Crushed ice, bourbon, and a shock of fresh mint. The Mint Julep is a Southern original—served cold, fast, and with purpose. It’s sweet but never overwhelmingly so, with the kind of chill that gives a tingle in the best way. The first sip hits hard. The second goes down easy.

Traditionally served in a silver cup you hold from the bottom so the top stays frosted, it’s as much about ritual as it is refreshment. There’s no citrus, no bitters, no garnish beyond the mint. It’s not a riff or a variation. It is what it is—and it’s perfect that way.

Recipe

• 2 oz bourbon
  
  

• ½ oz simple syrup
  
  

• Fresh mint
  Muddle a few mint leaves with syrup in a julep cup or rocks glass. Fill with crushed ice, add bourbon, stir, and top with more crushed ice. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
  
  

A note: First published in 1803 as “a dram of spirituous liquor with mint,” the Mint Julep became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. But it was a Southern staple long before—meant to be sipped slowly on hot days, long before air conditioning.

When we serve it: Derby weekend, spring garden parties, or any afternoon where shade and crushed ice feel like a necessity.