Celebrate Kentucky Derby Day With Mint Juleps And More This Weekend

Elevate Your Gatherings With These Derby Day Ready Mint Julep Cocktail Recipes That Are Fresh, Delicious And Unforgettable

So who is ready to celebrate Kentucky Derby Day with festive outfits, stylish Mint Julep cocktails and more this weekend? As a bourbon-based drink, the Mint Julep became the formal cocktail after the fall of Prohibition. The classic mixture of bourbon, mint, and sugar served with plenty of crushed ice is an American Southern classic, and the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby with nearly 120,000 mixtures served at Churchill Downs alone each year. Traditionally served in silver or pewter cups and held only by the bottom and top edges to allow frost to form, today mint juleps are served in everything- from a tall old-fashioned glass, Collins glass or highball glass with a straw. The proper preparation of the perfect mint julep cocktail recipe is often debated, however our suggestion on the key ingredient of fresh mint leaves, is to allow them enough time to release the essential oils and juices to intensify the flavor from the added ingredients.

So if you are planning to kick off the festivities in stylish ensembles and hats to match no Derby Day celebration is complete without a delicious mint julep cocktail in hand. Or if just looking to indulge in premium mint julep cocktails for any occasion, we have listed some luxe mint julep cocktail recipes involving bourbon and alternative spirits crafted for those who crave bold flavor, smooth bourbon and an unforgettable sip. Enjoy!

Sip in Style: Luxe Mint Julep Mixtures to Celebrate Kentucky Derby Day Or Any Occassion

Jitterbug Julep

Ingredients:

6 to 7 mint leaves
½ oz Simple syrup
½ oz Raspberry Liqueur
1.5 oz Chicken Cock Small Batch Bourbon
A raspberry for garnish

Method:

Muddle fresh mint leaves in a mason jar to release their oils, then discard the leaves. Add simple syrup, raspberry liqueur, and Chicken Cock Small Batch Bourbon. Fill the jar to the rim with crushed ice, then garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a raspberry.

Grand Junction Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz Old Elk Slow Cut Blended Straight Bourbon
2 Tbsp of Peach Jam
2 whole Raspberries
10 to 12 Mint Leaves

Method:

Place mint leaves in a Julep Cup and muddle with peach jam and raspberries. Add Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey and crushed ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a mint sprig.

Keeper’s Heart Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Cask Strength
21 Mint Leaves
⅓ Demerara Syrup

Method:

Add mint and Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon to the bottom of a tin cup or a glass of your choice. With a muddler or the back of a spoon, lightly bruise mint by pressing it into the whiskey (not too hard) several times. Next, let it sit for a few minutes to infuse. Add demerara syrup and stir. Top with a generous dome of crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and a straw.

Maryland Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz Sagamore Spirit Small Batch Rye Whiskey
8 mint leaves
0.25 oz simple syrup
Fresh mint for garnish
Crushed ice – This is a must!

Method:

In a cup, lightly muddle the fresh mint leaves with the simple syrup. Add the Sagamore Spirit Small Batch Rye Whiskey. Pack the cup with crushed ice. Give a stir to combine and chill ingredients. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

Elevate Your Gatherings With These Mint Julep Cocktail Recipes That Are Fresh, Icy And Unforgettable

Uncle Nearest Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz Uncle Nearest 1856
6–8 Mint Leaves
0.25 oz Simple Syrup (or more to taste)
Hella Cocktail Co. Aromatic Bitters (optional)
Mint Sprig Garnish

Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon Thyme Julep

by Frank Liotti (New York, NY)

Ingredients:

2 oz. Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
1 bar spoon Simple Syrup
1 dash Angostura® Bitters
6 Fresh Thyme Sprigs (one for garnish)

Method:

Muddle fresh thyme in a rocks glass. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold. Fine strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a toasted thyme sprig.

Knob Creek® Mint Julep

Ingredients:

1½ oz. Knob Creek® Bourbon
2 bunches mint
1 oz. simple syrup
1 splash soda

Method:

Mix sprigs of mint with simple syrup and a splash of soda. Fill highball glass with fine crushed ice and pour in bourbon. Lift out and decorate with two mint leaves. Add powdered sugar over mint to add an optional frosted appearance.

The Perfect Woodford Reserve Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz. Woodford Reserve
1 oz. Water
1 tsp. Sugar
Crushed Ice
4 sprigs Fresh Mint

Method:

Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass or copper cup. To the same glass, add sugar, water, bourbon and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more crushed ice and fresh mint.

