It is that time of year--the Kentucky Derby! It has been a few years since I have hosted a Derby party in DC but since I will be in the Kentuckiana area the first weekend of May, I will no doubt have at least one Mint Julep.
Locally U.S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky introduced the drink to Washington, D.C. at the Round Robin Bar in the Willard Hotel during his residence in the city.
One of the most famous recipes for the perfect Mint Julep comes from Henry Watterson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of The Louisville Courier-Journal, whose recipe for the Julep still speaks to the old-fashioned Kentuckian desire for unblemished bourbon, says:
“Pluck the mint gently from its bed, just as the dew of the evening is about to form on it. Select the choicer sprigs only, but do not rinse them. Prepare the simple syrup and measure out a half-tumbler of whiskey."
"Pour the whiskey into a well-frosted silver cup, throw the other ingredients away, and drink the whiskey.”
Warning: Mint Juleps may cause Derby Fashion Faux Pas. Here's one from 1991. I still have the shorts.
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