Classic mint juleps get an update with molasses-y muscovado sugar and lime. Adapted from Brown Sugar Kitchen.
Now that its spring, we’re finally getting a winter in San Francisco. Karl the Fog (yes, our fog has a name… and instagram account) has been hanging around most days, blowing chilly sea air inland. I’m glad he’s back – I mist him! (SF humor.) In addition to getting to flaunt my favorite boots and scarves, I especially love foggy days for taking pictures. The fog makes the sky like a huge softbox, diffusing the sunlight, bringing forward colors, and creating delicate shadows. Plus Karl keeps my kitchen cool for baking.
But Karl or no, it’s never too cold for a mint julep, the refreshing beverage of choice of the Kentucky Derby, which takes place the first weekend in May. A mixture of bourbon and mint, gently sweetened and poured over packed, crushed ice, mint juleps are essentially boozy snow cones. (Also: boozy snow cones.)
This variation of the classic drink comes from Brown Sugar Kitchen, an epic eatery in West Oakland famous for slinging such Southern delicacies as chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and buttery biscuits to hungry brunch-goers.
Though I must come clean: I have yet to actually go to Brown Sugar Kitchen. It’s hard to get my hungry butt to the East Bay for brunch when I live a hilly stroll from Plow. But! I do have the cookbook, gifted to me by my brother and sister-in-law (who know me too well) for my birthday last year. We stopped by for dinner, and I watched Sheila dress a huge salad with something creamy and delicious-looking. She said casually, “Oh, the recipe’s from this book.” Then my brother handed me a brown sugar mint julep. “Oh, it’s also from that book,” he mentioned.
I sipped, I paged through the book, I ogled sweet potato scones with brown sugar icing, and I pondered whether I should order the book right then and there or wait until I got home.
Then my brother handed me a wrapped gift. I opened it, and it was the book.
It was the best thing that ever happened to anyone.
Aside from these juleps, which we’ve been loving ever since. They get a simple update from muscovado sugar and citrus juice (they use lemon but I prefer lime) to embody their California roots. First you make a simple syrup with muscovado sugar and tons of fresh mint, then you crush more mint which you shake with the syrup, some bourbon, and lime juice. Pour it over crushed ice and you’ll have yourself one heckuva refreshing cocktail. This one gets the balance of flavors just right to my taste: not too sweet, plenty minty, with an extra hit of flavor from the deep, dark muscovado sugar. When I’m too hurried to crush ice in the blender, I pour the julep over cubed ice and top it off with fizzy water.
Either way, mint juleps make me happy. So do cookbooks.
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Muscovado Mint Juleps
Print Recipe / Pin RecipeIngredients
Muscovado Mint Syrup (enough for many drinks):
- 1 cup light or dark muscovado (or brown)sugar (7 ounces / 200 grams)
- 1 cup water
- leaves from 1 large bunch mint (1 cup packed)
The Julep (makes 1):
- several mint leaves, plus one or two pretty sprigs for garnish
- 1/4 cup bourbon (such as Elijah Craig or Four Roses)
- 2 tablespoons muscovado mint syrup (above)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- ice (crushed if you like)
- sparkling water (optional, if using cubed ice)
Instructions
Make the syrup:
- In a medium pot, bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Cover and let steep 20 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and into a heat-proof container. Let cool. Cover and chill until cold, 2 hours. (Can be made up to a few weeks ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator.)
Make the juleps:
- Place the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker or jar and crush lightly. Add the bourbon, muscovado syrup, lime juice, and a few ice cubes. Stir or shake until cold, 30 seconds, then strain into a glass packed with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice, garnish with the mint sprig, and serve. (If using cubed ice, top the drink of with a spritz of fizzy water.)
Notes
Add half of a vanilla bean to the syrup along with the sugar. Nutritional values are based on one drink.
Nutrition
Muscovado Mint Juleps
Adapted from Brown Sugar Kitchen
I recommend a smooth bourbon for these drinks. Elijah Craig is quite affordable and tastier than other bourbons in its price range. Four Roses comes recommended by Brown Sugar Kitchen. I’ve made the syrup with both an unrefined muscobado sugar by Alter Eco, and a light muscovado sugar. Light or dark brown sugar will work, too; the darker the sugar, the more lovely molasses flavor and deep color the finished drink will have. For an extra floral variation, try the vanilla version below.
Variation: Muscovado Vanilla Mint Juleps
Add half of a vanilla bean to the syrup along with the sugar.
Muscovado Mint Syrup (enough for many drinks):
1 cup (7 ounces / 200 grams) light or dark muscovado (or brown) sugar
1 cup water
leaves from 1 large bunch mint (1 cup packed)
The Julep (makes 1):
several mint leaves, plus one or two pretty sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup bourbon (such as Elijah Craig or Four Roses)
2 tablespoons muscovado mint syrup (above)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
ice (crushed if you like)
sparkling water (optional, if using cubed ice)
Make the syrup:
In a medium pot, bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Cover and let steep 20 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and into a heat-proof container. Let cool. Cover and chill until cold, 2 hours. (Can be made up to a few weeks ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator.)
