As many other classic cocktails, its origin is subject to debate. Some say it dates from the early 1700’s on the east coast of the USA. But the first printed recipe of the Mint Julep is from 1803 in a book by John Davis, describing it as “a spirituous liquor that has mint in it”. At the begining Mint Julep wasn’t probably made of bourbon but with other spirits such as rye whiskey, rum or as French people claiming its based of cognac!
Another theory states that the word julep comes from the Arabic julab, a drink made of water and rose petals. When this recipe appeared in the Mediterranean region, native inhabitants replaced rose petals with the mint leaves that were growing in the area.
Though history doesn’t tell how it appeared in North America, we can see that it has been modified over centuries, this means today we can easily make our own twisted Mint Julep ! You can switch bourbon for another spirit, or replace sugar with your favorite MONIN flavour : orchard fruits such as White Peach or Morello Cherry will be a delight, as well as herbal and spiced flavours like Rosemary, Basil, Cardamom or Spicy Mango. If you are adventurous you can even substitute mint with sage, verbena or thyme !
Check out Raphaël's twisted Mint Julep :
15 ml MONIN Lemongrass syrup
50 ml Mauritius Spiced Rhum
2 dashes of aromatic bitter
8 mint leaves
Combine ingredients in a glass filled with ice cubes.
Stir. Garnish : Mint Sprig, Lemongrass stick, powdered sugar, dried lime slice.
Serve.
