# Mint julep **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101 "2011-05-07T22:46:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/1 "2011-05-07T22:46:44Z")
A sure sign that summer is rapidly upon us. I am forgoing the silver cup in favor of a repurposed Jamesons Irish Coffee glass. Hard times, indeed, but needs must. Bourbon, sugar, mint, crushed ice. The perfect drink for watching somebody else work on a hot day. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/2 "2011-05-07T22:47:59Z")
Ratios, man! Ratios! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/3 "2011-05-07T23:01:47Z")
1 tsp granulated sugar 3 mint leaves Muddle the shit out of the mint and sugar. Fill the glass with crushed ice and add 3 oz. good bourbon. Stir and enjoy. Pick the bits of mint out of your teeth later. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/4 "2011-05-07T23:05:32Z")
Excellent. Now I just have to wait for Summer. (La Niña made last month the coldest, wettest April in quite a long time.) ETA: Your title. ‘Let us drink, I must die.’? Or ‘I’m dying for a drink.’? . ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/5 "2011-05-07T23:12:26Z")
Quote from Seneca: “Let us drink, for we must die.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/6 "2011-05-07T23:50:32Z")
Out of curiosity, what sort of mint do y’all use? We’ve got scads of peppermint and spearmint growing around our house. When we’ve made juleps we’ve used the peppermint. And does the quality of the bourbon matter much for a julep? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/7 "2011-05-08T00:14:49Z")
I use spearmint, but that’s just because it’s what we found at Von’s. As for the bourbon, it should at least be of decent quality. No need for the Pappy, but Buffalo Trace works quite well. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/8 "2011-05-08T00:54:30Z")
I’ve never had one before. They good? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/9 "2011-05-08T01:03:26Z")
**silenus** , I love you, okay? There. I said it. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I vaguely recall these “hot days” of which you speak from my days in California, but here in the Midwest it’s still grey and awful out. Summer might come next month. Maybe. That won’t stop me from drinking mint juleps now, though. Yes, the quality of the bourbon matters. Re: the peppermint, I use whatever I can find in the grocery store, and am not even sure of what kind of mint it is. Ha! I think it just kind of refers to itself as “fresh mint” or something generic like that. Next time I’ll check. I guess obviously my palate can’t tell the difference too well once it’s in the drink. Or I need to sample more mints in my juleps for the science. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/10 "2011-05-08T18:39:07Z")
Y’all do realize the Kentucky Derby was yesterday, right? It doesn’t matter what the weather is. Today I will put on my flowerey derby hat any make mint juleps to watch the DVR’d race as we watch the race and get feces-faced to celebrate mr. singular’s Kentucky heretage with whatever mint Safeway has to offer. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/11 "2011-05-08T22:40:36Z")
So… if you can’t find mint leaves, don’t try to use mint extract. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/12 "2011-05-08T22:54:07Z")
Mmmmm. I just had a Whiskey Smash earlier today, so I’m all set up for making a julep too. And it’s Mother’s Day, so I’m allowed to get tipsy. Sounds like I’ll be muddling after the girls go to bed. (I need to get me some good rocks glasses, if not julep cups. I wound up drinking my Smash out of a Scooby Doo glass.) Tell me, do y’all muddle with a special tool, or just use a spoon or something? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/13 "2011-05-08T23:28:38Z")
A True Southern Gentleman has a dedicated muddler for the purpose. I use the handle of a wooden spoon. ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/14 "2011-05-09T00:29:08Z")
Sorry y’all. Mint juleps are OK for derby day, but after that, mojito city. Tipsy on blackberry mojitos now. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/15 "2011-05-09T14:59:13Z")
I had my first mint julep at the Pirates of the Caribbean restaurant in Disney World. Was…not so good. Rather tasted of Scope. But if bourbon’s involved, I’ll give it another go, for certain. Now I just have to wait for the mint to come up. At least the snow’s gone for good, I think. Until next October or so, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/16 "2011-05-09T15:07:05Z")
Just back from NOLA (jazzfest), we had a few mint juleps there. Strangely, easy as they are to make, I never do?! ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/17 "2011-05-10T00:11:36Z")
Having been around for my 33rd Derby festival and race, I am flush with mint juleps (just had one a couple of hours ago). Making simple syrup with fresh mint leaves (they came from the side of the house and I don’t know what kind they are) makes life much easier. As in, add bourbon and mint-simple syrup (kept in the fridge) at a 1:1 or 1:0.5 ratio, mix, add crushed ice and mix. Abbey Road on the River is fast coming up, and we don’t have an official drink for that. Yet. Maybe hard cider? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/18 "2011-05-10T00:20:03Z")
Mmmmm, juleps. I’m specially fond of using chocolate mint in them. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/19 "2011-05-10T16:23:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > . . . a dedicated muddler . . . I must contemplate this felicitous phrase. Sadly, medication precludes contemplating it with a julep. If any of you would be so kind as to raise a glass to the contemplation, I would appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101/20 "2011-05-11T14:28:22Z")
> [@Vlad\_Igor](#): > > Having been around for my 33rd Derby festival and race, I am flush with mint juleps (just had one a couple of hours ago). Making simple syrup with fresh mint leaves (they came from the side of the house and I don’t know what kind they are) makes life much easier. As in, add bourbon and mint-simple syrup (kept in the fridge) at a 1:1 or 1:0.5 ratio, mix, add crushed ice and mix. That is how I do it. Tons of mint (spearment) sprouting in my herb garden, something must be done. I make simple syrup, 1:1, and add in a hand full of mint leaves as it cools. Remove the leaves and store the mildly green syrup in the fridge for a week or so. Then, any time I want a julip, I mix the sryup and bourbon in equal measures over some ice and add more mint leaves for the aroma. The same sryup works for Mojitos too. I want one now. Wonder if my boss would notice…? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mint-julep/581101.md?page=2)