I recently was talking about Mint Juleps with some friends, and in my ignorance, I said, “I bet Andy Sturdevant makes a mean mint julep.” (because I found out that he was from Louisville) I was quickly corrected, I had assumed that Kentuckians drank them like Milwaukeeians drink brandy old-fashioneds. After some research, I found some quotes to back up the julep-less city of Louisville:
“I don’t know if I can make a julep, hon,” she says, slight panic in her eyes. “We don’t have any fresh mint.” “Hope this is OK,” she says. “Don’t really know what they’re supposed to taste like. I don’t drink ‘em.” -A bartender at John E.’s
“I tried one once,” he says. “But it was way too sweet. And if it was so good, why don’t we drink them year-round?” -bartender Tom Curley of the Pendennis Club
“I don’t drink ‘em unless I have to ” -Julian Van Winkle, a third-generation bourbon maker, president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery.
“You can tell the people from out of town at Derby parties,” says Kimberly Jones, a chef-instructor at Sullivan University in Louisville and director of the culinary school’s Juleps Catering. “They get all excited because they feel like a julep is the thing they have to drink.”
(all quotes from here)
So I apologize to Louisville. I shouldn’t have assumed that your city drinks juleps year-round, or even at derby time. Maybe you should try an old fashioned sweet. They’re delicious.
