Food Recipes The Easiest-Ever Mint Julep Recipe 3.9 (16) Add your rating & review The secret to this delicious Derby cocktail? Don't muddle the mint. According to mixologist Alexandra Stiles, founder of Amendment 21 Event Bartending in Lexington, Ky., muddling can make your drink taste overly bitter. It makes sense, as muddling bruises the mint and breaks it into bits. Instead, simply clap the mint leaves in your palms to release the herb's oils before adding them to your cocktail. "This gives you that mint aroma while you're drinking it," says Stiles. The drink is best served in authentic silver julep cups, which ensure a crisp, cold drink from start to finish "I have my grandmother's old set, a lot of people in Kentucky have them for derby parties," says Stiles. Don't have any? Try Moscow mule mugs in a pinch or double old fashioned glasses. Either will stay frosty on the outside and keep the liquid cold, so you aren't warming it up with your hands as you sip. For the best tasting mint, buy fresh from the grocery store and avoid the less vibrant versions kept in plastic containers. And if you want to put your drink over the top, add some muddled blackberries. Cheers! By Kristine Gill Kristine Gill Twitter Website Kristine Gill is a former newspaper reporter and now a full-time freelance writer primarily covering personal finance and workplace culture for Real Simple. Her work has appeared in Fortune Magazine, Realtor.com, Gulfshore Life Magazine, and other major publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Charlyne Mattox Charlyne Mattox Charlyne Mattox is the food and crafts director at Country Living and former staff food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 20, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Hands On Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Yield: 1 serves Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients ⅛ cup fresh mint leaves (about 6), plus 2 fresh mint sprigs 1 tablespoon sugar 3 ounces bourbon Crushed ice Directions In a mint julep cup or thick glass, mix the sugar with 1 teaspoon water until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Clap the 6 mint leaves in your palms to release the herb's oils, then add them to the simple syrup. Pack the glass with crushed ice and top with the bourbon. Serve garnished with the mint sprigs. Greg DuPree Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 210 Calories 3g Carbs 1g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 210 % Daily Value * Sodium 3mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 3g 1% Protein 1g Calcium 17mg 1% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.