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The Kentucky Derby took place this past weekend, and many celebrated the most famous horse race of the year by enjoying a classic southern cocktail - the Mint Julep. But, you don’t have to be a southern belle or a Kentucky gentleman to enjoy a refreshing mint julep. You don’t even have to be interested in horse racing. And, if you’ve got your Missouri medical marijuana card, we’ve got a recipe that’s a THC-infused twist on this classic cocktail!
A Special Cocktail for a Special Event
The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, and has been for the past 83 years. Way back in 1939, this refreshing southern cocktail became the official drink of the race, but the history goes back even further than that.
Churchill Downs, where the derby takes place, was founded by a man named Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr. According to legend, he used to grow mint on the club grounds, making it a readily available ingredient. Many believe mint juleps have been served at Churchill Downs since the very first Kentucky Derby in 1875. There is a legendary story often told about the 1877 derby where a famous Polish actress accidentally drank an entire oversized mint julep intended to be shared by a large group of guests. Afterwards, she drank two more!
A Souvenir Cup Made it Official
When Churchill Downs began serving their mint juleps in souvenir cups in 1937, they became so popular that two years later they became the official drink of horse racing’s favorite event. These days, Churchill Downs sells 120,000 of their signature cocktails on Kentucky Derby weekend, going through 10,000 bottles of bourbon, and over 1,000 pounds of fresh mint.
The Drink of Presidents and Wordsmiths
Outside of the world of horse racing, Mint juleps have a rich history of being associated with notable names. Teddy Roosevelt was a fan of mint juleps, which were first introduced to Washington by Kentucky senator Henry Clay in 1850.
William Fauklner loved them, and during his time as a screenwriter, was often seen stepping behind a bar in Hollywood and making his own. F. Scott Fitzgerald romanticized them in his most famous novel, The Great Gatsby. Ernest Hemingway once famously got so mad about the inferior quality of a mint julep he was served that he smashed the glass to pieces by throwing it against a wall.
Ray Charles even topped the charts thanks to this famous cocktail. He covered a song titled One Mint Julep, which was originally performed by a group called The Clovers. His version of the song, which details someone getting in trouble after having much more than one, topped the charts in 1961.
A New Twist on an Old Classic
Our recipe is a little different than the traditional mint julep, because of our not-so-secret ingredient, THC. Cannabis is medicine, but there’s no rule that says you can’t have fun with how you enjoy your medical marijuana.
Here at Missouri Medical Marijuana card, we love sharing cannabis-infused recipes. Most of the time, if we’re cooking with cannabis, we use cannabutter to infuse our recipes. With a drink like this, we prefer using a THC-tincture.
If you are a do-it-yourself person, you may be interested in making your own. We’ve put together a starter guide for making your own THC extracts that you may want to check out. But, for an easier route, just pick-up an unflavored THC tincture at your nearest Missouri dispensary.
When it Comes to Medical Marijuana - Know Your Dose
Medical marijuana affects everyone differently, so you should choose the dose that’s going to allow you to get the most out of your cannabis experience. If you are just starting out using tinctures, we recommend starting low and going slow. We also recommend keeping a cannabis journal so you know how certain dosages are affecting you and are able to make adjustments accordingly.
There Is an Alcohol Free Option
If the reason a cannabis-infused mint julep appeals to you is because you’re looking to enjoy this drink without alcohol, we’ve got good news. The selection of non-alcoholic spirits has gotten a lot better over recent years. There are alcohol-free beverages that have similar body and flavor profiles to liquors available. We recommend The Spirit of Bourbon from Free Spirits. It embodies a classic Kentucky Bourbon while being completely alcohol free.
To make this cocktail without alcohol, simply choose this or another alcohol-free bourbon-inspired spirit and substitute it for the regular bourbon in our recipe.
Here’s How to Make a Medical Marijuana-Infused Mint Julep
We hope you’re ready for this! Here’s how to make a very special mint julep that is infused with the healing power of cannabis:
Ingredients:
2 ozs. Bourbon (Woodford Reserve or Old Forester tend to be the standards for this cocktail)
2 teaspoons of honey (more or less, depending on your desired sweetness)
2 fresh mint leaves
Crushed Ice
THC-Tincture (your preferred dosage)
A Mint Leaf for Garnish
Instructions:
Rub the mint leaf around the inside of your glass (either a julep cup or a highball glass). This breaks up the mint and allows the oils and essence to be released.
Place the mint leaf in the bottom of the cup
Drizzle the honey into the cup.
Pour the bourbon over the honey, and stir
Add a few drops (whatever dose best suits you) of a THC tincture, and stir.
Firmly pack the crushed ice into the cup.
Place a sipping straw through the ice.
Place a layer of loose ice on the top of the beverage, followed by a final splash of bourbon.
Garnish with an additional mint leaf.
Enjoy!
Racing for Relief?
You deserve relief, and if you’re ready to experience the many natural benefits that cannabis provides, all you need is a Missouri medical marijuana card. If you still don’t have your card, we can help you with that! Our doctors are standing by to take you through a quick and easy evaluation to see if you qualify. Schedule an appointment with a marijuana physician online by CLICKING HERE, or give us a call at (877) 303-3117 to talk to a patient support representative.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Missouri Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (877) 303-3117, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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