Every May, when we hear the results of the Kentucky Derby, we say, “we should have made Mint Juleps”. I was ahead of the game this year. I looked up when the Kentucky Derby falls (the first Saturday in May).

That was last weekend. I actually remembered, at least before the race was actually run. So, I looked up recipes for Mint Juleps on the internet and picked up Kentucky bourbon, which isn’t something we usualy have on hand.

We weren’t drinking any water due to the major water main break on Saturday. This effects the city of Boston and nearly 30 suburban communities, including Lexington. We’re currently following a “Boil Water” order from the MWRA. It’s more complicated that I ever would have imagined. It’s definitely a wake up call. I’ll never take tap water for granted again. On the positive side, at least we have access to water, it’s not unavailable. This is a headache and an inconvenience. No water at all would be a crisis.

Basically, the tap water is not currently considered safe to drink. It’s fine for flushing the toilet and showering. It’s also OK to boil (for at least 1 minute) to then consume or use for other purposes. Surprisingly, it’s not OK for handwashing. We now have Purell next to all the sinks. It’s also not OK for washing dishes, even in the dishwasher. I set up a bleach solution in the sink for the recommended 5 minute soak. What a pain! The information on laundry has been contradictory, so I’m just waiting on that.

As of Monday morning, the break is reported to be fixed. They are doing water tests to be sure they can certify the water supply for human (and pet) consumption. Best case scenario would be clean water in 24 to 48 hours (Tuesday or Wednesday). Then we can deal with the equally long list of instructions on flushing the “bad” water from the pipes, on the way back to “normal”.

On Saturday, I made Mint Juleps as “cocktails” before dinner. I didn’t have those cool metal mint julep cups, so I used straight-sided pub glasses instead. I loved using my own mint from my herb garden. Well, we finally made mint juleps in honor of the Kentucky Derby. They were quite pretty, but unfortunately, they were AWFUL. So strong and alcoholic. They are probably more appealing to the hard liquor crowd. Definitely not appealing to Howard or to me.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the bottle of bourbon. Any suggestions?

We didn’t watch the race, but while we were sipping our drinks, we listened to the piece on the race on Only a Game, the NPR sports show. And, later, while we were still sipping our drinks, we heard that Super Saver had won the Kentucky Derby. Way to go!!!

If you want to try this yourself, here’s the recipe.

Mint Julep
Serves 1

5 springs of fresh mint (about 3 inches long), 1 reserved for garnish
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water
Crushed ice (I have one of those machines with a crank handle and a little metal cup to catch the ice. It’s awesome for all kinds of drinks.)
2½ oz Kentucky bourbon (I used Marker’s Mark)
Club soda

Remove the leaves from 4 sprigs of mint. In the bottom of a 8-12 oz straight-sided glass, muddle the mint leaves, sugar and water until mint leaves give off their oils and are fragrant. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Pour the bourbon over the ice. Top off with club soda. Garnish with the remaining sprig of mint. Serve with a straw.