Good morning, welcome to our Unique Holidays: May 30, 2021 just one more day until June. Where is this year going to? In the meantime I would like for you to check out the Holidays and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
Today is Mint Julep Day. It’s a day to enjoy and savor this frosty and refreshing southern classic drink.
If your not sure what a Mint Julep is its a Bourbon Based Alcoholic beverage. A related version of a Mint Julep, is Gin based. The Mint Julep originated and is very popular today in areas south of the Mason-Dixon line in the United States.
The roots of Mint Julep may have Arabic origin, where a similar drink called Julab was made with Rose petals. Considered a sign of hospitality, Mint Juleps were first served in the early 1800’s on Virginia plantations.
Mint Juleps quickly spread in popularity across the south. In 1850, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay introduced it to Washington, D.C., at the Round Robin Bar.
Perhaps Mint Juleps are best known as the official drink of the Kentucky Derby (1938). Today, over 120,00 Mint Juleps are served at the two day “Run for the Roses” event.
Did You Know: Mint Juleps were used medicinally for stomach maladies and other ailments.
Mint Juleps are a frosty cooler and we suspect the originator of this special day set May 30th as the date to celebrate them, because hot weather has arrived in the south by this time.
Recipe: Official Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Recipe
Below is the Old Forester Mint Julep Recipe which is official Mint Julep of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is steeped in tradition so it is important to use this exact recipe for your Kentucky Derby party.
Mint Julep Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Crushed ice
- Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky
- Silver Julep Cups
How to Make Mint Juleps:
- Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes.
- Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Old Forester Kentucky Whisky.
- Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
- Enjoy the race!
Don’t forget to check out Kentucky Derby Day
I would have liked to work in the Garden this morning and watered the Flowers to block out last night but the ground is still to late from all the Rain we’ve had.
Which I would like to thank the LORD for because one day we may need Rain and I hope when that day comes that I am able to water my flowers and keep them growing.
In the meantime don’t you just love May? The Weather has turned cooler allowing us to grow just about anything outdoors. May is filled with Garden related holidays and today is another great Holiday. It’s Water a Flower Day. This day exists to reminder you to water your flowers…all of them.
Sure, we know that Holiday reads Water “a” Flower (singular) Day clearly indicating a flower should be watered. But, in today’s world of equal rights and non-discrimination regulations, how can you water just one flower ? Even if you can decide upon a certain flower, wouldn’t the rest of your flowers get upset if they had feelings?
Please, for your own sake, Water all of your Flowers today. As a gardener, I suggest you make your flowers happy with you, by adding a liquid fertilizer to the water. Which will reward you with faster growth, and bigger blooms!
If you haven’t planted Flowers yet then you will want to check out How to Grow flowers.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
