Pssst....can you score me some good mint?

Tomorrow is the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby and since yes, ma'ammy, I am a Kentuckian, it's a big day for me, always has been.  My family celebrates Derby as a holiday unlike any other. First of all, everyone gets along and there's no friction, not one itty-bitty snark (for at least two entire minutes :)   

There is no pressure to buy gifts.  No tree to buy, turkey to stuff.  Just toss the entries into a hat, gather 'round the television and weep no more, my lady - it's julep time.  No worries, right?  Right.

Now...all I have to do is score some mint. 

Mint grew wild around our house when I was a child and living in Florence, Kentucky (before it was Y'alltown) - and so I never considered that procuring mint would ever become an issue.  Then we moved to Memphis, where the gardenias grew wild, but the mint? Not so much.

Year after year in the post-Florence era, we have searched for the fuzzy kinda mint that looks all weird springing its way out of a glass of bourbon and sugar water and ice.  Just like the orange my Pops would stuff in the turkey every year and offer to the newest family entry simply to see their horrified reaction, the first time you offer a mint julep to someone who's never had the pleasure, they will get that same look on their face. It's a happy moment, and they want to oblige the host and be polite, but that mint - it brushes against your upper lip, it tickles your nose, puts droplets on your cheeks...oh how I love the fuzzy mint...

So why am I yammering on and on about that?  Well, because you need a mint julep recipe, and you need to be encouraged to make mint juleps, even for the kids...just use tea or soda pop, water it down with mint-sugar-water and pop that sprig in the glass to see their reaction. It's priceless. Just like Derby Day ;-)

You can not bet on a horse, you can not sing all the verses to My Old Kentucky Home, but you must, you absolutely must have a mint julep as the post parade begins (one or two before and/or after is also recommended). Here's how...

1) Find some mint - doesn't really matter what kind of mint although the fuzzier, the better - just buy some that is fresh. You'll notice that mint wilts pretty quickly. That's okay. Just smash it down into the glass with crushed iced and sugar.

2) At this point, you may freeze your julep cups or glasses, ice, mint and all, or go ahead and create your julep by filling it nearly full with Kentucky Bourbon (do not make it with Jack Daniels...coz it ain't bourbon, it's sour mash from Tennessee :) - a lot of people like Makers Mark (what's NOT to like?), but even Kentucky Tavern or Ancient Age will make a decent julep.

3) Did you leave enough room for a splash of water? Then splash away, sip away, and slip away as you watch the splendor unfold at Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in May.

Another way is to make a sugar-mint-water syrup ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Saves time and the mint infuses itself into the mixture. Keep a few sprigs of mint handy for the drinks, though.

If you are having a Derby party with your family, the kids don't have to miss out on having a julep. Just make it without the Bourbon, or add a little cola or tea to give it color -- and don't forget the mint!

peace, y'all,

Kimmy