St. Sam's and St. Bede's Recipe Pages
                Bon Appetit!
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        MINT JULEPS - Andrew's

        There are six essential ingredients for a proper mint julep: 
good 90 proof bourbon (I prefer Maker's Mark), sugar, fresh mint, metal
cups (preferably silver), short straws and shaved ice (the kind snow
cones are made with).  Once these accouterment have been assembled, you
are ready to proceed.

        You cannot make just one mint julep and have it taste worth a
damn.  You must make them in batches.  What follows is a recipe for one
quart and change.  Multiply accordingly for a big party.

        Pick a bunch (enough to fill a quart-size bowl) of dime to
quarter sized mint leaves - but no stems; they're bitter.  Wash the
leaves and pat dry. 

        Now prepare some simple syrup by combining two cups sugar to one
cup water in a saucepan and heating over medium heat until it turns
crystal clear.  Do not let it boil, which causes the sugar to caramelize
and ruins the whole wretched mess.  Pour the simple syrup over the mint
leaves in the bowl and let it steep like tea for 10-15 minutes (longer
can't hurt). 

        Now you're ready to make julep.  Pour a quart of whiskey into a
non-plastic container that holds more than a quart.  Add four ounces of
mint flavored simple syrup to the quart of whiskey, and stir well.  Put
the resulting mixture back into the whiskey bottle, cap tightly, and
refrigerate for 24 hours. (Since you've mixed a quart of whiskey with
four ounces of syrup, you'll have four ounces of julep that won't fit
into the bottle.  The obvious solution: drink it!)

        Next day, pack a metal cup with shaved ice.  Cut a plastic straw
so that the end extends no more than two inches above the rim of the cup.
 Shove the straw down into the shaved ice, and fill the cup with julep. 
Remove the straw and place a large sprig of mint in the hole where the
straw was. (You won't be able to get the mint through the ice otherwise.)
Replace the straw, sip and enjoy.  Your nose should be right down in the
mint leaves for full enjoyment.  Be sure to put a cocktail napkin around
the cup, because it will soon be too cold to hold.

        The mixed up julep can be refrigerated for up to a year, and the
syrup can be refrigerated for three or four months.

Forwarded by: Andrew H. Auld 
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 
Subject: juleps