Make the juleps:
Place the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker or jar and crush lightly. Add the bourbon, muscovado syrup, lime juice, and a few ice cubes. Stir or shake until cold, 30 seconds, then strain into a glass packed with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice, garnish with the mint sprig, and serve. (If using cubed ice, top the drink of with a spritz of fizzy water.)
I've ALSO never been to Brown Sugar Kitchen, but I leafed through the book when my mom and I popped into B Side Bakery a few weeks ago – YUM. Now that I know you own the book, I want to come over for basically that same dining experience your brother and sister-in-law gave you. Where do I sign up? These photos are stunning – as are you:)
Clearly a Brown Sugar / B Side date is well in order! How do we make a GF version of their sticky buns?! xoxo
I love the idea of the muscovado in these cocktails – it's one of my favourite sugars to use when I'm baking but I've never considered it in boozy applications. Making these asap!
Muscovado is seriously tasty stuff, and I'm sure you'll love it in these, too. Off to troll your site for muscovado recipes. ;)
It's mid-day and I could still go for a big glass of this because WHY NOT?! This drink is gorgeous!
I can't think of any good reason! Thanks Katrina!
Yes! You always have the best cocktails and this one is right up my alley. Love the use of muscovado here. Beautiful!
Aw thank you Tessa! I'm such a fan of all your posts. <3
I think we might be the same person, Alanna – this is the second drink recipe in a row we've both posted :D :D :D Yours looks suuuuper delicious
I know, right?! We're obviously soulmates… or at the very least drinking buddies. :)
So gorgeous, I want to sip on one of these juleps while I sit by the pool and watch the world go by ;).
Well that sounds pretty darn dreamy. Thanks Laura. :)
Of course fog is SF is way too famous, but an instagram account !! That's funny LOL
Haha, agreed. :)
I love how bright and beautiful and inviting this looks.
Plus it's lovely to see you in the picture too.
Thanks for sharing.
Aw, thank you so much! My pleasure of course. :)
These look so refreshing! It's seemingly a second autumn here in Toronto too, with weather far more like October than April, but these give me something to look forward to for when it actually gets warm! Also, I love that your smiling self made it into these photos! xo
Aw, thank you Alanna!! Oh I'd love to visit Toronto one day. (Some of my photos grace the walls of Loaded Pierogi over there.) I hope it warms up soon!
Aghhh!! That pour shot is unbelievable. Can you believe I've never had a mint julep, what the heck?! Need to remedy that IMMEDIATELY.
Ah thank you Laura! I'll make you one if you bring some of those amazing grilled polenta bites to go with. ;)
Seriously Gorgeous! I know what I'm making for cocktails tonight!!!
Yay!!!
Beautiful light! And these sound right up my alley! Yum!
Aw, thank you Sasha!
1. You are most adorable.
2. You should just start admiring your brother's things more often- who knows what is wrapped up waiting for you?
3. MUSCOVADO SIMPLE SYRUP?!
Aw, thank you!! Hm, he does have an awfully cute six-year-old daughter…
I've got loads of syrup so come on over for a drinkle any time!!
That has got to be the best way to give someone a cookbook, ever.
Drinks: delicious. You: adorable. :) I'm dying for some slightly warmer weather so icy drinks don't make me shiver from the inside out. (Although our cold, rainy days here have also been perfect for photography!)
P.S. I'm doing that masochistic thing where I ogle the menu of a place on the other side of the country at 9am while I'm over-caffeinated and hungry. Soft scrambled eggs, swap out the toast for avocado toast minus the pickled onions and egg + side of bacon + grapefruit juice (+ convincing someone else to order the market fruit side so I can pick at that). Omg I need to go eat breakfast.
Ah well, the grass is always greener, right? (Except in CA because DROUGHT.) I always get the soft scramble at Plow and I'll do so while I breakfast with Nicole tomorrow. Can't you hop on a plane and join us??
I've been to Brown Sugar Kitchen, though (regrettably) never had their mint juleps! Your photos are stunning. This is a definite must try!
Take me with you next time and we'll drink all the juleps! :)
Hey Alanna.. You did it, once again! Gorgeous photos as usual.
I want to reach into my computer screen and get a sip. For real!
I hope you guys will get some sun soon.
Sending you lots of Caribbean sunshine! Cheers!
Aw, thank you Aysegul! The sun must have listened to you because it's warm warm warm today. Perfect for an icy cocktail. ;)
Drooling over the photos as much as I am over the beautiful hue of this drink!!!!!! Me thinks you should post more photos with you in them! It's so sweet and fun. :)
Awwww, thank you Ellie! I had such fun taking these. :)
Beautiful pictures – and an astonishing presentation – and it looks also very tasty. Only problem is, that in my playbook, this ain’t a julep.