This drink was built to refresh, says Alex Negranza of Houston’s Tongue-Cut Sparrow: “I tied together some of the quintessential components of Derby Day and the mint julep while incorporating some of the ingredients I love to use in refreshing cocktails in the warmer months.” The flavors of champagne and maraschino cherry add extra luxury to a special-occasion cocktail.
Drinks
Mint Julep Month: The Golden Gait Julep
Bring a splash of bubbly to the party with this cocktail’s key ingredient: champagne syrup
Sponsored Content
photo: Peter Frank Edwards
Ingredients
For the cocktail
1½ oz. Maker's Mark® bourbon
Handful of mint leaves
2 tbsp. Champagne syrup (see recipe below)
1 tbsp. maraschino liqueur
Pebble ice
2-3 sprays of absinthe (optional)
For the Champagne Syrup
Bottle of Champagne
3 cups sugar
Preparation
For the Cocktail:
Muddle bourbon and mint leaves (save a few for garnish). Stir in Champagne syrup and maraschino liqueur. Add ice. Garnish with mint leaves. Spray absinthe on top.
For the Champagne Syrup:
Grab a bottle of Champagne (pour yourself a little) and add to a pot to be reduced. Reduce down by 50% and add in 3 cups of sugar. This will yield enough syrup to be used in plenty of juleps. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep for later use.
Meet the bartender
Recipe from Alex Negranza of Tongue-Cut Sparrow in Houston, Texas.
Want more juleps?
See other specialty mint julep recipes and learn more about Mint Julep Month here.
Related Stories:
Drinks
Mint Julep Month: Bless Your Heart Julep
A spoonful of blueberry jam and an extra herb in the muddle help this julep go down
Sponsored Content
Food & Drink
Mint Julep Month: Carthusian Julep
Your new secret ingredient: a liqueur made by monks that is also available at your local grocery store
Sponsored Content
Drinks
Mint Julep Month: Sparkleberry Mint Julep
Tart up your julep with a splash of blackberry sauce and a squeeze of lemon
Sponsored Content
Trending Stories:
Food & Drink
The Mad Scientist of Pawpaws
Largely the domain of foragers, the biggest edible fruit in the South has mostly been forgotten. A quietly obsessed Quaker from West Virginia has made it his life’s mission to change that
Food & Drink
How an Award-Winning Pastry Chef Doctors Up Boxed Cornbread
Even Kelly Fields whips up a box of Jiffy every once in a while. Here’s how she makes the store-bought stuff her own
30
Slideshow
Arts & Culture
The Top-of-2021 Reading List for Southerners
G&G contributors, editors, and Southern book lovers share new releases and old favorites to read right away this year—and a couple forthcoming releases already on preorder