One Mint Julep Ertegun spelled backwards. The story line is a classic one of a man who falls for the charms of a young woman only to realize a few years later that he has a ring on his finger. He remembers that it all started with "One Mint Julep." The last verse outlines the trap. This is one of many popular R&B drinking songs to come out of the 1940s and 1950s. It was the first of several successful up-tempo drinking songs by Toombs, who went on to write and compose "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" for Amos Milburn, "Fat Back
One Mint Julep away from the sentimental lyrics of the romantic doo-wop group songs and adapting a cooler group style, emphasizing rhythm more, nearing the style of a jump blues combo. Toombs had been hired by the Atlantic Records label to write and compose humorous up-tempo rhythm and blues novelty songs. Atlantic wanted material that was true to life, but also funny. The humor in this song comes in part from the idea of a young black man getting drunk on mint juleps, traditionally thought of as an aristocratic southern white woman's drink. The Atlantic B-side was "Middle of the Night" by "Nugetre",