Mint Julep a la Dabney
The Mint Julep is a classic cocktail perfect for a warm day. This mint julep recipe is created and served the forgotten 'champion' way from the pre-Prohibition era to celebrate the Black bartenders who perfected and mastered the Mint Julep to make it the popular Derby Day cocktail it is today.
Servings: 1 Mint Julep
Calories: 498kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon pulverized granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon cold water
- 4 sprigs mint to muddle
- 3 oz peach or apple brandy
- Crushed ice to fill the cup
- Berries and small pieces of fruit for garnish
- 4 sprigs mint for garnish
- Edible flowers for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Create the julep base by muddling the pulverized sugar, water, and mint together at the bottom of a chilled silver or metal julep or a double old fashioned glass. Muddle just enough to extract the oils from the mint, then remove the mint sprigs from the cup and discard them.
- Add in the brandy (or cognac, bourbon, rum, or mix of them) and stir well.
- Pour in the crushed ice until it domes over the cup.
- Garnish the ice with fruits and flowers. Bury the stems of the mint into the ice to create a bouquet.
- Serve with a silver or metal straw.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Hailstorm Dabney.
Tips
- If you don't have a metal julep cup, a double old fashioned glass works as well.
- Pulverized sugar is NOT the same as powdered sugar, which has starch in it. Pulse granulated sugar in a food processor until it's almost a powder to create superfine sugar.
- The edible flowers are optional, but please use flowers you know are edible and rinse them before serving.
- Seasonal fruit and berries work best with this, though tropical fruits were common since they were a sign of wealth.
- Use apple brandy, Cognac, dark rum, or good bourbon whiskey if you cannot find peach brandy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 74g