Kentucky Derby Drinks: The Mint Julep
If you’re going to the Kentucky Derby there are really only three things to do. Watch the races. Bet on the races. And, of course drink, drink and drink some more.
Hunter S. Thompson (a native of Louisville, Kentucky) described it best is his infamous story "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved", in which he wrote: "By mid-afternoon they'll be guzzling mint juleps with both hands and vomitting on each other between races."
If you’re going to get a drink at the Kentucky Derby the only drink in town is a mint julep. Everyone’s heard of a mint julep, whether it was from Homer’s bathtub mint julep when he was the Beer Baron on "The Simpson’s", or more recently in the movie "Thank You for Smoking". But, how many of these people that have been introduced to the mint julep through pop culture references actually know what’s in one?
The ingredients in a mint julep are quite simple. All you need is ice, bourbon, mint, and sugar and water. Some folks prefer a sugar syrup to sugar and water, but if it was good enough back when the julep was first made it should be good enough today. Once you get all your ingredients perfectly balanced to suit your taste, a mint julep should be served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. That tradition is slowly dying though as more people at the actual Derby will sip their juleps from Kentucky Derby collector cups – reminiscent of something you’d find at a fast food joint – rather than the classic silver cup.
It was estimated that last year on Derby day, and the preceding day when the Kentucky Oaks is run, that 80,000 mint juleps were served. That’s a whole lot of bourbon and mint. And I don’t even want to think about how many tons of ice that equates to. If you do attend the Derby, be sure to take part in the long tradition and order a cool mint julep. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd after all.
Take Thompson’s word for it: "…roaming around the clubhouse grounds with bit sketch pads, laughing hysterically at the natives and swilling mint juleps so the cops wouldn't think we're abnormal."
Technorati tag(s): kentucky derby, Hunter S. Thompson,
Mint Julep
Hunter S. Thompson (a native of Louisville, Kentucky) described it best is his infamous story "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved", in which he wrote: "By mid-afternoon they'll be guzzling mint juleps with both hands and vomitting on each other between races."
If you’re going to get a drink at the Kentucky Derby the only drink in town is a mint julep. Everyone’s heard of a mint julep, whether it was from Homer’s bathtub mint julep when he was the Beer Baron on "The Simpson’s", or more recently in the movie "Thank You for Smoking". But, how many of these people that have been introduced to the mint julep through pop culture references actually know what’s in one?
The ingredients in a mint julep are quite simple. All you need is ice, bourbon, mint, and sugar and water. Some folks prefer a sugar syrup to sugar and water, but if it was good enough back when the julep was first made it should be good enough today. Once you get all your ingredients perfectly balanced to suit your taste, a mint julep should be served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. That tradition is slowly dying though as more people at the actual Derby will sip their juleps from Kentucky Derby collector cups – reminiscent of something you’d find at a fast food joint – rather than the classic silver cup.
It was estimated that last year on Derby day, and the preceding day when the Kentucky Oaks is run, that 80,000 mint juleps were served. That’s a whole lot of bourbon and mint. And I don’t even want to think about how many tons of ice that equates to. If you do attend the Derby, be sure to take part in the long tradition and order a cool mint julep. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd after all.
Take Thompson’s word for it: "…roaming around the clubhouse grounds with bit sketch pads, laughing hysterically at the natives and swilling mint juleps so the cops wouldn't think we're abnormal."
Technorati tag(s): kentucky derby, Hunter S. Thompson,
Mint Julep
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