one hundred cocktails

drinking with a purpose

The Georgia Mint Julep

06 Mar 2012

The mint julep has never been a cocktail that I could get excited about. Ever since I was in college, there was a mystical appeal about something that involved muddling mint. Sadly, the Mojito always seemed a more successful application of the theory. Maybe it’s the lack of the pewter/silver julep cups? I may never know, because I wasn’t willing to drop $75 for a pair of them.

Georgia Mint Julep Ingredients

Enter the Georgia Mint Julep. Unlike the contemporary version, this one uses cognac and peach brandy. Otherwise preparation is relatively similar. I built mine in rocks glasses, lacking the appropriate hardware, and stirred until frost formed on the outside of them. The subjective experience may be inferior, but I’m pretty sure anything in terms of flavor was close enough for the purposes of the experiment.

Georgia Mint Julep Finished

It’s not too surprising, I imagine, to say that this version of the cocktail is far more ephemeral and refreshing. While high in alcohol, it is delicate and quaffable. This cocktail isn’t my thing, but I’ll argue that on an hot southern day, this could be just the thing. An improvement on the contemporary version in most every way, this may be a niche drink but it’s worth a taste.