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Mint Julep in a metal cup with shaved ice, mint sprigs and a short straw.

Real Mint Julep (1862)

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A classic 1860s julep with French Cognac, a Jamaican rum float, fresh mint, and finely shaved ice.

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The story behind the recipe

Cognac sits beneath the mint in this julep, and Jamaican rum finishes the top of the ice. Bourbon can stay in the cupboard. The combination comes from Jerry Thomas's 1862 book, where a julep is as much an arrangement of ice and greenery as a list of spirit measures.

A bouquet worth keeping

Thomas describes pressing mint with sugar and water, adding Cognac and filling the glass with fine shaved ice. Then he draws the mint out and returns it with the stems pointing downward. The leaves stand above the ice like a small bouquet.

It's easy to see why the arrangement survives in a simpler modern serving. The mint reaches your nose before the drink does, so a straw placed beside the leaves carries both scent and flavor into the first sip. A fresh garnish sprig has a different purpose from the mint pressed into the bottom of the cup.

The source dresses the drink further with berries, small pieces of orange, a dash of Jamaica rum and a sprinkling of sugar. Our version keeps the rum and the mint bouquet, leaving out the fruit and final sugar. The drink is still generously dressed, but the greenery has the space.

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Two spirits, one cold cup

Cognac brings a grape-brandy base to the sweetened mint. Jamaican rum goes over the ice at the end, adding another spirit at the surface. The two don't have to remain permanently separated to make that final addition worthwhile; the first part of a slowly melting drink can be different from the last.

Choose bottles you'd be pleased to taste. The sugar and water soften the mixture, but they don't hide the spirits behind a long pour of juice or soda. This julep is for someone who likes a spirit-led drink served very cold.

The metal cup is a modern choice in place of Thomas's large bar glass. Its cold surface is part of the appeal, especially once condensation appears. Handle it by the base or rim after the ice goes in, keeping warm hands away from the chilled sides.

Fine ice fills the cup

Shaved ice settles around the liquid and mint in a way large cubes can't. It supports the bouquet and the rum finish while gradually lengthening the drink. The measured cup-and-a-half refers to solid ice, not that volume of water poured into the Cognac.

That texture is a reason to prepare the ice before mixing. A few large cubes with mint laid across them would make a different serve, however faithfully the spirits were measured. The straw and packed ice are part of the recipe's practical design.

Thomas's julep sits beside his cobbler and crusta in the historic ice article. In one glass, ice and fruit stay with the drink; in another, the chilled mixture is strained into a lemon-lined bowl. A single book leaves room for several kinds of cold.

Keep the mint fresh

The garnish needs sound, fragrant leaves. A gentle clap between your hands before tucking the sprigs into the ice releases aroma without crushing the bouquet into a green tangle.

Leave the stems supported by the ice and the leaves above it. The straw should be close enough to the mint for its scent to be part of drinking. That little piece of placement is more valuable here than an extra fruit flourish.

Make it your wayOriginal: 1 serving · Makes 1 drink

Adjust servings & units

Ingredients

For 1 drink. Quantities are shown as written.

Source measurement convention: Metric. Explicit unit definitions take precedence; unconfirmed measures must be checked before conversion.

Original quantities for 1 drink.

  • Water10 ml
  • Caster sugar5 gAuthor measures: 1 metric tsp (1 metric tsp = 5 ml).
  • Fresh mint4 sprigs
  • Cognac60 ml
  • Fine shaved ice1 1/2 metric cups (250 ml per cup)
  • Jamaican rum10 ml

Measurement notes

  • fine shaved ice: metric cup: 1 = 250 ml.
Original ingredients
  • 10 ml water
  • 5 g (1 teaspoon) caster sugar
  • 4 fresh mint sprigs
  • 60 ml Cognac
  • 1 1/2 cups fine shaved icemetric cup: 1 = 250 ml.
  • 10 ml Jamaican rum
Equipment
  • Metal julep cup
  • Muddler or bar spoon
  • Drinking straw

Instructions

  1. Dissolve sugar in water

    Place the water and caster sugar in the bottom of a metal julep cup and stir until the sugar dissolves.

  2. Press a mint sprig gently

    Drop in one of the fresh mint sprigs and press it gently with a muddler or bar spoon to extract the mint oils.

  3. Add Cognac over the mint

    Leave the pressed mint in the cup and pour in the Cognac.

  4. Fill the cup with shaved ice

    Fill the cup to the brim with the fine shaved ice.

  5. Float the Jamaican rum

    Pour the Jamaican rum over the top of the ice so it floats.

  6. Add the mint bouquet

    Tuck the remaining three fresh mint sprigs firmly into the ice to form a thick bouquet.

  7. Serve with a short straw

    Serve immediately with a short drinking straw nestled near the mint.

Estimated calories 180 kcal

Nutrition portion: whole recipe · Original yield: 1 drink

Source & assumptions

Ingredient-based estimate using CoFID 2021. Approximately 180 kcal per nutrition portion. Uses 40% ABV Cognac and 40% ABV rum as representative baselines; mint garnish is excluded. Higher-proof spirits increase calories. Ingredients, brands and preparation affect values.

Recipe notes

When adjusting quantities

Scale ingredients proportionally.

Original recipe notes

These notes describe the original recipe. Quantities mentioned here do not change when you adjust servings.

Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant's Companion (1862), no. 88, p. 44. We retain Cognac, Jamaican rum, mint and shaved ice, with modern quantities and a metal cup. Thomas used a large bar glass, rearranged the pressed mint, and added fruit and a final sugar sprinkling, omitted here.

Handle the chilled metal cup by its base or rim. Gently clap the garnish sprigs before inserting them; keep the leaves intact and the straw close to the mint.

Read the scaling guide. Times, temperatures and equipment need their own consideration. Open the recipe tool to review and correct individual amounts.

Sources and attribution

Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon-Vivant's Companion (New York: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1862), p. 44

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