This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
Place your bets and dig out your fanciest hats, because it’s Kentucky Derby season, and that means a round of Mint Juleps should be on the menu. This classic cocktail is sweet, refreshing, and perfectly festive for the season.
This legendary cocktail is one of my party mainstays; bourbon, mint, and a bit of sugar come together to make something strong, sweet, and totally refreshing.
A Julep is just what you need while at the races, or at the very least, after a long day of digging all that wild mint out of your garden. Either way, this sublime drink is a sure bet on warm spring days.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Sugar: 2 teaspoons simple syrup can be substituted for the 1 teaspoon sugar + 1 teaspoon water. Learn how easy it is to make your own simple syrup.
- Bourbon: There are lots of opinions on which bourbon is best, but Woodford Reserve seems to be a crowd favorite (and it’s the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby).
Step-by-step instructions
- In a julep cup or tall glass, combine sugar and water and stir to dissolve. Add mint leaves and muddle in the bottom of the glass.
- Fill half the glass with ice. Add bourbon and stir to combine. Top with more ice and stir until the glass is frosty.
- Garnish generously with mint sprigs.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes one frosty Mint Julep cocktail.
- Big batch: Mint Juleps are best muddled one drink at a time, when you need them.
- Mojito: More Cuba than Kentucky, a classic Mojito cocktail is also generous with the mint but made with rum instead of bourbon. Or try our non-alcoholic Mojito Mocktail.
- Manhattan: Not into mint? Try a Manhattan cocktail, another classic bourbon drink that has sweet vermouth and old-fashioned bitters.
Recipe FAQs
The mint julep is a mixed drink made with bourbon, water, crushed or shaved ice, and the freshest mint. It’s a quintessentially Southern cocktail and since 1938 it has been enjoyed by thousands at Churchill Downs during the two-day Kentucky Derby. Every year, as many as 120,000 juleps are made. That’s a whole lot of mint!
Traditionally, mint juleps were often served in prized silver or pewter cups so they’d get frosty. If you’re lucky enough to have some, try holding the cocktail only by the bottom and top edges of the cup, so the frost covers the outside of the cup. If you don’t have any on hand, fear not: you can use an old-fashioned glass or a highball glass. This drink is so good, it hardly matters!
I would never crush your experimental spirit! During the 1800s, an aged gin called Genever could also be used with mint for juleps. Today, bourbon is the classic liquor.
Even if you have a crushed ice feature on your refrigerator, it’s fun to make your own. I use an old school canvas bag and a wooden mallet, filling up the bag and whacking away until the cubes are small enough to be heaped high into each cup.
More classic cocktails
Cocktail Recipes
The Best Moscow Mule
Cocktail Recipes
Martini
Cocktail Recipes
Old Fashioned
Cocktail Recipes
Pisco Sour
Join Us
Mint Julep
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon water
- 8 mint leaves
- 2 ounces bourbon (¼ cup) or more to taste (see note 2)
- fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a julep cup or tall glass, combine sugar and water and stir to dissolve. Add mint leaves and muddle in the bottom of the glass.
- Fill half the glass with ice. Add bourbon and stir to combine. Top with more ice and stir until the glass is frosty. Garnish generously with mint sprigs.
Notes
- Sugar: 2 teaspoons simple syrup can be substituted for the 1 teaspoon sugar + 1 teaspoon water. Learn how easy it is to make your own simple syrup.
- Bourbon: There are lots of opinions on which bourbon is best, but Woodford Reserve seems to be a crowd favorite (and it’s the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby).
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
