How to make a perfect Mint Julep, according to a Louisville bartender

Yahoo

26-04-2025

Herbaceous and boozy, the Mint Julep has become synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. But from picking the perfect bourbon to shocking your mint to bring out the most flavor, there's a few things to keep in mind when crafting this three-ingredient classic cocktail for your Derby party.
Here to help is Greg Galganski, lead bartender at Proof on Main at 21c Louisville, who is providing a classic Mint Julep recipe you can bet on, plus some expert tips for building this drink. (He's made well over 1,000 juleps, afterall).
21c Louisville is a 91-room boutique hotel in Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby, that doubles as a contemporary art museum. Proof on Main is the hotel's art-filled restaurant and bourbon-centric bar.
Ready to make a perfect Mint Julep? Here's how to do just that, according to Galganski.
Ingredients:
3 oz Bourbon over 100 proof. Some of his favorites are Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Elijah Craig Barrel Strength, and Old Forester 1920
0.5 oz simple syrup
6-8 mint sleeves
Garnish: Freshly shocked mint springs and powdered sugar
Instructions:
1. Take the mint leaves and gently press in the palm of your hand before placing in a julep cup with simple syrup and half of the bourbon (1.5 oz).
2. Fill the cup halfway with crushed ice, swizzle* the mixture, and allow it to stand for 30 seconds before adding the remaining bourbon.
3. Pile on more crushed ice before garnishing with mint and powdered sugar.
* Swizzling is stirring the cocktail with ice to chill and dilute to spread the flavors.
As a general rule for cocktails featuring bourbon, Galganski looks for bottles with a high flavor concentration so the bourbon shines through.
'These tend to be bourbons that are 100 proof or something above that like a barrel or batch-strength offering,' he says.
There are many excellent options these days, Galganski says, and some of his picks include Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Elijah Craig Barrel Strength, and Old Forester 1920.
A quick simple syrup can be made by heating equal parts granulated cane sugar and water by weight until the sugar has dissolved. It will keep for two weeks when refrigerated, so you can make your simple syrup ahead of your Derby party (and have some leftover for other homemade cocktails in the days following).
Mint can be tricky to source from the grocery store, Galganski says.
'It is often crammed into small packages with only four to five sprigs, but you can 'shock' it to make the most of it,' he says.
A home alternative would be a potted mint plant, which will yield a good amount of mint for your summer libations.
'If you go down this route, make sure the mint is potted, as I cannot recommend letting mint run wild in your garden,' he cautions.
Shocking is like the opposite of blanching. To shock mint, Galganski says, place it in an ice bath for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting the stems as you would a bouquet of flowers. Then place the mint (stem down) in lukewarm water where it will spring to life.
To make a Mint Julep like a pro, keep powdered sugar in a duster to gently shake over the garnished cocktail to add a pop of color, he recommends.
Don't over muddle the mint! 'We're just looking to allow the oils in the leaf to be released into the bourbon and simple syrup,' Galganski says.
A metal vessel works best. Don't have a julep cup at home? Substitute a copper mule mug, he recommends.
The quality of your bourbon choice matters. You want to start with a high quality and flavor dense bourbon so that as your julep dilutes you have a delicious cocktail at the end rather than minty ice water, according to Galganski.
One final note: Hold your horses; a julep isn't meant to be slammed!
'In my opinion a julep is a drink you carry around as a companion,' Galganski says. 'It will start out as a strong eyeopener before diluting into a more refreshing and uplifting drink.'