Brandy Julep

The word "julep" is older than the drink: it derives from the Persian gulab, meaning rosewater, and originally named a medicinal syrup-and-water mixture used in Britain to mask the taste of medicine. In Britain's American colonies, particularly Virginia, the term took on a new, more spirituous meaning by the late 18th century, becoming a mix of spirit, sugar, water, and mint rather than a remedy. Early versions used rum or brandy, with rum falling out of favor by the 1820s except as an aromatic float. Brandy, peach brandy, and various wines remained common, especially among African American bartenders such as John Dabney, who built a reputation on elaborate julep service.

Ice became more widely available in American bars in the early 19th century, and the julep, now served over ice, spread quickly across the country and abroad, helping popularize iced drinks generally. Whiskey was for a long time considered too low-status for what was seen as a refined, even aristocratic drink. When Jerry Thomas included the julep in How to Mix Drinks in 1862, he reserved the name "Mint Julep" for the brandy version, listing whiskey as a separate variation. That hierarchy reversed after the Civil War, as bourbon and other whiskeys took over the drink from the 1870s onward.