Woodford Spire

Ingredients:

1.5 parts Woodford Reserve
2 parts Lemonade
1 part cranberry juice
Crushed Ice
Lemon peel for a lemon twist to garnish

Method:

In a glass, mix Woodford Reserve, lemonade and Cranberry juice with a bar spoon. Add liquid mixture into a copper cup, add crushed ice to the top of the glass & serve with a lemon twist.

Proper Julep

Ingredients:

2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
1 barspoon .25 oz raw sugar
8-10 Mint Leaves
Crushed Ice

Method:

Lightly muddle ¾ of the mint leaves and sugar into cup. Add Proper No. Twelve Whiskey and crushed ice. Garnish with mint.

Miami Mint Julep

Created by Brand Ambassador Natalia Cardenas

Ingredients:

2 oz Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
.5 oz Chinola Passionfruit Liqueur
1 tsp rich Simple Syrup
Bunch of Mint

Method:

Add Bourbon, Chinola with a bar spoon of rich simple syrup and a healthy bunch of mint leaves (8-10). Fill the julep cup halfway with crushed ice. Swizzle or stir to incorporate the ingredients until the julep cup starts to frost. Add more crushed ice and then garnish with a few edible flowers and a fresh sprig of mint.

Celebrate Kentucky Derby Day With This Texas Mint Julep And More This Weekend

NYC Mint Julep

Created by Brand Ambassador Michael Toscano

Ingredients:

2 oz Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon
½ oz Simple Syrup
6-8 Blackberries
Mint

Method:

Muddle 6 blackberries with simple syrup and a healthy bunch of mint leaves (8-10). Add Woodford Reserve Bourbon and fill the julep cup with ice. Stir and lift ice until the julep cup is frosted and then garnish with 2 blackberries and a fresh sprig of mint.

Slow & Low Mint Julep

Ingredients:

3 oz Slow & Low Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Simple Syrup – Preferably Demerara
10 sprigs of mint (Reserve 1 sprig for garnish)
Crushed ice
Copper, steel or aluminum cup

Method:

Muddle whiskey and mint in a mix glass. Add 1 large cube of ice. Next, stir but not so much as to dilute. Add liberal amounts of crushed ice to more than fill the tin cup. Fine strain contents of mix into a glass over crushed ice. Garnish with 6 mint leaves.

Alternative Mint Julep Cocktail Recipes Easy Enough To Shake At Home

The Finlandia Oaks Lily

The Official Drink of the Kentucky Oaks

Ingredients:

1 ¼ oz. Finlandia Classic Vodka
1 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
¼ oz. Triple Sec
3 oz. Cranberry Juice

Method:

Combine ingredients over crushed ice in an Official Oaks Lily souvenir glass. Garnish with a fresh blackberry and lemon peel.

D’usse Mint Julep

Ingredients:

2½ parts D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac
½ part simple syrup
2– 4 sprigs of mint
Crushed ice

Method:

Place simple syrup in a julepglass with 5 or 6 mint leaves and muddle. Fill the glass halfway with ice, add1½ parts D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac and stir. Add more ice and remaining D’USSÉ. Stir again until theglass is fully frosted. Top with ice and garnish with fresh mint.

Sweet Victory

by Nick Fogel, Beverage Director, The Late Late Bar & Spirit Grocer

Ingredients:

1 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
.75 oz Lillet Blanc
.75 oz Lavender Syrup *
Top with Sparkling Wine
Garnish Lavender Branch

Directions for Lavender Syrup:

Ingredients:

2 cups Water
2 cups White Sugar
3 Lemon Twists
3 tsp Loose Cooking Lavender

Combine in a sauce pan and simmer for 10 min. Allow to cool then strain into a glass bottle.

Method:

Add all ingredients except for sparkling wine into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds and strain into coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine, and garnish with lavender branch.

Celebrate Kentucky Derby Day With This Derby Mocktail Julep And More This Weekend

Woodford Spire Mocktail

Ingredients:

1.5 oz unsweetened tea
2 oz Lemonade
1 oz cranberry juice

Method:

Build in a glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist. Serve in a tall glass over ice.

Peach Mint Julep

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon
4 oz Ginger Beer
0.75 oz Ginger Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Peach Slices (½” thick)
Fresh Mint

Method:

In a julep cup or rocks glass, muddle fresh mint, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup. Next, add Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon. Then, fill the glass with crushed ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with peach slices and a generous mint sprig.

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