A HISTORY OF BOURBON IN FOUR COCKTAILS 1700-1800s MINT JULEP

Bourbon is the star of some of the world’s oldest classic cocktails – and one of its newest cult favourite spirits. Alicia Miller charts bourbon’s mixology history in four iconic pours

Whiskey: the history of bourbon in four cocktails

Mint Julep

In America’s southern states, people selfmedicated with alcoholic pours as far back as the 18th century, when stomach-soothing ‘juleps’ (derived from the Arabic word julab) featured alcohol steeped with mint. Given that bourbon itself didn’t emerge much earlier – and production only accelerated decades later with increased maize plantings and barrelbased transport – early renditions would have been made with rye. Thanks to local fans (Kentucky senator Henry Clay, Mississippi writer William Faulkner) plus its association with the Kentucky Derby horse race, where the drink has been officially served since the 1930s, Mint Juleps are inextricably linked with the whiskey of the South. Every year, the Derby (sponsored by Woodford Reserve) serves nearly 120,000 cocktails – made with speedy just-add-ice Old Forester Mint Julep. When choosing a bourbon for home mixing, the most important factor is abv: don’t go much lower than 47%, or it will dilute unpleasantly as the ice melts. Select a quality spirit – remember, you’ll really taste the bourbon here – and go easy on the sweetener.

Glass Julep cup or highball

Garnish 3 mint leaves; straw

Method Pack the cup with crushed ice. Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Using a muddler, lightly bruise the mint, then strain contents into the cup. Garnish with 3 large mint leaves (slap between your palms first to release aromas) and a straw. • 85ml bourbon

• 21ml simple syrup

• 8-10 very fresh mint leaves

A former editor at The Sunday Times, Alicia Miller’s years of writing about drink, food and travel have taken her to more than 50 countries. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the British Society of Magazine Editors’ Consumer Print Writer of the Year award