Mint Julep

I'd say his Julep is tart enough for him.

Once upon a time in the 1700's, there was, in the United States of America, a vibrant mixed drink culture with a truly staggering array of different classifications of beverages designed to make the best use of the limited spirits and ingredients available at the time. There were punches, collinses, fizzes, flips, noggs, daisies, sours, coolers, cobblers, sangarees, toddies and slings. Bartenders and customers alike were expected to know, more or less, the difference between these drinks, which were served hot, which were served cold and which were served at room temperature (as ice was difficult and expensive to both obtain and maintain and dental technology not all that advanced, super cold drinks were not necessarily a given). Failure on the part of the bartender to get it right could result in termination- literally, by way of lead poisoning, blunt object or a blade across the throat. Tough times.

What you don't see in the list above are juleps. That's because juleps were medicinal in nature. Think "serum". You wouldn't order something called a Mint Serum would you (you might, I don't know you but I would certainly think twice)?  It sounds like something meant to cure what ails you. Again, literally.

But at some point in the 1790's, a drink quite correctly called a Mint Smash became known as a Mint Julep. Perhaps because drinking one made you feel as though it was curing what ailed you (figuratively, of course).  Or maybe there was a piece of glassware lost to history called the "julep glass"?

For whatever reason, the Julep became a category on it's own (something like a super-sized Smash) and the addition of mint helped popularize icy drinks in the 1800's.

Something about watching James Bond and Goldfinger sipping Mint Juleps in the shade captured my imagination many years before I could order one for myself. The only indication of what it might taste like, besides the presence of mint, are when Bond specifies "Sour mash and not too sweet"and Goldfinger politely asks "Is your Julep tart enough?" Imagine my surprise and momentary disappointment that the Mint Julep isn't even a little bit tart. 

The Mint Julep is a pretty simple drink in terms of flavor. The tobacco, spice and vanilla notes in the bourbon compliment the freshness of the mint and the small amount sugar helps integrate the flavors and soften the harshness of the spirits.  Creamy?  Perhaps. Minty? Definitely. Sweet? Certainly. Tart? Absolutely not.  But it is absolutely delicious and on a long, hot day there is nothing like it.If the Mint Julep has a failing it is also its strength in that it isn't complex. In cooler weather, a busier flavor profile might be a better choice but in the heat, simpler drinks are more refreshing.

But why does Bond specify "Sour mash, and not too sweet"?  By the 1960's, the Mint Julep had been a bourbon (or at least sour mash whiskey) drink for at least a hundred years but in the early days, the Julep could be ordered with gin (Dutch genever, not London dry), brandy or sour mash whiskey (either bourbon or Tennessee whiskey), all with mint but some featuring fruits and additional liqueurs. One recipe features a mix of rye and cognac instead of the bourbon, which is a delightful enhancement.  In any case, James Bond is either a little out of step or showing off how incredibly picky he can be by specifying the spirit the bartender would almost certainly use anyway.

The Mint Julep 

• 2. oz. spirit (I like mine with 1.5 oz. Bulleit bourbon which is high in rye content with .5 oz. Courvoisier V.S. cognac),
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 5 to 8 spearmint leaves
• 1 oz. water
• crushed ice
• 1 mint sprig for garnish

 Put mint, water and superfine sugar in the bottom of the glass, muddle and set aside for a few minutes. By using superfine sugar, the granules will help abrade the mint leaves before the water turns them into syrup. Simple syrup will work for flavor but won't help express the flavor from the leaves as efficiently. The longer you leave the mint in the syrup, the more mint flavor you will extract.

If you do not have a device to crush the ice, another (and possibly better option) is to put the ice in a canvas bag known as a Lewis Bag and pound away on it with a rubber or wood mallet (I'm not kidding. It's very cathartic) until powdery. The bag will absorb any water so the ice stays dry and won't turn to slush before its time.

Fill your glass with the crushed ice, pour in the bourbon, stir until the glass starts to frost and top with more ice.  Top with a sprig of mint and enjoy on the veranda with a narrow straw, a dangerous blonde and a plans of world domination to warm your heart of gold.