With less than 30 days to Derby we’re in Mint Julep Month. Here’s a little history behind the Mint Julep to help you appreciate where the cocktail originates from:

A Brief History Of Mint Juleps (credit: Flaviar)

Back on the frontier days of Kentucky, the Mint Julep was a breakfast drink. Oftentimes folks were still tired and sore from the day before - building log cabins and clearing farm land by hand is no small task! They would often need a little something to get going and for many that little something was the Mint Julep because the sugar and the mint made the corn Whiskey more palatable and refreshing.

Thankfully Julep recipes have come a long way since then. Here are a few of our favorite Julep recipes:

Pappy’s Mint Julep

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Bourbon
• .5 oz Pappy & Company's Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• 6 sprigs of Mint
• Crushed Ice

Instructions:

In a Julep cup, wipe inside of glass and lip with 1 sprig of mint. Add Bourbon and Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup and stir once to mix. Add lots of crushed ice and garnish with remaining Mint sprigs.

The Classic Mint Julep*

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Bourbon
• .75 oz Simple Syrup
• 4 Mint leaves and a sprig of mint (use tender, young sprigs, which last longer and look better)
• Crushed Ice

Instructions:

"Bruise" the mint leaves in the bottom of a Julep cup with simple syrup. Add crushed ice to the three quarter mark and half of the bourbon. Stir to chill the Julep cup. Top off with more ice and the remaining bourbon and continue to stir until the outside of the cup begins to freeze. Garnish with the mint sprig and set aside to rest while the julep cup freezes over on the outside.

*Photo Credit: Town & Country Magazine

Just In “Thyme” Julep*

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 1 teaspoon Simple Syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 6 fresh Thyme sprigs plus one for garnish

Instructions:

Muddle fresh thyme in a rocks glass. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold. Fine strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

*Photo Credit: Basil Hayden's

Cucumber Julep*

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 2 oz fresh squeezed cucumber juice
• .5 oz lime juice
• .5 oz simple syrup
• 6-8 mint leaves
• Crushed ice

Instructions:

Stir ingredients. Garnish with mint sprig and a cucumber slice.

*Photo Credit: Town & Country Magazine

Blackberry Mint Julep*

Ingredients:

• Crushed ice
• .25 cup blackberries, plus extras for garnish
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves, plus 4-5 mint sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 oz Bourbon

Instructions:

Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice cubes. In a shaker, combine the blackberries, mint leaves, sugar, bourbon and 1/3 cup of ice cubes and shake well. Strain the drink into the glass through a coarse sieve, pressing on the solids. Garnish with extra blackberries and mint sprigs.

*Photo Credit: Modern Cookery

Mint Julep Margarita*

Ingredients

• 10 mint leaves, plus mint sprigs for garnish
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Bourbon
• 1 oz Silver Tequila
• 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup (we used Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup instead)
• Crushed ice

Instructions:

In a chilled julep cup muddle the mint leaves. Rub the bruised leaves against the side of the cup and then discard. Add the lime juice, Cointreau, bourbon, tequila, and simple syrup.Top with crushed ice and set a swizzle stick or bar spoon in the cup and spin between your hands to mix.

*Photo Credit: Food & Wine Magazine