This Is The Mint Julep Recipe Served At The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby has one thing for everybody, from an unbelievable historical past as a sporting occasion (since 1875!) to its pageantry and elaborate hats. However for us, it comes down to 1 factor: the mint julep.

And for the reason that Derby is the right purpose to host a bunch of pals for a day of consuming and merriment, we spoke to govt chef David Danielson of Churchill Downs on how he and his workforce at Levy make juleps for the 400,000 individuals who come via their gates (together with the precise recipe they use), and how one can simply put together stellar juleps at house.

Simply to present you an concept of the size of this operation, the Derby takes place on Saturday, Might 4, however preparations start in August of the earlier yr.

“We’ve got an army of people over here working to get everything geared up,” Danielson informed HuffPost. He’s not exaggerating, because it takes over 1,000 employees to whip up the estimated 127,000 mint juleps for Derby Day. The premier race is billed as “the fastest two minutes in sports,” however consuming juleps is an all-day occasion. The bourbon-filled cocktails are being poured proper after the gates open at 8 a.m., and other people proceed imbibing all the best way till final name at 8:10 p.m.

As a refresher: a mint julep is a mix of bourbon, water, contemporary mint, sugar and crushed ice (preserve studying, as a result of we’ve received nice recipes for juleps on the finish of the story). Churchill Downs makes use of 254,000 ounces of bourbon (or over 10,000 750 milliliter bottles), 300 crates of mint (about 4,000 kilos of regionally sourced stuff from Louisville, Kentucky’s Dohn Gardens) and 60,000 kilos of ice to make their juleps. You in all probability gained’t want practically as a lot on your house setup. Nonetheless, Danielson has suggestions from his 9 years of working the Derby that can assist you out.

In case you suppose any kind of bourbon will suffice for a mint julep, suppose once more. Woodford Reserve is within the Derby’s signature julep, and Danielson cited a couple of the reason why. “Woodford is a very smooth bourbon,” he informed HuffPost. “It has a great flavor profile and delicious caramel notes.” Most significantly, it mixes properly with the mint and sugar. Different bourbons can both be too spicy or too mellow for the refreshing spring cocktail.

Whenever you’re making drinks in massive portions, you need to be certain you’re capable of make persistently tasty drinks at a quick tempo. Many recipes (together with the one for a traditional Woodford mint julep discovered under) name for tiny spoonfuls of sugar, nevertheless it’s not tremendous enjoyable to be scooping sugar behind a bar while you’d relatively simply be hanging out and consuming.

That’s why the Churchill Downs of us as a substitute change a scoop of sugar with mint easy syrup. “We make a mint simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water. We bring it to a boil and add mint to it. Then we let it steep and strain it off,” Danielson stated. That’s a easy sufficient recipe that even it is best to strive it on your Derby social gathering. We’ve received you coated with extra element on making easy syrup.

As soon as that’s accomplished, combine a giant amount of bourbon along with your easy syrup and throw it within the fridge. When your family and friends arrive, your job turns into exceedingly easy. “Take your ice out, pour [this boozy mixture] over top, garnish it, and you’re literally off to the races, my friend,” Danielson stated.

“Historically, juleps were a sign of prosperity,” Danielson famous. “Ice was a commodity, and so when you wanted to entertain or show people you were in society, you showed people you had ice. If you had crushed ice piled high in a glass, you were really doing well.”

Present all your pals you’re additionally doing nice through the use of crushed ice. Not solely does it look implausible must you need to Instagram your julep, nevertheless it offers you an opportunity to take out all of your frustrations within the making of this drink. In case you can’t discover crushed ice on the liquor retailer, you may create it by shopping for a daily bag of ice and smashing it up with a hammer. Or simply utilizing a robust blender.

You is likely to be tempted to purchase contemporary mint from the grocery retailer and retailer it in your fridge’s crisper drawer, however Danielson recommends treating mint with extra respect. “Put an inch or so of cold water at the bottom of a cup,” he stated. “Make sure the stems are sitting in the water.” Whenever you’re able to serve the cocktail, use a whole sprig of mint, which ought to have about six to seven leaves on it.

Sure, there certain are silver julep cups you should purchase on-line and elsewhere, however Danielson stated to not sweat it in the event you don’t have time to purchase them. “A skinny, tall, 8-ounce [highball glass] is a great glass for a julep,” he stated.

We’ve received two recipes you may take a look at. The primary is the one served at Churchill Downs, and the second is Woodford Reserve’s authentic recipe. Cheers!

1. Pour Woodford Reserve and easy syrup over crushed ice.

2. Stir with spoon.

3. Garnish with a contemporary sprig of mint.

1. In a copper julep cup, rub two items of contemporary mint across the cup to precise the oils.

2. Add Woodford Reserve, then the water and sugar and stir with a bar spoon.

3. Add crushed ice to the highest, then garnish with 4 sprigs of mint.