Cocktail Hour: Maple Mint Julep

In this second installment of Cocktail Hour I’m sharing my Canadian twist on the classic Mint Julep. My version is still a balance of boozy, sweet and refreshing, while using Canadian ingredients and ending with a twist.

The Mint Julep is a supremely simple, refreshing cocktail synonymous with hot Southern afternoons, wrap-around porches and fancy hats. I’ve modified this classic cocktail to highlight Canadian ingredients, while retaining the essential flavours of the original recipe.

What you need:

• 2 ½ ounces of Canadian whiskey (I recommend Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Canadian Whisky)
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (whiskey infused maple syrup by Kinsip is DIVINE if you can get your hands on some!)
• Crushed ice (TIP: you can easily make your own crushed ice by filling a Ziploc bad with ice cubes and smashing with a kitchen mallet. I don’t know why you would own any other type of mallet?)
• Mint sprig for garnish, optional
• Lemon wedge, for garnish, optional

How to make it:

Add mint leaves and sugar with a dash of water to a highball glass (or the more traditional silver cup if you have one) and muddle it together. If you don’t have a muddler you can use the end of a wooden spoon. Fill the glass with ice and add whiskey. Add more ice if needed to make sure it pops above the rim of the glass and drizzle with maple syrup. Give a squeeze of lemon, garnish as desired and enjoy!

Best Enjoyed: On a lazy, summer afternoon before a bbq feast. It is a boozy drink, so best paired with a hearty meal.

About the Mint Julep

The Mint Julep originated from the American South sometime around the 18th century and some reports suggest the original version was in fact made with whiskey, and at times gin, as opposed to bourbon. Most people likely know it as the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, originating from Churchill Downs’ promotion of the classic cocktail. Some records say that around 120,000 Mint Juleps are served at the Derby every year! Since only bourbon made in Kentucky can actually be called “bourbon”, it makes sense that the Mint Julep would become synonymous with the State’s most famous sporting event.

My Twist:

In the interest of drinking local, I’ve opted to replace the traditional bourbon with some good quality Canadian whiskey and to replace some of the sugar with maple syrup, which imparts the same sweetness and adds that unmistakeable (you guessed it!) maple flavour. The reason I keep some sugar in the mix is because I find muddling the sugar, water and mint together helps to bring out the flavour of the mint.

I recommend a sprig of mint for garnish as well because, believe it or not, when you sip your drink and take in the scent of the mint leaf it adds an extra element of freshness to the drink. You could also add all of the ingredients to a shaker and strain for a smoother cocktail, but I love the layers of colour added by the muddled mint leaves at the bottom of the glass.