Derby is all about the lingering excitement surrounding a moment of blink-and-you-might-miss-it glory. In that spirit, Garage Bar’s take on the mint julep is a moment of bracing bourbon consumption followed by a sweet, refreshing finish. The Garage Bar julep is the ideal anti-cocktail for those who would rather spend their time mingling than muddling.

Garage Bar Julep

Shot of Old Bardstown and Housemade Peppermint Patty

The inspiration is to achieve the overall effect of a mint julep without all the ice-crushing, mint-muddling, and guest commitment to a full beverage. The bittersweet chocolate will ease the typically astringent effect of mixing mint with bourbon and the shot format will do the most important job: get the bourbon into guests’ belly so they can enjoy the mint at their leisure. We chose the Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond bourbon because it is one of the only bourbons that’s only available in Kentucky from the renowned Willett Distillery.

Not only are we a fan of Garage Bar’s approach, so is GQ.  Read more about Garage Bar’s take on the stand-by and which bourbon is best:

http://www.gq.com/story/best-bourbon-mint-julep