Mint Julep – Kentucky Derby
Glassware: Rocks
Mixing Method: Build in Glass – CRUSHED ice
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
4 “Slap Muddled” Mint Leaves1
Garnish: Mint Sprig
Copyright © Up or on the Rocks – Mint Julep – Kentucky Derby Cocktail
Footnotes 👇
- DO NOT MUDDLE, BLEND, OR SHAKE THE MINT LEAVES. Why? The Science: Mint’s “Mintiness” lies in the small oil gland hairs called trichome (also see indumentum) growing from the surface of the underside of the leaf, and not from within the interior of the cell walls where all of the bitter flavors of the plant are located (in mint family the leaves are covered in fine trichome hairs or indumentum, which contain the essential oils.). It is during the rapid growth phase that the most mint is available. Once max growth occurs mint oil levels quickly decline from their peak. Mint has a variety of uses. The plant is usually steam-distilled for its oil which is located in glands on the undersides of the leaves. The oil is used to flavor a variety of foods such as gum or candy and is also used in perfumes, cosmetics and health care products. Chlorophyll itself (the green molecule found in plants that absorbs sunlight during photosynthesis and converts it to energy) is not bitter or bad for you, though that is a commonly held myth among bartenders. Also, according to WebMD “People use chlorophyll as medicine, so chlorophyll may even be desirable in a Mint Julep, were it not for the tannins and other bitter compounds. Common sources of chlorophyll used for medicine include alfalfa, algae, and silkworm droppings. Chlorophyll is used for bad breath and reducing colostomy odor. Chlorophyll is also used for constipation, ‘detoxification,’ and wound healing.” So while the Chlorophyll may add a nice green, it doesn’t taste bad, and can’t hurt the drink – it is the other parts of the cell interior that will add bitterness; likely the Tannins known to be found in Mint Leaves. Tannins, a group of alcohol soluble bitter and astringent compounds, can be found abundantly in nature. They’re present in the wood, bark, leaves and fruit of certain plants (and in the twigs of certain trees, specifically Chestnut and Oak trees). If chlorophyll itself were bitter then Sweet Peas would be bitter, and they’re not. If you crush the mint leaves, you unbalance the flavors in the drink; adding more sweetener only masks it. The longer the Tannin leaks through the crushed and ruptured cell walls the more bitter the drink becomes, and this happens rather quickly.[↩]
