Julep

A Julep was an ancient medicinal solution used in France in the 1600s. It became a drink in Virginia in 1784 and was mainly consumed by sugar plantation workers. The first recipe for a ‘Mint Julep’ with brandy appears in 1833 in Transatlantic Sketches, by Captain J.E. Alexander. In 1862, the master bartender Jerry Thomas suggests using cognac for the Mint Julep in How to Mix Drinks.