His fellow congressmen no doubt took that drink and shared it along with his passion to constituents in their districts, and I can imagine them saying something like, “This is what the good folks in Kentucky drink to cool off during those humid summers there in the Bluegrass State.”
After the Civil War, Temperance Movement, WWI and Prohibition all but killed bourbon, Churchill Downs made the mint julep the “official drink” of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. The Kentucky Derby was and still is THE social event of the season, and is the epitome of fashion and style for all classes of folks. From factory workers to celebrities to royalty in front of all the media, the Derby leads the fashion and style for the upcoming year.
It just so happened that the year before, in 1937,the management of the track noticed that the well-dressed people were stealing the cool mint julep glasses from the bar! So ever since, they have sold the glass with the mint julep at Churchill Downs on Oaks and Derby Day. Today they sell 150,000 mint juleps in those two days alone, but it all started that first Saturday in May in 1938 when Lawrin won the garland of roses with Eddie Arcaro up in the stirrups.
Growing up, my parents would always go to the track on Derby Day to entertain guests of the brewery, so my dad’s sisters would babysit us for the day. Aunt Bern taught me how to make mint juleps, and since I made them every year for us, I think I make a pretty damn good one. But like most Louisvillians, I only drink them on Oaks and Derby Day.
Sterling silver mint julep cups are also something that highlights this drink. I mean, what could be more aristocratic then sipping out of sterling silver? I have my parents’ set of silver Mint Julep cups, and I always take one with me as I travel the country and the world. In the 1960s and 70s, my parents liked to throw parties, and when they did, they served all the drinks in those cups. They weren’t mint juleps since it wasn’t Derby, but highballs and the like. If they had more guests than cups, they’d borrow the neighbors, and since we all had our own monograms on them, we always knew whose was whose.
Nearly 160,000 people attend the Derby every year, and most of them are from out of town (we locals like to throw our own parties that day and watch the spectacle on T.V.). That’s a lot of folks returning to their hometowns after being swept up in the magic of the Derby and our passion for bourbon. I’d like to think that they go back home saying, “This is what the folks in Kentucky drink.” So just like Henry Clay started back in the first Golden Age of Bourbon, the Kentucky Derby and now the Bourbon Trail and the Urban Bourbon Trail all have secured the mint julep as truly one of the most iconic drinks not only in the bourbon world, but in the spirits world, as well.
DERBY DAY, 1966–I MADE MY FIRST MINT JULEP
My real first experience with bourbon was tied to the Derby, as it is for many Kentuckians. Since the brewery where my dad worked owned box seats at Churchill Downs for executives and customers, my parents had to go to the Kentucky Derby every year. Darn! They’d leave early that first Saturday of May, and they wouldn’t get back home ’til seven or later that night. Four of my dad’s sisters would come over and watch us and enjoy the festivities of Derby Day. Aunts Regina, Bernadine, Michelle and Margaret–or as we called them, Jean, Bern, Mike and Maggie–were more like our grandparents than aunts. So it made Derby even more special in our house when they visited.
Now, in Louisville on Derby Day, the local TV stations broadcast the entire day of races and festivities before the featured race, the Kentucky Derby, the most exciting two minutes in all of sport. So it’s like the Macy’s parade, only all day long. When I was seven years old, my aunt Bern decided to start a new Derby tradition and put me in charge of making the family mint juleps. The result is that I make a killer mint julep. Aunt Bern had the best recipe; it’s so easy and works in any-sized container.
To start, you take a silver mint julep cup–or a gallon pitcher, it doesn’t really matter–and pour a quarter-inch of sugar on the bottom. Then you pile in about an inch (loosely stacked) of mint leaves fresh off the stalks. Muddle those loose leaves into the sugar with a wooden spoon. Pack crushed ice on top of it and then put the container in the fridge all day (or overnight).
When you’re ready to serve, add the bourbon and more crushed ice along with several sprigs of mint sticking out of the top so you can bury your nose in it as you sip and savor and enjoy! The melted ice and sugar make the simple syrup for the julep. Just so you don’t think too poorly of my Aunt Bern, she’s the one who always added the bourbon when I was seven. I wasn’t in charge of alcohol until I was at least nine.
Right before the big race, when “My Old Kentucky Home” played, we would all sing along and pass the silver mint julep cup around to everyone in the family, young and old. And then when the bell rang and the gates opened up and the track announcer said, “And they’re off…” we would again pass around this tasty refreshing piece of history as we watched the race unfold on TV. I swear it was one of the most thrilling times to be alive! I get goose bumps and a little misty just writing about it here. (Let me go grab a drink–ahhhh OK. ) So who won the Derby that year in 1966 when I made my first mint julep? Kauai King with Don Brumfield up.
In my comedy act, I explain the Derby to folks who have never been there. I say that the Kentucky Derby is like Mardi Gras, except everyone’s facing the same way.
When you see me at different events, more than likely I will have one of those cups from my family’s sterling silver mint julep sets. Since my parents and my aunts are all drinking with the angels now, it’s a way to pay tribute to the important place bourbon has had in my history.
