While gins, rums and vodka’s, not to mention beers always get a lot of hype and love during the warm weather months, you cannot overlook local whiskey. While whiskey is great on its own as a shot, or simply a glass to sip on, whiskey can also be used to make some great hot weather drinks. Whiskey for example can make a hot afternoon more bearable with such drinks as a mint julep or a whiskey smash.
Mint Juleps are popular in the south, including in Austin, TX, especially considering the sheer amount of local whiskeys we get to enjoy in the ATX. Every year more than 80,000 mint juleps are served over Derby weekend at Churchill downs in Kentucky. Derby week is not to far away, in fact on Saturday, April 30 starts opening night for the derby. There is a reason why the Mint Julep is the drink of the derby, and why millions of them will be sipped across the county on derby weekend, and that is because the mint julep is the perfect hot weather drink.