HOUSTON – Dress up in your best derby attire, show off your hats, and enjoy the company of others with food, music, a live stream of the race, and of course, drinks. The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, and one of the best derby day parties in town is at Julep Bar on Washington Avenue.
Julep Bar
1919 Washington Avenue
Houston, TX 77007
Saturday, May 6
1 - 6 PM
Age Restriction: 21+ only
Tickets: Pre-sale: $20; Door: $25
Dress suggestion: Spring Lawn Party | Cocktail Casual | Derby Hats and Bowties
Click → here for information about the event.
But if you can’t attend the big party, bring the Kentucky spirit into your home as Adriana Ceniceros from the James Beard Award-winning bar Julep shows us how to make two cocktails: The iconic Mint Julep and a Spirit Free Negroni mocktail.
Mint Julep Recipe
10 mint leaves
½ ounce turbinado syrup (recipe follows)
2 ounces bourbon (80 to 90 proof)
Garnish: 2-3 mint sprigs, powdered sugar
Place the mint leaves and syrup in the julep cup and lightly press with a muddler. Leave the muddler in the glass and add the bourbon, pouring over the muddler to rinse it off. Stir with the muddler to mix. Fill the cup a little more than halfway with crushed ice and stir with a bar spoon 15 to 20 times. Add more ice to form a dome on top. Place the straw in the cup.
To garnish, press the mint sprigs between your fingers to release their aroma and tuck them into the ice next to the straw. Dust the mint sprigs with powdered sugar.
For the turbinado syrup: Combine 2 cups sugar in the raw and 1 cup water in a saucepan and stir to combine. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is slightly thickened about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes 2 ½ cups.
Spirit-Free Negroni Recipe
1 oz Lyres London dry
1 oz Lyres Rosso
1 oz Lyres Italian Orange
Method: add each to a stir tin, add an ice cube, and stir for about 20 seconds, pour over a large format ice cube, and garnish with an orange twist.
Tips for viewers: don’t overpress the mint, it will get bitter!
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