The Hollands

The preparation of the quintessence of gentlemanly beverages can only be described in like terms. A mint julep is not the product of a formula. It is a ceremony and must be performed by a gentleman possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion. It is a rite that must not be entrusted to a novice, a statistician nor a Yankee. It is a heritage of the old South, an emblem of hospitality and a vehicle in which noble minds can travel together upon the flower-strewn paths of a happy and congenial thought.So far as the mere mechanics of the operation are concerned, the procedure, stripped of its ceremonial embellishments, can be described as follows: Go to a spring where cool, crystal-clear water bubbles from under a bank of dew-washed ferns. In a consecrated vessel, dip up a little water at the source. Follow the stream through its banks of green moss and wildflowers until it broadens and trickles through beds of a mint growing in aromatic profusion and waving softly in the summer breeze. Gather the sweetest and tenderest shoots and gently carry them home. Go to the sideboard and select a decanter of Kentucky Bourbon, distilled by a master hand, mellowed with age yet still vigorous and inspiring. An ancestral sugar bowl, a row of silver goblets, some spoons and some ice and you are ready to start. In a canvas bag, pound twice as much ice as you think you will need. Make it fine as snow, keep it dry and do not allow to degenerate into slush.In each goblet, put a slightly heaping teaspoonful of granulated sugar, barely cover this with spring water and slightly bruise one mint leaf into this, leaving the spoon in the goblet. Then pour elixir from decanter until the goblets are about one-fourth full. Fill the goblets with snowy ice, sprinkling in a small amount of sugar as you fill. Wipe the outside of the goblets dry and embellish copiously with mint.Then comes the important and delicate operation of frosting. By proper manipulation of the spoon, the ingredients are circulated and blended until Nature, wishing to take a further hand and add another of its beautiful phenomena, encrusts the whole in a glistening coat of white frost. Thus harmoniously blended by the deft touches of a skilled hand, you have a beverage eminently appropriate for honorable men and beautiful women.When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the garden where the aroma of the juleps will rise Heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose a worthy toast, raise the goblet to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep breath of its fragrance and sip the nectar of the gods.Being overcome by thirst, I can write no further.

Sincerely,Lt. Gen. S.B. Buckner, Jr. Of Kentucky V.M.I. Class of 1906
*Killed in Okinawa, 1945

As lovely as Lt. Buckner's description is, I don't know anyone with that kind of time on their hands so instead, here is my favorite recipe for the Mint Julep. The only thing you might not have readily available is fresh mint (although you really should because how will you make your mojitos without it?). A proper Mint Julep is made with Kentucky Colonel mint, distinctive for it's red stems and spearminty flavor. But really any mint will do. And the most traditional of mint juleps is served in a frozen silver goblet, also known as a julep cup. I'm not really sure why that is other than the fact that the silver keeps the drink cool for a lot longer than a normal glass does...I'm all for that since nothing stays cool for long down here. But of course, no one's checking so make your's in a paper cup if you want! The other thing you'll need to prepare ahead is simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, brought to a boil to completely dissolved the sugar, then cooled completely).

INGREDIENTS (makes 8 drinks)
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
32 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon
8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves.

If you are using silver goblets, place them in the freezer for at least half an hour before serving. You may want to handle the frozen goblets with a clean towel, holding them by their edges, so as not to mess up their pretty frosted surface. Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person's sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Proceed to the nearest rocking chair and enjoy.

In honor of the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, I thought we'd do a post all about the race. Most people I talk to back home know almost nothing about it...it's a huge deal in the south but goes by relatively unnoticed up north. So for everyone wondering what all the fuss over enormous hats, seersucker suits and furlongs is about, read on:

7 Facts about the Kentucky Derby
1. The race has been run every year since 1875 on the first Saturday in May.

2. The only horses allowed to run in the Derby are 3 year olds. Hence you've got one shot and one shot only...there's no "maybe next year" because next year you're 4!

3. The Derby can only be run by Thoroughbred horses, all of which can trace their lineage back to 3 common ancestors, the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Barb, which were imported into Great Britain from the Middle East and North Africa between 1689 and 1724. Mated with strong English mares, they produced offspring with both speed and endurance.

4. "My Old Kentucky Home" is the official song of the Derby and the state of Kentucky and is sung by everyone in attendance before the crowning of the race winner.

5. The Derby covers a distance of 1 1/4 miles...that's furlongs to everyone in the know. What's a furlong? The term is almost exclusively used in horse racing now. It's an old English measure that equates to 220 yards or roughly 1/8th of a mile. Hence 8 furlongs = 1 mile.

6. Secretariat was one of history's most famous Thoroughbred racehorses. In 1973 Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes to win the coveted Triple Crown, the last horse to earn such a distinction.

7. The Mint Julep is a tradition as old as the Kentucky Derby itself, as much a part of Derby tradition as bugles and roses. The julep is the official toast to the winning horse, but fans at Derby parties tend to start long before the finish (hence the out of control in-field!). It is, in my opinion the absolute best part of the Derby tradition and is deserves a post all to itself, which is exactly what it will get tomorrow morning...plenty of time for you to run out and get the necessary ingredients.