Mint julep illustration of how it is to be served) allowing for either Cognac, brandy, gin, whiskey or sparkling Moselle. Thomas states of the mint julep, "...a peculiarly American beverage...It was introduced [later] into England by Captain Maryatt." In 1916, the traditional Virginia recipe as served at the "Old White" is described Recently, however, bourbon-based juleps have decisively eclipsed gin-based juleps. The mint julep has been promoted by Churchill Downs in association with the Kentucky Derby since 1938. Each year almost 120,000 juleps are served at Churchill Downs over the two-day period of the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby, virtually all
Sweet tea major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States (due to the Japanese invasion and occupation of green tea producing regions), leaving them with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India which produced black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking predominantly black tea. Sweet tea was once consumed as a punch mixed with hard liquor with flavorings of mint and cream, with mint julep being a close version of the punch drink with its similar ingredients. In 2003, supposedly as an April Fool's joke, the Georgia House introduced a bill making it a "...misdemeanor of a