The Mint Julep wasn’t created for the Kentucky Derby — but it might as well have been.
It Started as Medicine
In the early 1800s, juleps were taken medicinally — often in the morning. A little bourbon, a little mint, a little sugar: a bracing start to the day, Southern style. Before long, it drifted from the sickbed to the veranda.
Kentucky Made It Its Own
As bourbon became Kentucky’s signature spirit, the julep became the state’s unofficial cocktail. By the late 19th century, it was showing up at horse tracks and gentlemen’s clubs — silver cup and all.
Enter the Derby
The julep became officially linked to the Kentucky Derby in 1938, when Churchill Downs began selling them in commemorative glasses (you’ve probably seen the vintage ones). Today, nearly 120,000 are served each Derby weekend.
Like most traditions, the julep wasn’t assigned — it emerged. And it stuck for a reason.
Image: "One mint julep was the cause of it all." by flickr4jazz is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.
