Mint Julep con Limón – Cocktail or Mocktail

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups loosely packed mint leaves
• The juice and a little zest from 3 lemons (about 1/2 c lemon juice and 1 T zest)
• bourbon – if making Mint Juleps; ginger ale or tonic water – if making Mock Mint Juleps
• Mint leaves for garnish

Make the mint syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the water and sugar together until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves completely. Add 2 cups of the mint leaves to the syrup and allow the mint to steep as the syrup cools. When cool, strain (or pick) out the mint leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Refrigerate.

You’ll need a lot of crushed ice for this drink – enough to fill each glass almost to the top. We crush our ice in the blender.

Serve the drinks in cups or old-fashioned glasses. To serve mix the remaining cup of mint leaves into the crushed ice and fill each cup almost to the top with ice. Pour about 1/4 cup of the lemon syrup over the ice (more or less to taste). Add 2 oz of bourbon to each glass if making Mint Juleps; add Ginger Ale or Tonic water to each glass, if making Mock Mint Juleps. Stir a little and serve.