Mint Julep

Ingredients: 

• About 2.5 ounces ( about 75mls) Bourbon
• About 1 teaspoon of fine sugar and 1 teaspoon of water or 1 ounce (about 30mls) sugar syrup
• About 10 fresh mint leaves

Garnish:

• Mint sprigs

Method:

• Put the sugar and water (or sugar syrup) into a julep cup and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the mint leaves and gently bruise them with a muddler or wooden spoon. Do it gently, you don’t want to break the leaves, just release the oils.
• Wipe the leaves around the cup to spread the oils.
• Half-fill the cup with crushed ice. You can use a blender to make the crushed ice, but be sure to drain the water from your ice before adding to your julep. If you don’t have a blender you could put ice into a canvas bag or tea-towel and beat it with a mallet or rolling-pin, but be careful.
• Add bourbon and stir.
• Fill the cup with ice and stir again until the outside of the cup frosts.
• Garnish with mint sprigs.
• Serve with a straw, so the mint aromas meet the drinker with each sip.