The Mint Julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States.
A mint julep is traditionally made of four ingredients: mint, bourbon, sugar and water. In the use of sugar and mint, it is similar to the mojito. Also along with the mojito, the mint julep is often considered as one of a loosely associated family of drinks called "smashes" (the brandy smash is another example), in which ingredients are muddled or crushed in preparation for flavoring the finished drink.
The origins of the mint julep are clouded and may never be definitively known. The drink is noted in an account written in 1804 by British traveler John Davis, who was visiting Virginia. However, Davis did not specify that bourbon was the spirit used. What is known for certain is that the mint julep originated in the southern United States, probably sometime in the 18th Century. U.S. Senator Henry Clay (Whig-Kentucky) introduced the drink to Washington D.C. at the Round Robin Bar in the famous Willard Hotel during his residence in the city. The word 'julep' is derived from the Persian 'julab' meaning rose water.
Traditionally, mint juleps were often served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. This allows frost to form on the outside of the cup.