Mint Juleps

Sit on the front porch in your rocking chair on a sultry afternoon and sip on one or two of these. The proper way to serve a mint julep is in a frozen silver goblet, but you can use glasses instead--just use the most elegant ones you have! You can make the syrup ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for whenever the julep mood strikes. Recipe yield: 8 servings. INGREDIENTS: • 2 cups water • 2 cups white sugar • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves • 32 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon • 8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves 2. Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person's sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Trim straws to just barely protrude from the top of the cups. Serve juleps on a silver platter. Note: If you are using silver goblets, place them in the freezer for at least half an hour before serving. Handle frozen goblets with a clean towel, holding them by their edges, so as not to mar the lovely frosted surface.