Derby Day Mint Julep Cocktail

Mint Julep Cocktail Recipe – bourbon, mint, water and sugar – super simple bourbon cocktail! A must for your Kentucky Derby parties!

mint julep cocktail in a glass

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Mint Julep Cocktail for The Kentucky Derby

It’s Derby Day!  We aren’t big Kentucky Derby fans, but we always make a point to watch “the fastest two minutes in sports”.  The official drink of the Kentucky Derby is the mint julep.  We’ve never had mint juleps, so we decided to give them a try.

This recipe starts with making a mint simple syrup. Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar. It is so easy to make. In a saucepan, combine mint leaves, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook just until the sugar dissolves. Allow the syrup to cool and then strain the mint leaves. To make the cocktail, combine equal parts mint simple syrup, and bourbon. Serve over crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint.

  • You can make the mint simply syrup ahead of time and refrigerate before making the cocktails.
  • Simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
  • You can use any bourbon or whiskey that you enjoy.
    • Maker’s Mark
    • Basil Hayden’s
    • Michter’s
    • 1792
    • Heaven’s Door
    • Jack Daniels
    • Jim Beam
  • This recipe makes a strong drink. Feel free to adjust the bourbon to your personal preference.
    • I usually use a 2:1 bourbon to simple syrup ratio.
mint julep cocktail in a glass

Cocktail Recipe for a Crowd

I must confess, our favorite thing about Kentucky is the bourbon. Chicken Legs is a Maker’s Mark man; more specifically a Maker’s 46 man, so this drink was right up his alley.  The mint juleps were simple to make and tasted pretty good. They are very sweet, and you must like bourbon.  I thought it was a bourbon mojito.  We now know why everyone in the infield at the Kentucky Derby is drunk – way too many mint juleps!

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mint julep cocktail in a glass

Derby Day Mint Juleps

Yield: 8 drinks
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Mint Julep Cocktail Recipe – bourbon, mint, water and sugar – super simple bourbon cocktail! A must for your Kentucky Derby parties!

Equipment:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 32 oz Kentucky bourbon
  • 8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions:

  • Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves.
  • Fill eight cups with crushed ice and pour 4-oz of bourbon and 2-oz mint syrup in each. Top each cup with a mint sprig.

Steph

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mint julep cocktail in a glass

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Comments

  1. Our future son-in-law is such a MM fan that he has a barrel with his name on it waiting to crack it in 2 years!

  2. As much as I luv horses, I don't get into horse racing.

    Could have used a couple of those yesterday after my yard work!

  3. Love me a good mint julep! My husband has the same glasses, he is a huge MM fan.

  4. I got the glasses at Maker's Mark's website – makersmarkshop.com they have lots to choose from

  5. Where did you get those glasses? My husband loves makers too and he would die for those glasses.

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