water, and then the same sugar-waters

used to make a julep, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Tim Dellinger

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Tim,

Simple syrup is the key to good southern Sweet Tea. You just can't get the flavor from table sugar, artificial sweetner, honey etc. If Sweet Tea is any indicator, I'd go with simple syrup.

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To elaborate on something I alluded to in my other post on this topic, most people don't understand the mint julep. It is not a cocktail. It is more on the order of a shot or shooter. It is not to be savored. A proper mint julep should be made quickly, served immediately and consumed promptly. It doesn't have to be drunk in a single draught, but something pretty close to that is recommended. The julep is at its peak the moment it is completed and every moment that passes thereafter diminishes its quality. Mint juleps are ideal for toasts, if the logistics of making and serving them simultaneously can be mastered. It is very appropriate, perhaps even preferred, to enjoy a celebratory julep and then switch to something more sippable, such as whiskey neat or a more conventional whiskey cocktail.

Lots of people have had bad julep experiences and deride the drink. They have had them prepared inexpertly or they drink them incorrectly and come away with the opinion that it's a bad drink. Taken appropriately in a suitable context, the julep can be delightful. Its sensuality can be nearly overpowering.

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