Looking back at a classic Julep recipe in honour of Derby Weekend - This version combines Cognac, Rum and Port with a huge bouquet of Mint!
- Difficulty: Expert
Grab a tumbler and mix sugar and water, stirring until lightly dissolved
Add ice to the brim of the tumbler (half crushed, half moderate medium size)
Add 3 mint leaves (stems removed) to the top of the ice and slowly pour each spirit over
Grab another tumbler and continuously pour between each tumbler - Back and Forth (I did it 8 times) - Half way in this process, add 1 bunch of mint leaves (2 sprigs with stems removed) and continue to toss between the two tumblers
Pour into Julep Tin, add a bit more crushed ice for the top of the glass and add a bouquet of Mint with sliced lemon
These were the instructions as laid out by the Imbibe book (written by David Wondrich). Obviously we have come up with simpler ways to get it done, but there's something about this classic serve that makes me want to stick with what the experts did back then. It's how they intended this to be drunk. So cheers to them!