67 / 144
MlSCELTulliEOUS DRINKS.
65
MINT JULEP.
I
'
261
A LA JOHN 'Y BRACE, NEW YORK CITY.
THE NEW STYLE.
Fill a large goblet with fin e ice and pom a jigger of cognac over it;
then take several sprigs of youug, tender min t aucl place them in a medium–
size mixing-glass with a clessertspoonful of bar sugar anu just enough seltzer
to nearly fill the goblet, in whicli you have already placed the fine ice and
brandy. Press the mint with a muddler until the sugar is all dissolved and
the water is well flavored with mint, strain iuto the goblet of ice and brandy,
clash with J amaica rum, orn ament with fruit 11
and a few sprigs of mint
which have been moistened an d dipped in sugar, and serve with straws.
Great care should be used in selecting the very young tender shoots of
the mint as the old shoots and leaves have a rauk bitter taste aud a re there–
fore worthless for making a delicately flavored julep.
This f amous clecoction was christened by a Southern gentleman who was
a great admirer of Shakespeare's works, a nd who, upou an occasion of having
tried ''grass in his liquor, '' was so moved by the result that there came to
his mind a vision of hi s favo rite heroine, the daughter of Lady Capulet and
the ''sweet, sweetiug'' of Romeo; thereupon he enthusiastically named his
beverage ''Mint Juliet,'' a term which later bibbers ham corrupted into
Mint Julep.
It
has b een claimed that a Yankee drummer originally introduced nlint
into the South .as a flavor for liquor many years before the Rebellion and
tile following good story bas often been told to illustrate the same.
It
seems that. once upon a time the aforesaid clrllDlmer was a guest at
the plantation of a very hospitable old K entuckian an d during his sojourn
there one warm summer's evening, ma de bis host acquainted with the secret
of blending a little mint with the old fashioned toddy which was the planter's
customary tipple.
A f ew years a fterward the drummer happened to be in the vicinity of
the plantation on a business trip and resolved to call on hi s old acquaintance.
The old negro ser vant, who answered his summons, tearfully informed
him that "Massa had done gone to Hebben six months befo'."
"Yon don't say so !" sorrowfully exclaimed the visitor. "And what could
have b ee11 t he cause of my clear old friend's death 9"
"Well, yo u see, sah," replied the darkey, "there was a trabbling man
from up North heah a few years ago and he showed Massa how to put grass
in
his likker and clat 's all ole Massa done from clat clay to de clay of his def."