Georgia Julep
Cognac, peach brandy and mint over crushed ice. Jerry Thomas's 1862 julep of the South before bourbon — brandy and peach, mint and ice, and the oldest julep worth reviving.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Put the mint leaves and simple syrup in a julep cup and press gently to release the oil.
Add the cognac and peach brandy and fill the cup with crushed ice.
Stir until the outside of the cup frosts, then mound more crushed ice on top.
Garnish with a slapped mint bouquet beside a short straw.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry peach brandy is the 1862 flavour; a peach liqueur is sweeter, so drop the syrup.
- Crushed ice and a metal cup; the frost is the sign.
- Press the mint, do not shred it.
Common mistakes
- Peach schnapps, which is syrup.
- Bourbon, which makes a different and later drink.
- Cubed ice.
A few good questions.
What does a Georgia Julep taste like?
Cognac and ripe peach with cold mint — lighter and more fragrant than a bourbon julep.
What is peach brandy?
Traditionally a dry spirit distilled from peaches; today also a sweet liqueur. The dry one is the original.
Is it older than the Mint Julep?
The brandy julep predates the bourbon one; Jerry Thomas printed this in 1862.
Which cognac?
A VS; the julep does not need age.
Variations
- Mint Julep — Bourbon, mint and sugar over crushed ice.
- Gin Julep — Gin, mint and sugar.
- Brandy Smash — Brandy, lemon, sugar and mint.
- Fish House Punch — Rum, cognac, peach brandy and lemon.
Where it comes from
c. 1800s · Georgia, United States
The julep of the early nineteenth century was a brandy drink, and the Southern version added peach brandy — the eau-de-vie of Georgia’s orchards, distilled on plantations and one of the great lost American spirits. Jerry Thomas’s 1862 guide gives it as the Georgia Mint Julep: brandy, peach brandy, sugar and mint over shaved ice, no bourbon in sight. The peach brandy of the day was a dry spirit, not a liqueur, and its disappearance after Prohibition is why the drink vanished; the revival of real peach brandy (Peach Street, Catoctin Creek) in the 2010s brought it back. With cognac and a true peach brandy it is a lighter, more fragrant julep than the bourbon one, and with a peach liqueur it is sweeter and needs no sugar.
Sources
- Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks, 1862 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Georgia Mint Julep, 2012 (reference)
Strength. About 1.58 US standard drinks at an estimated 29.3% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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