Mint Julep Reimagined

Ingredients

• 60 ml Wandering Rye Whisky
• 10 ml simple syrup (1:1)
• 15-20 fresh mint leaves
• powdered sugar for dusting

Method

Build over crushed ice. Serve in a Silver or pewter julep cup (or rocks glass). Garnish with Abundant mint bouquet + powdered sugar.

The story

The Mint Julep is America's oldest surviving cocktail — documented in the 18th century as a morning medicinal drink in the American South. By the time it became associated with the Kentucky Derby in the 1930s, it had accumulated decades of mythology and regional identity. The debate over bourbon versus rye in a julep has never entirely been settled, and both camps have legitimate claims. Rye whisky juleps are sharper, more defined, less sweet. The mint doesn't need to work as hard to cut through the spirit. Wandering Rye's corn whisky components soften the rye spice just enough to maintain the julep's characteristic gentleness while giving it a backbone that bourbon sometimes lacks. This is a julep that knows where it's from and isn't entirely sure it cares about the derby.

Tasting note

This is theatre and flavour in equal measure. The mounded ice, the towering mint, the frosted cup — all of it exists for the nose that arrives before the first sip. The rye's spice and the corn's sweetness make this a julep for people who want both the tradition and something more.