Brown Sugar PEACH MINT JULEP for the Kentucky Derby

Every first Saturday in May I grab my bourbon and mint. Why? Because I am making Mint Juleps to enjoy while I watch the Run for The Roses, also known as The Kentucky Derby. The Mint Julep has been the official drink of The Kentucky Derby for nearly a century and I'm all for tradition. To a point.
Yes, I have flouted Derby cocktail tradition many times in the past with a Blueberry Mint Julep, a Mint Julep Martini and, recently, a Pineapple Mint Julep. This year I continue my tradition of flouting tradition by creating a Brown Sugar Peach Mint Julep.
I'm a Rebel, but I have a cause; fun new cocktail experiences and delicious flavor pairings. It's the way I make use of the culinary training I got and never put to good use as a professional chef. P.S. You don't want to know what I have planned for Derby hats ...
BROWN SUGAR PEACH MINT JULEP
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Good Kentucky Bourbon 12 - 15 Fresh Mint Leaves 1- 2 Tsp. Brown Sugar Simple Syrup 1/3 C. Pan Seared Peach Puree* Peach Slice and Mint Sprigs for Garnish Crushed Ice
TOOLS:  Julep cup, muddler, measuring spoons and cups, food processor or blender, jigger, straw.
DIRECTIONS: To mix your Julep add 12 to 15 mint leaves and the brown sugar simple syrup to the Julep cup and gently muddle to express the oils from the mint. Add the caramelized peach puree and your bourbon then stir. Use your food processor or blender to crush the ice then fill your Julep cup up until it's got a nice mound of ice above the rim. Garnish with the peach slice, mint sprigs, add a straw and enjoy!
Since this was for the Derby, whose official flower is the rose and the winner receives the rose garland (hence the nickname "Run for the Roses"), I would have loved to add a beautiful sugared rose petal right on top. Sadly, my organic roses are not blooming at the moment, but imagine a delicate pink petal floating on that mound of ice...

*BROWN SUGAR SAUTEED PEACH PUREE
INGREDIENTS: 1 Small Can of Peaches (Or 3 fresh peaches) 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter    DIRECTIONS: Put aside 1 peach slice for each cocktail. Pan sear the remainder of the drained peaches with a the butter and brown sugar until nicely caramelized. Puree 1/3 a cup in a blender or food processor for each Julep.
If there's any left, save that to spoon over ice cream later. Add a splash of bourbon to it and you'll  think you've won that garland of roses yourself.
Check out the Recipe Video here:
Some Kentucky Derby Trivia

• The Kentucky Derby is the first race in The Triple Crown and is held the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The other jewels in the Crown are The Preakness Stakes, held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes, held at Belmont  Park in Elmont, New York.
• The Kentucky Derby is the first in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing which is comprised of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses.
• The rose is the race's official flower. The rose garland, now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, first appeared in the 1896 when winner Ben Brush received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses. This gave rise to the Derby's nickname, Run for the Roses.
• Since 1930 "My Old Kentucky Home" has been played as the horses are led onto the track to the starting gate. It is performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band.
• The fastest winning time at the Kentucky  Derby ever recorded was by Secretariat, who went on to win The Triple Crown in 1973. He set records at each race and is considered to be one of the greatest Thoroughbreds of all time.
• The Kentucky Derby is the only Triple Crown race to run consecutively since it's start in 1875.

Smart money says this cocktail will be an odds on favorite right out of the gate.

Tweet

Follow me on Twitter as PopArtDiva
Follow me on Twitter as TheMartiniDiva
Friend me on Facebook
LIKE "TheMartiniDiva's Happy Hour" Facebook Page
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY