We conclude our May 4, 2012 doubleheader with one of the most legendary of all cocktails and the ultimate Derby Day tradition. It’s also a drink, I’m ashamed to admit, I’ve only tried for myself in the last couple of weeks.

According to such experts as New Orleans bartender Chris MacMillian, the Mint Julep was to the 19th century what the Martini was to the 20th. As MacMillians also reminds us, this super classic drink’s roots actually go back far further — juleps were eulogized in 1634 by “Paradise Lost” poet John Milton in his “Comus,” which some of us old English majors have actually read, even if we don’t remember a word of it. Today, the bourbon, sugar and mint concoction is primarily associated with Southern belles and gents in old movies seeking a cool libation on a powerful hot day, not to mention the ultra-famed horse race which will once again be run tomorrow afternoon.

As I heard from numerous sources, however, the actual juleps served in recent years at the home of the Kentucky Derby have been anything but satisfying. If word on the cocktail street is correct, Churchill Downs has fallen prey to the #1 enemy of good cocktails — a pre-mix! Tragic, perhaps but also almost understandable given the enormous crowds who arrive each year for Derby Day. In any case, if you want a really good Mint Julep, you’ll have to go a high quality bar with a decent mixologist in residence or, of course, you may make one yourself.

The Mint Julep

2.5-3 ounces bourbon whiskey
1/2 ounce simple syrup or 1 tablespoon sugar and a splash of water
About 5-8 fresh mint leaves
Lots of ice — preferably crushed.

Combine mint leaves, simple syrup or sugar (preferably superfine or powdered) and water in a rocks/old fashioned glass or, if you have one (I don’t) a traditional metal julep glass. Gently muddle the mixture, being careful not to overdo it as, we are warned, over-muddling mint can release some displeasing bitterness. Fill up your glass with ice, add the bourbon of your choice, and stir. Toast your favorite racehorse and sip slowly.

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There’s no doubt about it, I’m a piker when it comes to the Mint Julep. I’ve made a few decent versions of it but I don’t own the special sack — called a Lewis bag — or the mallet needed for making the crushed ice fine enough to make the julep a sort of highly alcoholic snow cone and I also don’t own a blender. Even so, this drink works fine with lots of ordinary ice, particularly if you’re a bourbon lover, as I am. I made some very good versions of it using the remainder of my Angel’s Envy — I still had some left over from my exploration of the Chicago Sour — but I had  good luck as well using some very inexpensive yet sweeter and highly drinkable Evan Williams brew. I’m sure Maker’s Mark or really any brand of bourbon you like a lot would work delightfully.

The only problems I encountered were when I tried to dial back the sweetness. None other than James Bond in “Goldfinger” ordered his drink tart. When I tried it that way, the flavors simply didn’t come together. Just because you own a license to kill and save the world once a year doesn’t mean you know everything.

Of course, I don’t know everything either. Something tells me the drink, as prepared a bit differently from me by Chris MacMillian himself below, was really something.

As we pointed out last year when we highlighted Kim Kardashian in her sexy hat, you’ll definitely enjoy the sights over Derby Weekend in Louisville. Women plan their outfits all year, and they’ll have several hats picked out to go along with a hot dress and heels. We love Southern women (actually, all women . . . ) and we were pleasantly surprised several years ago to see so many beautiful women all decked out for the Kentucky Derby. It was true on race day, and also the night before as everyone started partying long before Saturday afternoon. The photo above is one of our favorites as this hottie shows off the goods in a low-cut dress, and we have some more good ones after the jump. If you’re heading to Kentucky for the race, take your camera and send us more pics!

These sexy blondes are sporting some pretty wild hats!

She’s worth a close-up . . .

Flash that smile!

Here’s another low-cut dress!

Pretty in purple!

Hot lips!

Here’s a photo of Kim Kardashian sporting the obligatory big hat at last year’s Kentucky Derby. When I was invited last year by Axe Shower Gel I was thrilled at the chance to check out Churchill Downs and the Derby. Immediately you think about the thrill of the race, betting on the horses and hoping to see the first leg of an eventual Triple Crown winner. You also know that there will be a ton of drinking and partying on the infield and in the stands.

I was also aware of the tradition of dressing up for the Derby (if you’re in the stands), and how most women would wear big hats and elegant dresses for the event. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for just how many pretty women would be there, and how sexy they would look in their big hats! They were everywhere, and they dresses like that all weekend. Everywhere you went on that weekend, you’d see hot babes in big hats. The whole Southern Belle theme was alive and well, and it gave us some great ideas for future photo shoots! We have to do a model search in Kentucky around the Derby!

You can see more pics of pretty women in these big hats from the Kentucky Derby here, here and here. Now, go study the horses and get ready for the race!