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!
Mint Julep-rita
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.
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