Whether you are lucky enough to be among the throngs at Churchill Downs, or have decided to watch the race from the comfort of a local off-track betting facility, it's necessary that you're sipping a classic mint julep before, during, and after the race.
But remember, the mint julep isn't just a drink, it's a ceremony:
The preparation of the quintessence of gentlemanly beverages can be described only in like terms. A mint julep is not the product of a FORMULA. It is a CEREMONY and must be performed by a gentleman possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion. It is a rite that must not be entrusted to a novice, a statistician, nor a Yankee. It is a heritage of the old South, an emblem of hospitality and a vehicle in which noble minds can travel together upon the flower-strewn paths of happy and congenial thought.
Check out the entirety of the ceremony as written by S.B. Buckner, Jr. in 1937.
