How to make the perfect mint julep, according to a golf club chef
The mint julep served at Liberty National.
Courtesy Photo
Welcome to Clubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetites.
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In golf, there are horses for courses. But none can keep up with the thoroughbreds that race around Churchill Downs every year.
The 147th running of the Kentucky Derby is just a week away. That means dapper dressers, Southern belles and a garland of red roses for the winner. And let’s not forget mint juleps, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938.
At Liberty National Golf Club, in New Jersey, where I’m the assistant general manager and executive chef, we make a classic mint julep, which is sure to be in high demand this weekend and next. I’ve included our recipe for it below, along with tips if you’re thinking of making your own julep at home.
How to make a mint julep
Ingredients:
2 1/2 ounces cask-strength bourbon whiskey
1/2 ounce Demerara simple syrup (*directions below)
5 leaves of mint
1/4 ounce dark rum
Lots of ice
Three large sprigs of mint (for garnish)
*Demerara Simple Syrup: 2 parts Demerara sugar / 1 part water
Bring the sugar-and-water mixture over medium heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring as you do. Once the liquid starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and let it cool into a syrup.
Method:
Gently muddle mint leaves with simple syrup in a rocks glass or julep cup. Fill a Lewis bag or cloth napkin with a good amount of ice. With a large wooden mallet or the back of an iron skillet, crush the ice into small pieces. Fill your glass with ice and then add bourbon. With a bar spoon, give your cocktail a good stir. This will dilute and chill as well as create more space in the glass. Mound the glass with more crushed ice. Top with dark rum and garnish with healthy bunch of mint.
Tips:
Keep In Mint Condition: When muddling mint, do it gently. We are not looking to pulverize it. We’re simply trying to express some of the oils from the leaves. It’s like using some finesse around the greens.
Find Proof in the Bourbon: Use high-proof, high-quality bourbon. This will ensure a delicious cocktail when it’s diluted, and a pretty good buzz as well. Cask-strength bourbon is perfect.
Strain for Tradition: Most strainers you see at bars are Hawthorne strainers, with a coiled spring that goes around the rim. These are used to strain cocktails into a drinking vessel. The julep strainer is something different. It was designed to remain on the rim of the glass to hold back the crushed ice as you drink. Julep strainers are rarities these days. Not many people use them. But if you want to be true to tradition, a julep strainer is the way to go.
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