Most people in the United States associate Julips drinks with The Kentucky Derby and certainly mint juleps have a storied history in that event but julep drinks have been around a lot longer and there are more julep drinks than the mint julep. This cocktail has origins back to the late 1700s, and ‘Julep’ is based on an Arabic word meaning ‘rosewater.’ that connects its European medicinal roots.

Juleps were originally medicinal concoctions. References to medicinal juleps date back to the year 900 where simple concoctions of herbs muddled (ie crushed) in alcohol were prescribed to alleviate aches and pains.  This is partially why the mint julep is so closely associate with horse racing.  People working on horse farms or in the horse-racing industry commonly wake up with aches and pains. Before aspirin and other pain medication were available to relieve these, a breakfast cocktail of mint (an analgesic), whiskey, and sugar was often consumed to help to relieve the soreness of the previous day’s hard work. 

Over the centuries, juleps have referred to all sorts of medicinal syrups and in the Americas, it was common to segregate them with additional synonyms like “sling” (equal parts spirit and water “slung” back with a lump or two of sugar and some mint) or “smash” (herbs smashed in a bit of sugar then diluted in whiskey and water).  These were typically made with low-quality, high-proof rum (aka “kill-devil”) or raw whiskey (aka moonshine).  Early juleps were strong and skunky, room-temperature medicinal drinks not the smooth modern cocktails we drink today. 

• 1 ½ oz Cognac
• ½ oz rye whiskey
• Fresh mint leaves
• ¼ oz simple syrup
• 1 ½ oz dark rum

Combine the mint leaves and syrup in the bottom of a chilled silver julep cup and gently muddle the leaves. Add crushed ice until the glass is one-third full. Add the Cognac. dark rum and rye and stir. Add more ice. Stir again, until the sides of the cup frost over. Top with the remainder of crushed ice. Garnish with a large sprig of mint.

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