Mint Julep (low-calorie)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 21.9% ABV ∙
This low-calorie Mint Julep is bourbon, fresh mint, and sugar-free sweetener syrup, shaken and served over crushed ice in a frosted julep cup. Crushed ice delivers a slushy, cooling texture while the shaken mint turns silky and fragrant against a clean, warming spirit backbone through a crisp, lingering finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Fresh mint leaves 12 pcsBourbon 50 mlSugar-free sweetener syrup 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 3 dashes
- Fine strain into the julep cup half filled with crushed ice
- Stir the drink with the crushed ice using a bar spoon
- Top up the cup with more crushed ice and stir again
- Garnish with a mint sprig
Tips
- Shake hard and briefly — long shaking bruises the mint and turns the drink grassy and dull.
- Pack the crushed ice in two additions, stirring each time, so the cup frosts fully before serving.
- Fine-strain out the spent mint leaves so only their aroma, not bitter fragments, reaches the glass.
History
This low-calorie Mint Julep is a modern adaptation created by a British drinks writer in January 2019, who reworked the classic serve by replacing sugar with a sugar-free sweetener syrup to cut its calorie count while keeping the same bourbon-and-mint framework.
The Mint Julep it adapts is a much older American drink, first referenced in print in 1803 by an English traveler who described Virginians drinking a mint-steeped spirit in the morning; it became linked with Southern plantation society and, by the 1800s, with Kentucky, eventually becoming the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. The low-calorie version keeps that bourbon-mint-crushed ice structure but swaps the traditional sugar syrup for a sugar-free sweetener, aiming for the same flavor with less sugar and fewer calories.
FAQ
How many calories are in this Mint Julep?
This low-calorie Mint Julep has about 117 calories per serving. It uses a sugar-free sweetener syrup in place of regular simple syrup, which is what keeps the count down compared with a classic Mint Julep.
What is a good cocktail while dieting?
A cocktail built with a sugar-free sweetener and no fruit juice or liqueurs, like this low-calorie Mint Julep, is a solid choice while dieting. At roughly 117 calories, it is also vegan, lactose-free, and keto-friendly, since it skips regular sugar entirely.
How do you make a Mint Julep with sugar?
A classic Mint Julep uses bourbon, fresh mint, and regular sugar syrup, muddled or shaken and served over crushed ice in a julep cup. This version replaces the sugar syrup with a sugar-free sweetener syrup to cut calories while keeping the same mint-and-bourbon build.
What are some common mistakes when making a mint julep?
The most common mistake is over-working the mint, which bruises the leaves and turns the drink bitter and grassy instead of fresh. Skipping the crushed ice pack-and-stir steps is another: without building the ice up in two additions, the cup never frosts and the drink dilutes unevenly.
