Mint Julep-rita (or How to Throw a Cinco de Derby Party!)

What happens when Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby land on the same day?

Cinco de Derby, of course! Who doesn't love a good mash-up?! And what a good excuse to throw a party (lots of food suggestions at the bottom of this post)!

And it's only right that you start it all off with a killer cocktail. That's where these Mint Julep Margaritas (or Mint Julep-ritas!) come in.

Matching up these two cocktails actually makes a lot of sense, since they each have a few similar components. First of all, they're both pretty strong drinks. Both are served over ice and both can include a simple syrup.

In this case, we made mint simple syrup to mimic the muddled mint in the Mint Julep, then added a dash of lime juice to bring out the margarita flavor. The combination of the bourbon and tequila took a little testing (hard work, but someone's gotta do it!) and we found that the ratio worked best with a bit more bourbon than tequila.

Make these Mint Julep Margaritas by the glass or multiply and make a pitcher—no one will be mad about it!

More Cinco de Derby Party Food Ideas

• A big batch of these Mint Julep Margaritas
• Pimento Cheese Nachos: Use pimento cheese in place of the queso
• Fried Chicken Bite Tacos: Build tacos with fried chicken and spicy slaw
• Mexi-Mac and Cheese: Make creamy mac and cheese with some chorizo and bell peppers
• Taco-ed Deviled Eggs: Whip the yolks with a little taco seasoning and top with a jalapeno
• Probably a second batch of these Mint Julep-ritas

And they're off! Ole!

Print Pin

Mint Julep-rita

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 oz bourbon
• 2/3 oz tequila
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 scant tablespoon mint simple syrup
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• lime wedge
• mint sprig

Mint Simple Syrup

• 1/4 cup water
• 10-15 mint leaves

Instructions

• To make the mint simple syrup: Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the mint leaves. Lightly press the leaves against the side/bottom of the pot to release the oils into the water. Let sit and cool for at least 30 minutes.
  
• In a cocktail shaker, add the bourbon, tequila, lime juice and mint syrup. Pour over a rocks glass with the crushed ice. Top with a lime wedge and mint sprig.