No-Muddle Mint Julep for Effortless Entertaining

A key component to a mint julep is nugget or pellet ice. A mint julep is meant to be refreshing and light. And, because mint juleps – especially mine – are mostly liquor, the only way to keep the same flavor and go from a sipper to something dare I say crushable is to add water. Nugget ice accomplishes this because it quickly dilutes the drink and creates a frosty, refreshing texture. The amount of dilution needed to lighten a mint julep requires small pieces of ice.

Nugget or pellet ice is a popular type of ice that is often found at fast food restaurants and gas stations in the U.S. In my experience, these fast food restaurants will give you a cup or two of ice completely free of charge if you ask. If you need more than a cup, some chains will also let you purchase bagged ice. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the biggest chains:

-Sonic Drive-In ($2.00, 10lb bag of ice)
-Chick-fil-A ($1.59, 5lb bag of ice)
-Zaxby’s ($1.99, 8lb bag of ice)
-Raising Cane’s ($2.00, 10lb bag of ice)

It’s important to note that not all locations of these chains may have nugget ice available, so it’s always best to check before ordering.

If you live somewhere that isn’t near a restaurant or convenience store that serves pellet ice, consider these other options in order of price low to high.

1. If you have a refrigerator with an ice maker, use crushed ice. Or, break up your full ice cubes with a pick or mallet if it only has a full cube option.

2. No ice maker? no problem. There are silicone ice trays for purchase online that make tiny (3/8in or 1cm) ice cubes. Each tray makes between 126-160 cubes. And, they form faster because of their size, so you don’t have to plan as far in advance as you would if you needed a bunch of huge ice blocks. I actually prefer this to the crushed ice, as they are uniform in size.

3. Purchase a pellet ice maker. If you are really into “the good ice”, there are brands out there, like Opal, that have countertop ice makers for home use. Fair warning, they have steep prices ($500+). But, if you use them often enough, it can be worth it.

A julep cup is a metal cup traditionally used for serving mint juleps. These cups are typically made of silver or pewter and are shaped like an inverted triangle. They are usually about 3 to 4 inches tall and can hold anywhere from 8 to 12 ounces of liquid.

While a julep cup is not strictly necessary for making a mint julep, the metal material conducts heat faster than glass and chills the cocktail quicker. It also better maintains the layer of frost on the outside of the cup, which not only looks visually appealing but also insulates the drink and keeps it colder for longer.

Julep cups are fun and functional, but honestly they are not necessary at home. Especially if you are enjoying one in air conditioning. I’d only consider them for an outside event where guests are likely to break nice glasses and you might want them to take one home as a favor. Like, say, the Kentucky Derby!

Great question! Use this for reference on when to shake or stir a cocktail.

– When crafting cocktails, anything that has juice, cream, egg whites, or other ingredients that need to be emulsified or aerated is typically shaken.

– On the opposite side, any cocktails that are composed of entirely of spirits are traditionally stirred. As mint juleps don’t have any of the mixers listed above and are traditionally bourbon and syrup or, in my case, all liquor, stir away!

Typically a mint julep is 2oz (60ml) of bourbon to .5oz (15ml) of simple syrup. Depending on your bourbon’s proof and your sweet tooth, the bourbon amount can go up to 2.5oz (75ml) and the simple syrup can increase to as much as 1oz (30ml).

There are a couple of factors to how a bourbon is made that will affect its flavor. Because 75% of a mint julep is bourbon, you can be sure different bottles, brands, styles, will affect your cocktail’s resulting flavor.

1. Mash bill: All bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbon. Bourbon, specifically, must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. The corn base immediately gives bourbon a sweet taste. The remaining 49% of grain is traditionally any combination of rye, wheat, or malted barley. Rye will give a dry, spicy character to the bourbon. Wheat is softer and sweeter, with flavors similar to white chocolate or cookie dough. And, malted barley imparts bread or biscuit notes along with nutty or toasty flavors.

2. Aging: Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels for a minimum of two years. There is no maximum age limit. The longer the bourbon is aged, the more flavor from the casks is imbued into the spirit. Flavors added from charred oak barrels are vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and (to no one’s surprise) oak.

3. Proof: Bourbon must be bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume). Most bourbons are somewhere between 80 and 100 proof. With some going as high as 136 proof! A few quick numbers… By law bourbon cannot be distilled to higher than 160 proof and cannot be added to casks at more than 125 proof. During these processes, water can be added or evaporated to increase or decrease the proof. The stronger the proof/ABV, the more your bourbon will flavor your cocktail. Typically, high proof bourbons are for minimally mixed cocktails or sipping neat, while lower proofed bourbons are added to cocktails with multiple mix-ins because they blend in better.

This is kind of a trick question. Because it all depends on your taste in spirits. It’s never easy is it? lol. For my recipe, I suggest you pay attention to how sweet you like your cocktails and how much you like bourbon.

Remember earlier, the mash make-up and how long a bourbon has been aged will determine how sweet the final product is. Wheat and barely in the mash along with the corn will give you a sweeter bourbon than those with rye in the mash. And, for the most part, the longer a bourbon is aged, the more flavorful and sweeter it tends to be. It’s not always the case, but it’s a good rule of thumb.

Now, regular mint juleps typically use higher proof bourbon because they are mixed with very sweet simple syrup. REMINDER: my recipe adds additional alcohol in the form of bitters and liqueurs. So, sticking with a high proof bourbon (100+) will pack a punch that is stronger than what you would expect. My recipe is also not as sweet as juleps with straight sugar syrup. If you enjoy sipping bourbon neat, go for the higher ABV. (I prefer this) But, if you want something with more crowd appeal (ahem…lighter/sweeter) that is closer in flavor to a traditional mint julep, use something around 80-90 proof.

If you want to play with different julep flavors, consider 2 options:

changing up your liquor for an OG mint julep. Originally mint juleps were made with cognac or brandy. But, the phylloxera insect epidemic of the mid-1800s, which fed on the roots of grapevines, devastated France’s vineyards and hindered that country’s cognac trade for decades. It was because of that, whiskey became the julep’s go-to liquor. Go back in time and switch out the bourbon for cognac!

flavoring your simple syrup. There are so many flavors that mix well with bourbon and mint. Pineapple, peach, and berry to name a few. Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar, heated until the sugar is dissolved and then chilled for use. You can steep spices and herbs into cooling simple syrup or replace the water with fruit and sugar. I recommend trying your hand at no-cook fruit syrups. Much like cold brew, making a mostarda (equal parts sugar and fruit left to macerate -break down- at room temperature over a 24hr period) will have a lighter, fresher flavor than cooking the fruit and sugar into a fruit syrup.