Juleps are traditionally made one by one, but this recipe, shared by the great food writer/editor Stanley Dry of New Iberia, Louisiana, makes enough for a crowd. It’s best served very cold preferably with crushed or cracked ice. (If neither is available, do as my mother did: Fill a pillow case with ice cubes, set it on the kitchen counter, and use the flat end of a meat mallet to beat the living daylights out of it.) It’s also advised to serve the drinks in pewter or silver julep cups, which helps keep them frosty.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh spearmint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)
- 2 cups bourbon
- crushed or cracked ice
- 8 small scoops Honeydew-Mint Sorbet
How to Make It
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir to combine the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint leaves and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for about 30 minutes.
- Strain the mint syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter and let cool. Combine with the bourbon in a sealable container. Chill for 1 hour.
- Pour the bourbon-syrup mixture into julep or cocktail glasses filled with ice. Serve each drink with a scoop of sorbet and garnish with a mint sprig, if desired.
