From Churchill downs to Keenland, the Colonel has consumed many mint Juleps. The large majority of them have been disgusting! Think North Carolina sweet tea, packed with crushed-ice, a dash of low proof rock-gut bourbon, and a sprig of peppermint for decoration. You get the idea. The end result is an overpriced, overly sweet, watered-down mint slushpuppie that hints of bourbon. I basically got to the point where I stopped ordering them altogether.
However, the flavor combinations could work unbelievably well together,
if they were done right. Case in point; I always thought meatloaf was hideous.
Turned out that I just never had good meatloaf. I was skeptical to try it,
until a fantastic chef made it for me. Regardless of the dish (or drink), it’s
all about freshness of ingredients, and an experienced, discerning
chef/bartender. The same point applies when creating a fantastic julep. You
can build a castle on a weak foundation. No matter how pretty it looks, it’s
going to crumble.
Other bourbon enthusiasts have expressed similar concerns about the
current dissatisfying state of the julep. Many of them have set out on their
own journeys to make the perfect julep.
The function of this episode is to
bring you a mint julep that the world has only dreamed about. A julep that
is bold, balanced and brilliant! A julep that showcases bourbon on a towering
pedestal, rather than letting it sink in a syrupy swamp. Ladies and gentleman,
I give you Colonel Sparkman’s Signature Mint Julep!!
This is not a julep for the Colonel and his team of Swiss alchemists to
enjoy alone. All of my efforts are for the purposes of sharing this southern
treasure with you….the serious connoisseur! If you follow my step-by-step
instructions listed below, you’ll be sure to turn out a knock your socks off
julep! Once you get the hang of it, you can enjoy these fine cocktails with
friends any time of year. There is only one rule; don’t deviate one degree from
my below listed steeps, lest ye find yourself in the ruins of julep sorrow!
1.
The bourbon: No need for spendy stuff. Stick to a good,
moderate to low priced, high proof bourbon. DO NOT DIP BELOW 90 PROOF (86 IS
NOT EXCEPTABLE). I would recommend the following: Evan Williams White Label
BIB, Pure Kentucky XO 107 proof, Old Grand-dad BIB, Very Old Barton BIB and Old
Heaven Hill BIB. If you can’t find these, Wild Turkey 101 would also be a great
choice. Some folks use rye whisky, but I would personally stick to bourbon.
2.
The Ice: The ice from your freezer will work fine as long as
it doesn’t have any freezer burn/off flavors. If you want to be on the safe
side, just pick up a bag from you local store. Once you have the ice, wrap it
in a tea towel and beat it with a hammer, rolling pen, or any blunt object. The
idea is to powderise the ice. Once this is accomplished, you can transfer it
into gallon zip lock bags. Put them back in your freezer until all the
following steps are completed.
3.
The Mint: DO NOT USE PEPPERMINT. Fresh spearmint will work
fine, but the ultimate is Kentucky Colonel Mint. You can order it on line from
the following link.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291046308394?lpid=82
4.
The Cup: My best recommendation would be a very thin stainless
still cup. You can find these on line if you search for julep cup. They will
frost up nicely and retain the cold temperature from the ice. If you don’t have
one you could also use a rocks glass, or whatever you have in your pantry.
5. The Recipe: -3/4 ounce Mint Simple Syrup (Recipe Follows)
-6
Kentucky Colonel Mint Leaves (medium to large size)
-3 Ounces of High Proof Bourbon
-Powderized Ice
Mint Simple Syrup -2 cups Sugar
-1 cup Water
-10 Mint Leaves Plus Stems (including garnish sprigs)
To start, simply take 2 cups of sugar, add 1 cup of water, place in a
medium saucepan, and bring up to heat over a medium flame. Don’t use high
heat. All you want to do is fully dissolve the sugar. Once that
happens, remove the simple syrup from the heat and set aside. It needs to
cool down to room temperature before making any mint juleps. If you’d
like to ramp up the mint flavor, here is a great opportunity to do so.
Grab a good 4-6 sprigs of fresh mint and add it to the hot simple syrup
while it cools. Much like steeping tea, you’ll infuse the simple syrup
with even more mint flavor. You can also make this well in advance (days
if need be) and reserve in the refrigerator. It’ll be ready when you are.
Remember, you can vary the sweetness you desire with just a bit more or
less simple syrup. Play with it to see what works for your tastes. For a
word of caution: LESS IS MORE!
Step 1. Place 5-6 mint leaves in bottom of glass or cup of
choice.
Step 2. Pour a teaspoon or less of mint simple syrup
over mint leaves.
Step 3. “Muddle” gently with a muddler or wooden spoon for
5-10 seconds until glass is fragrant with Mint oils and mint is coated with
simple syrup. Be gentle while muddling! Do not overly smash, bruise or break up
the mint. This would release acidic, off flavors. Use the muddle spoon to brush
the mint syrup and leaves in a circular fashion along the sides of the glass.
Think of it as though you are painting the interior walls of your cup with the
mint leaves and oil mixture.
Step 4. Add just a touch of ice and half a jigger of
bourbon. Muddle them to start the dilution process.
Step 5. Add powdered ice right to top of the glass (it
should be heaping over the brim). Shape and round it with the palm of your hand
(the top should look like a snow cone).
Step 6. Pour remaining amount of bourbon (2.5 oz) over ice.
(Ice will cave in a bit. This is normal).
Step 7. Add 1 teaspoon (or less) of mint syrup over ice. Be
conservative.
Step 8. Lay the garnish sprig of mint in the flat palm of
your hand. Smack it with the other hand. (Just like clapping) This will aid in
releasing the aroma of mint.
Step 9. Garnish with Mint Sprig and a cut plastic straw
one-inch above the rim. This will bring your nose closer to the cocktail and
fragrant mint. Insert straw into the center of the mint garnish.
Step 10. (Optional) Dust mint and ice with confectionary
sugar. This gives the completed beverage a finished look of freshly powered
snow.
Step 11. Enjoy!
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