As a side note, the mint julep is based on an Arabic drink called a “julab” made with water and rose petals. Hmmmm … a drink made from water and leaves. Is it just me, or does that remind anyone else of tea? It morphed into the mint julep here in the United States with either rum or bourbon and mint leaves. The bourbon version has been the most popular, as it has been the official drink of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby since 1938. Who won the Kentucky Derby that year? Lawrin with Eddie Arcaro aboard.
AUNT BERNADINE’S MINT JULEP
Ingredients:
Sugar
Basil Hayden’s eight-year-old 80-proof bourbon–you want a lighter bourbon that doesn’t overpower the mint, so pick your bourbon accordingly.
Fresh mint
Ice/water
In the bottom of any container (works with a glass, a pitcher, or an infusion jar) put about a quarter-inch of sugar. Add a small amount of water, pull 10 or more mint leaves off the stems, and then muddle them in the bottom of the container with the sugar. Fill the container with ice and place in the fridge for several hours. Pull from fridge and fill the container with Basil Hayden bourbon. Top it off with water, if needed. If larger than a glass, put in 1.5 ounces per every 12 ounces of the container. For example, if it’s a 24-ounce container, put in three ounces of bourbon. If it’s a 36-ounce container, put in 4½ ounces, and so on.
SOUR
The whiskey sour is a classic and was written about in the very first cocktail book in 1862 by Jerry Thomas. Jerry is the father of American mixology. His creativity and showmanship established the image of the bartender as a creative professional. His book in 1862 was titled, The Bar-Tender’s Guide (alternately titled How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion).
The sour recipe I will share with you is my absolute favorite and a favorite at every bourbon festival. I first had it at the Bourbon Gala about six years ago. It’s the Noe family’s recipe, and it’s so simple and so delicious!
MS. ANNIS’ BOURBON SOUR
Fred Noe’s mom (Booker’s widow) made this recipe. It’s a refreshing twist on a classic.
Ingredients:
Take equal parts of:
Jim Beam Black
Orange juice
Frozen concentrated lemonade
1 can of water
Ice cubes
You can pre-batch them for a party. Just take the equal parts of Beam Black, frozen le
monade and orange juice and water, mix and then pour over the ice in a glass. You can just use the lemonade container as your measuring cup. If you want to make them frozen in the summertime like Fred Noe does, put the mixture in a blender. We serve these every year at the Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, and they are a hit with everyone. People don’t believe us, but Fred and his wife, Sandy, son Freddie, and friends all work together and pre-batch them for the Bourbon Gala. We save a jug for our table because they’re just that delicious!
OLD FASHIONED
The old fashioned is the first drink we know of that used bourbon as the base spirit. The drink was invented by a bartender at the prestigious Louisville gentleman’s club, the Pendennis Club, around 1870. A member and distiller, Colonel James E. Pepper, asked him to make a bourbon drink in the “old-fashioned way.” The bartender took that to mean as a “smash” with muddled fruit. Colonel Pepper liked it so much he ordered it wherever he traveled and brought it to the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, where it became a standard.
The drink was so popular that the lowball glass it was served in began to be known as the old-fashioned glass.
Ingredients:
Slice of orange cut in a half moon
Cherry
2-3 dashes of bitters
Sugar - small lump or a cube
Soda water
Knob Creek bourbon
In a lowball glass, add a cherry, half-moon orange slice, a sugar cube and a splash of water. Muddle the contents and then add a shot of Knob Creek bourbon and ice, and top off with soda water.
STOCKING YOUR BAR WITH BOURBON
So now you know what bourbon is, how it’s made, even how to read a label. Now it’s time to go out and stock your bar with some great bourbons so you can share with your friends and family. You can’t really go wrong with any bourbons, so don’t be afraid. When asked my advice on what bourbons to stock at home, I always say go for the classic old-school bourbons with the iconic names and history. Follow the history, and you’ll find yourself with some great stuff. If you’ve been paying attention in this book, you should have a pretty good idea of what bourbons I’m talking about. Then go out and have some small-batch and single-barrel bourbons at a bar or restaurant and find the ones you like and add them. Like when you build a house you need a good foundation before you can add the amenities, it’s the same deal here. Get a nice foundation of all types of bourbons and ryes, and then you can add to them with the small-batch and single-barrel bourbons. So if you’re asking me, here’s what I’d put on my bar for my foundation:
Old Grand Dad–86, 100 bonded and 114. Get one or all three, you can’t go wrong.
Heaven Hill–bottled in bond 100 proof–a good bonded bourbon you just gotta have
Evan Williams–86 proof–It doesn’t get much more classic than that.
