New York sommelier Ethan Kelly offers a recipe and demonstration for his traditional mint julep — the classic drink of the Kentucky Derby aka Bourbon and Ponies

The Mint Julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail from the Southern United States. Mint julep’s are traditionally made with four ingredients: bourbon, mint, sugar and water. In the use of mint and sugar, it is similar to a mojito. In preparing a mint julep, a fresh mint sprig is used primarily as a garnish, to introduce the flavor and aroma through the nose. If mint leaves are used in the preparation, they should just be very lightly bruised, if at all. Recipes from many reputable bartending books confirm this. However, proper preparation of the cocktail is commonly debated, as methods may vary considerably from one bartender to another.

By another method, the mint julep may be considered as one of a loosely associated family of drinks called "smashes" (the brandy smash is another example, as well as the mojito), in which fresh mint and other ingredients are muddled or crushed in preparation for flavoring the finished drink. The step further releases essential oils and/or juices into the mixture, intensifying the flavor from the added ingredient or ingredients.

Drink Recipes Videos Tags: bourbon, julep, mint, drink recipe, mint julep

Many thanks to the Domaineers Domainer for the Kentucky Derby invite and dink mix.