Mint Julep
Mint Julep is yet another drink which is made using whiskey. It has its origin in the southern US state of Kentucky. It is not known when this drink was served for the first time. But according to one legend, in the nineteenth century a Kentucky boatman of the Mississippi river came ashore to get some spring water for mixing with his bourbon whiskey.
By chance, he picked up some mint leaves growing near the spring and added to his drink. Originally, this drink used to be prepared using wine or brandy. But, people in southern US especially Kentucky preferred bourbon whiskey instead.
This drink is traditionally served during Kentucky Derby. Whiskey used is straight aged Kentucky bourbon. The cup in which the chilled drink is served is made of sterling silver about 4˝ tall and 3˝ in diameter. Such a cup is called a julep cup. One such julep cup specially designed for the derby is presented to the winner of Kentucky Derby every year. In case, such silver cups are not available, they are served in tall glasses.
Water used for the drink should be cold and preferably from a limestone spring. The word julep is derived from the Arabic julāb and Persian gulāb meaning rose water.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 5:38 am and is filed under Whiskey Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.