Old Crow Reserve–86 proof – old school and a great four-year-old bourbon for the price
Old Forester–86 proof, 100 proof–the flagship for Brown-Foreman and just a great bourbon
Wild Turkey–101 proof–the Kickin’ Chicken
Old Overholt Straight Rye–80 proof–classic Monongahela-style rye
Rittenhouse Rye–bottled in bond 100 proof–classic Monongahela-style bottled in bond rye
Jim Beam–four-year-old 80 proof, and Black Label eight-year-old 86 proof–It is the #1 selling bourbon in the world, for goodness sakes, find out why for yourself.
J.T.S. Brown – It’s what Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) drank in the movie The Hustler
Old Charter–eight-year-old and 10–year-old–high corn recipe and good value for the years aged
Ancient Ancient Age–10-year-old 86 proof–10-year-old bourbon, nuff said!
Old Fitzgerald–86 proof–This is what Pappy Van Winkle made famous, and it’s a wheat bourbon, so it’s a nice way to top your bar off.
Right here you’re not even at $200.00. Isn’t that crazy?
From here you can then start adding your Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, Maker’s Mark, Elijah Craig, Blanton’s, etc. Find out if you like a high rye bourbon or a wheated bourbon and then play around with all of those that share similarities in recipes, ages and proof. Find out your common denominators.
My bar at my house – pretty strong on bourbon, wouldn’t you say?
THE MANHATTAN
The Manhattan was created in 1870 for Winston Churchill’s mom, Lady Randolph Churchill (Jennie Jerome), at the Manhattan Club in New York City during a fundraiser she hosted for presidential candidate Samuel Tilden. The success of that party made that drink fashionable, and people started ordering it by referring to the name of the club where it had originated. It was made with American whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura Bitters. It can be made with rye whiskey, a bourbon, or even a Canadian whiskey, but the classic Manhattan is now made with bourbon or rye whiskey.
Ingredients:
Knob Creek bourbon
Sweet vermouth
Bitters
Mix three parts Knob Creek, one part sweet vermouth and add bitters to your taste. Put ingredients in a Boston shaker glass first without ice, then add ice ¾ to the top of the glass. Using a bartender spoon, stir the Manhattan, do not shake. Stirring adds just enough water to the Manhattan, shaking would add too much. When the cocktail comes up to the same level as the ice, you’ve stirred it enough. Strain the drink into a martini glass, garnish with a cherry (classic) or a lemon peel, and serve.
Here’s Steven at one of my staff trainings at EO (Employees Only, Hudson and Christopher) . EO is one of my all-time favorite places to get a cocktail in the Village. It’s also near Daddy O’s and PDT. Always fun to hang out with the gang, too: Igor, Jason, Dushan, Bill and Henry. They also have a place call Maca, near the Brandy Library and Ward III in Tribeca.
HIGHBALLS
A highball is simply a shot of bourbon (or any spirit) topped off with a carbonated mixer (ginger ale, 7UP, cola, soda, etc.). Back in the day, trains were the fashionable way to travel. On the train there were two lights in each compartment, one on top of the other. When the train left the station and got up to speed, the train’s engineer lit the light on the top position, and it came to be called the “highball.” When the highball was lit, people knew it was OK to walk to the club car. They knew it was time to go get a cocktail.
WHISKEY PROFESSOR–A.K.A BBG (ORIGINALLY CALLED A HORSES NECK)
Ingredients:
Old Grand Dad 86 or the Bonded (or if you’re up for it, the 114)
Ginger ale
Aromatic bitters
Lemon peel
Sprig of mint
Ice
In a highball glass, pour a shot of bourbon, then two to three dashes of aromatic bitters, and top off with ginger ale. Garnish with a spiral of lemon. (The spiral of lemon is reminiscent of a horse coming out of the stall, and for us in Kentucky, that’s something we know about.) I’ve changed the name of this drink to the whiskey professor, because I can, and because it’s my favorite bourbon cocktail and I’m spreading it all over the world, so there! We also call it the BBG for my buddy and master mixologist Bobby “G” Gleason, who first turned me on to these. (BBG–get it?) BBG also stands for the ingredients: bourbon, bitters and ginger ale. The first time you tell a bartender what BBG stands for, you’ll never have to tell him again, he’ll know. So order a whiskey professor and enjoy!
PRESBYTERIAN – A.K.A. PRESS
Ingredients:
Old Grand Dad 86
Ginger ale
Soda water
Peel of lemon
Fill a highball glass with ice and add one shot of Old Grand Dad 86-proof bourbon. Fill the rest of the glass with equal measures of ginger ale and soda water. Take a slice of lemon peel and zest it on top of the drink.
It’s said that when people had parties at their homes back in the ’50s and ’60s, bourbon and ginger ale looked pretty dark, and folks knew they were drinking a cocktail. But if you added soda water, it looked like your Presbyterian neighbor was jus
t drinking ginger ale, since the soda lightened it up. Truth or fiction? I don’t know, but it’s a damn good story.
Here follows some bourbon twists on other classics
BLT – BOURBON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO – (IT’S A BLOODY MARY WITH BOURBON AND A COUPLE OTHER UNIQUE TOUCHES)
Bourbon Whiskey Page 17