DERBY WEEKEND… SQUEEEEE. Ya’ll know what that means… FLAIR! Parties, fancy summer dresses, ridiculous HATS, spectacular / bourbon-flavored / fried / #superfatteningfoodthatgoesstraighttomyass / uh, great food… and Mint Juleps!

It’s a great excuse to fancy it up on all fronts, including at one’s personal diabetic bar. So I got fancy this weekend in honor of the Kentucky Derby, and in honor of Justify, who looked like he was on steroids and in honor of Mr. Dollar-sign Bob Baffert winning with another horse AGAIN (dude seriously… haven’t you won enough? there are some starving type 1 diabetics out there who could use some free CGMs or something at least, you know?).

The fancy Mint Julep (sparkly straw recommended for flair)

SUGAR FREE MINT JULEP WITH FLAIR (2 carbs)

Ingredients:

• Bourbon (get the good shit – this drink is centered around bourbon so don’t fuck it up with a cheap replacement)
• Stevia mint simple syrup
• Crushed ice (again, the ice made the drink so definitely try to stick to crushed ice for this recipe… and this time I went to Sonic and got a bag for $2 – less pretentious than Whole Foods and plenty of ice for everyone)
• Fresh mint
• Optional:
  • Seltzer water (recommended for those who aren’t a fan of straight up bourbon)
  • Limes
  • Other types of fruit to muddle in that pair well with bourbon, such as blackberries and pomegranate

Recommended steps:

1. Prepare your Stevia mint simple syrup about 1 day in advance of drink mixing (not required but recommended for better taste and so it’s cold). To make enough to serve about 12-15 drinks, I recommend the following steps:
   1. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of Stevia crystals (use between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup depending on level of sweetness you’re aiming for) into 2 cups of boiling water and stir until dissolved.
   2. Add a nice full cup of fresh mint leaves to boiling mixture and allow to continue boiling for approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   3. Pour mixture into container to cool using a sieve to strain out mint leaves, but before discarding press mint leaves down into the sieve to get all the last flavor/juice out.
   4. This stuff will keep for a while (~2 weeks) if you store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
2. Fill a medium-sized fancy glass with crushed ice
3. Add 2 oz bourbon
4. Add 1.5 oz Stevia mint simple syrup
5. Add about 1/4 cup of seltzer water if you don’t want a straight shot of sweet bourbon
6. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig
7. Optional: muddle in some fresh blackberries or pomegranate seeds, and/or add a couple of lime slices for added flavor
8. Optional: add flair with sparkly straws or other over-the-top decorations

A D4D Mint Julep with blackberry ready for the race