How to Make Great Mint Juleps

Here’s how to make great mint juleps by the gal who co-wrote The Jack Daniel’s Cookbook coming in December 2012. 

On that Saturday in May when absorbing coverage of the strange world of horse racing, the brown water in our Derby Mint Juleps is always whiskey from Tennessee. And the following weekend our favorite local product will do a second tour of duty — this time at the running of the Iroquois Steeplechase at Nashville’s beautiful Percy Warner Park. Lucky for us Mindy already has a few julep recipes to go with her Tennessee silver julep cups.

Mindy and our friend Lynne Tolley, the great-grandniece of Jack Daniel and proprietress of Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House in Lynchburg, TN, published these recipes in their book Cooking with Jack – The New Jack Daniels Cookbook. All three are so good — the classic mint, the mint with pineapple, and mint with lemon — that you might need a taste of all three. Remember, always gallop responsibly. A batch of Kentucky inspired benedictine can help with that.

Classic Jack Mint Julep

Several sprigs of fresh mint (save one for garnish)

1 teaspoon superfine sugar 2 ounces Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey or Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey

Muddle the mint sprigs with the sugar in the bottom of a julep or rocks glass. Fill the glass with crushed or cracked ice. Add Jack Daniel’s. Garnish with a mint sprig. Makes one serving.

Pineapple Jack Julep

Several sprigs of fresh mint (save one for garnish)

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

1 1/2 ounces Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

2 ounces pineapple juice

Muddle the mint sprigs with the sugar in the bottom of a julep or rocks glass. Fill the glass with crushed or cracked ice. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Garnish with a mint sprig. Makes one serving.

Lemon Jack Julep

Several sprigs of fresh mint (save one for garnish)

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

1 1/2 ounces Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

2 ounces fresh lemonade

Muddle the mint sprigs with sugar in the bottom of a julep or rocks glass. Fill the glass with crushed or cracked ice. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Garnish with a mint sprig. Makes one serving.

Serve the Pineapple Jack Juleps and the Lemon Jack Juleps by the pitcher:

Instead of muddling the mint with sugar make a simple syrup by heating equal parts sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Add mint sprigs and let them steep to flavor the syrup.  Now combine the Jack Daniel’s and the juice in equal proportions. Sweeten to taste with the simple syrup.