Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Running and Mint Juleps

Last night I managed to get away from work before the rain came. I managed 2.5 miles, with minimal issue. It was a pretty non-eventful run, but I did frighten a groundhog. (Felt a little bad about that. :( )

Today my knee feels a bit tender, but I've been very very lax on doing my leg exercises. Need to get on that. In the end though, I'm definitely feeling better about this ITB, and I'm glad.


And, without further ado, I bring us to today's Alcohol Tuesday entry, the mint julep! It would have been ideal to do this the Tuesday before the Kentucky Derby, but alas, I was out of town. So, after all 3 legs of the triple crown are over, I bring you this entry. Better late than never!

The mint julep is a drink that really isn't that complicated to prepare, yet people are afraid of it. Don't be. I bring you instructions, complete with pictures, to make a killer drink.

Here's what is needed:



We need fresh mint, some extra fine granulated sugar, a little bit of water, ice, and some Kentucky bourbon whiskey. In addition, you'll need either a muddler or a spoon, a cup or glass, and optionally a measuring device such as a jigger.

The cup I use is an old-school traditional mint julep cup. It's pewter. As a side effect (one that is desired), the cup frosts up as it gets cold, due to the ice. If you go to Churchill Downs, you'll get a mint julep in a Collins style glass, just a taller and more narrow glass. Anything works, of course.

As far as bourbon goes, you'll want a Kentucky style, to be authentic. I'll typically opt for Knob Creek or Maker's Mark. Try to stay away from something really dirt cheap.


(One more side note.. You may note the mallet in the picture above. It will come in to play, but may not be necessary for you.. )



First up, take a teaspoon of sugar, and put it in your cup/glass. Then, follow that up with a teaspoon of water, enough to dissolve the sugar. This is the part of the recipe that is "to taste". If you want it sweeter, add a bit more.. less sweet, add less, of course.

You could use something like simple syrup if you have some on hand.



Next up, pull out 4 to 6 mint leaves. Put them into the sugar water, and gently muddle them. You only want to bruise the leaves, not crush them. Bruising the leaves will release some of the oil in the mint.. If you wind up crushing them, you'll pick up some extra flavors that are not becoming to the drink. You can use a muddler for this if you have one, or I just use the back of a spoon.

Stir the bruised leaves around in the sugar-water solution and let them sit for a few minutes, letting the flavor seep out.



Next up is the ice. You're going to want to use crushed ice for this drink. While I absolutely love my fridge, the one thing it can't do is make crushed ice. Hence, the need for a mallet.

After banging away on the counter for a bit, you'll be left with some crushed ice:



Crude, but effective.



OK. So you fill your cup with the crushed ice. Pour a jigger (1.5 to 2 ounces) of bourbon in the cup. You'll note that this settles and melts the ice a bit. You'll want to top the cup with some more ice.

Finish this off by retopping the cup with bourbon, garnish with a sprig of mint, and you're good to go!




That spoon I included in my julep is peer with my cup. It actually serves as both a straw and a spoon, as the handle is hollow. Really killer. So you can sip, stir, and have something fun, all in one. :)

Alright everyone, that's all for today.. Enjoy responsibly, and keep on rockin'!

9 comments:

No Longer Using said...

this was a fun post!! thank you! i find it hilarious that you wrote that most people are afraid of the mint julep because as soon as i read the title i was like oh gosh that drink is complicated... lol. you are making me want a jack and ginger!!! (or a classier whiskey... might not be in my budget, lol).

Denise said...

Fun post! When I have my housewarmig party I might have to whip up some Raul mint juleps!

MCM Mama said...

Glad your knee is hanging in there. Nice explanation on the drink - too bad I can't stand even the smell of bourbon (too many negative associations from college).

Glaven Q. Heisenberg said...

Might be worth a try, if I get a chance somewhere. Sure SOUNDS tasty.

But, as I said, I try to stay away from mixed drinks because I tend to drink them the same way I do beer - quickly.

Not a good idea with the strong stuff.

O, sure, it's fun that night.

But when you wake up the next day with a killer hangover and a dead hooker in bed next to you ...

Not so much fun anymore.

X-Country2 said...

This is way better than a healthy bar recipe! :o)

Cindy said...

cool! i have all the ingredients (knob creek tho, not mm) for it. i might need quite a bit of sugar in mine. thanks for sharing that!

Aka Alice said...

OMFG...I just LOVE. THIS. BLOG!!!

I had to look at the picture really closely because I couldn't figure out what coffee had to do with a mint julep, but i get it now. I accidentally grew mint in my garden once. That stuff is a eff-ing weed!

How pathetic is it that I've never even had a mint julep, but I'm gonna now (for some reason I even have Knob Hill whiskey in the liquor cabinet...left over from some whiskey sauce for bread pudding I made once). I've made a mojito, so I can certainly make a julep.

Carolina John said...

i love a good mint julep too. it's just burbon over ice with some flavor, what's not to like? works well with jack daniels too, but not as authentic.

joyRuN said...

Now that I have a mint plant, I can actually do this! Can't wait to try it :)

Funny think about your spoon/straw combo - my word verification is "unispork"!