The September Julep Cup. Photo by Theresa Stanley
Kentucky is known for certain traditions, with basketball, bourbon and the Kentucky Derby rising to the top of the list. Of course, with this year having tested our historic relationship to all of those things in one form or another, the Derby will take place in September, having been postponed for only the second time in its storied 146-year history (the first was in 1945, when it was pushed back two months due to World War II).
With September also happening to be National Bourbon Heritage Month – a tradition that, in many ways, will carry on unchanged – it only makes sense to celebrate a September Run for the Roses with an autumnal twist on the classic Derby cocktail, the Mint Julep.
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ ounce Coopers' Craft
• ¼ ounce sorghum syrup
• Sparkling cider
• Mint, garnish
Method:
Fill a Julep cup with ice (pro tip: Fill a Julep cup with ice, prefrably crushed (tip: you can buy perfect ice pebbles by the bag at Sonic Drive-In). Add bourbon and sorghum simple syrup, fill with sparkling cider and garnish with mint.
Sourgham Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup sorghum
Method:
Remove from heat. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.