Mint Julep is the perfect refreshing cocktail and easy to make with bourbon, fresh mint leaves, and simple syrup all poured over crushed ice.
This refreshing Mint Julep Recipe is a traditional southern Drink that you can easily make yourself. For more, at-home cocktails try my Classic Manhattan and Greyhound Cocktail next.
Table of Contents
Sabrina’s Mint Julep Recipe
Mint Juleps are the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. It’s the perfect cocktail for the event. The mint and bourbon combination give it a distinct flavor, and serving it over crushed ice is excellent for a day outside. However there’s no reason you can’t make this perfect Derby Day drink at home.
To make my cold Mint Julep cocktail, you’ll need a muddler and a julep cup or rocks glass. The ingredients you need are bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves, bitters, and crushed ice. It’s easy to mix the refreshing Mint Julep recipe together, and you’ll be feeling like a world-class bartender in no time.
Ingredients
- Mint: To give this cocktail its minty flavor, you need 8 fresh mint leaves to muddle and 1 fresh mint sprig of mint for garnish. The fragrant mint smell and taste completely make the drink. You can always use concentrated mint syrup if you don’t have mint leaves. For the freshest mint flavor and a beautiful presentation, you should use fresh mint.
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Simple Syrup: Simple syrup is an excellent way to add a little sweetness to your drink mixes. The syrup is perfect for balancing out the slightly bitter flavor in this recipe.
- 2 Ounces Bourbon: Mint Juleps are traditionally made with Kentucky bourbon, though you could use another kind of bourbon if you want. There aren’t a lot of other ingredients in this cocktail so choose a full-flavored bourbon you enjoy drinking.
- Bitters: Optionally, you can finish the julep cup off with angostura bitters.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Rocks Glass: A rocks glass is typical for serving cocktails like this. It is a low tumbler and they come in many styles! However, there are no rules when it comes to your homemade cocktail. You can use any glass you want, about 6 ounces is ideal to hold this bourbon cocktail.
- Muddler: A muddler is a long tool that has a wider, slightly rounded end so it will fit to the bottom of a glass. It is used to gently crush ingredients against the bottom of the glass for cocktails.
- Stir: Use a stir stick from your favorite cocktail bar tool set to stir the ice in your drink. If you don’t have a cocktail stir, you can simply use a spoon to stir the drink.
How to Make
Time needed: 5 minutes.
- Muddle Mint
Add fresh mint leaves and simple syrup to a rocks glass. Then lightly muddle. This means using a pestle-like tool to break up the herbs at the bottom of the julep glass to release their aroma.
- Mix Drink
Pour the bourbon over the muddled mint. Then fill to glass with crushed ice almost to the top. Stir gently.
- Garnish
Rub the sprig of mint between your fingers. This releases the oil from the aromatic mint. Then you can add your garnish of mint. Top it off with a few drops of bitters and enjoy the finished drink.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup , (¼ ounce)
- 4 tablespoons bourbon , (2 ounces)
- 1 mint sprig , for garnish
- Angostura bitters , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add mint leaves and simple syrup and lightly muddle.
- Add the bourbon to the glass, then fill to near the top with crushed ice and stir gently.
- Rub mint sprig between your fingers to release aromatic oils, then garnish glass with mint and a few drops of bitters (if desired).
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Can Mint Julep be made ahead?
If you prefer to prep the drink in advance, prepare the alcohol but wait to add the ice and mint sprig garnish until right before serving. If you want to make Mint Julep for a party, you can multiply the ingredients by how many people you want to serve and mix them in a pitcher. Then pour into glasses filled with crushed ice to serve.
Nutritional Information
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Make the perfect cocktail every time by following these helpful tips.
- Choose the Right Muddler
- To ensure you don’t muddle the mint too much, use muddler made of softer material like wood. You do not want to completely crush the mint and break it into pieces in the bottom of your glass. This will produce too much mint flavor, and will make for a less attractive cocktail.
- Crushed Ice vs. Ice Cubes
- Whether you choose crushed ice or cubes in your cocktail is entirely up to you. The choice you make should be based on how you like to drink your Mint Julep. Crushed ice will dilute and chill the drink faster. If you find Mint Juleps a little strong, crushed ice is the right choice for you. Larger cubes will take longer to melt, so if you like to sip slowly, go with cubes.
What to Pair With a Mint Julep
Savory Dishes: Set out a spread with your Mint Julep for Derby Day! Start with some appetizers like classic Deviled Eggs. Try hearty Slow Cooker Beef Brisket and make delicious sliders or go with a lighter choice like Chicken Salad.
Dessert: Set out a minty dessert like Mint Chocolate Chip Brookies or a chocolate dessert to compliment the mint, like Dark Chocolate Cupcakes. If you are serving a family-friendly spread, you can serve homemade Shamrock Shakes for the kids to drink.
How to Store
- Serve: Mint Juleps are best served fresh. The recipe is quite simple to make just a few minutes before enjoying.
- Store: Without adding the ice, you can keep Mint Julep for about 4 days in the fridge. Then serve the drink with fresh ice right before enjoying.
Frequent Questions
Although American Mint Juleps are known for being served at the Kentucky Derby, it’s too delicious to only enjoy on Derby weekend. Go ahead and make it anytime you want a nice, chilled cocktail. Due to the heavy ice and refreshing mint flavor, this cocktail is perfect for serving during the summer. The ice-cold whiskey drink is sure to keep you cool throughout the hot months.
Although delicious, a classic Mint Julep is also somewhat strong. Exactly how alcoholic depends on what proof whiskey you get. However, you can always add a little more or a little less bourbon to get the strength you want. One of the best things about making at-home cocktails is the ability to experiment until it’s exactly how you like.
Traditionally, mint juleps are served in a silver julep cup. However, if you don’t have a specific julep glass, you can use a similarly sized crystal glass, like a rocks glass. A highball glass will also work in a pinch, though it’s not the traditional way to enjoy this cocktail.
Variations
- Flavor Additions: There are lots of different ways you can add flavor to this traditional Mint Julep recipe. For a cooling and relaxing twist, pour in a little bit of cucumber juice. If you want more tangy flavors, you can try citrus juice options like lemon, lime, or grapefruit juice.
- Cherry Mint Julep: You can also make a cherry mint julep by adding ¼ oz cherry liqueur, ¼ oz maple liqueur, and spearing fresh cherries for garnish.
- Mock Mint Julep: Instead of a classic bourbon Mint Julep, you can make a. non-alcoholic version. Replace the bourbon with a mix of lemon juice and ginger ale as the base for your mocktail. You could also use club soda instead of ginger ale to make a less sweet drink. You’ll also have to leave out the bitters for a non-alcoholic version.
Related Recipes
More Classic Cocktail Recipes
