1st Saturday in May

Tomorrow is derby day. In the spirit of the day, I offer the following:

Mint Julep

Simple Syrup

2 cup granulated sugar

2 cup water

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Simmer syrup, 5 minutes. Cool at room temperature.

The Julep. The following technique was perfected over the course of several weeks. It began with a party at my house in honor of HST, which at the request of friends and my kids went on for a month or so. Note: Kids did not drink juleps, they just enjoyed the air rockets. My son wants to celebrate "Hunter S. Thompson Day" every year.

Right. The Juleps.

• Make the simple syrup ahead of time.
  
• Take a few mint leaves and muddle them in the bottom of a julep cup (or a rocks glass) with a bit of simple syrup.
  
• Fill cup with shaved or crushed ice.
  
• Add bourbon to taste (two and half to three ounces, depending on your taste).
• Garnish with a mint sprig.
• Serve and enjoy.

Also, for your derby day enjoyment give this a read: The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved by Hunter S. Thompson

"There's going to be trouble," I said. "My assignment is to take pictures of the riot."

"What riot?"

I hesitated, twirling the ice in my drink. "At the track. On Derby Day. The Black Panthers." I stared at him again. "Don't you read the newspapers?"

The grin on his face had collapsed. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"Well...maybe I shouldn't be telling you..." I shrugged. "But hell, everybody else seems to know. The cops and the National Guard have been getting ready for six weeks. They have 20,000 troops on alert at Fort Knox. They've warned us--all the press and photographers--to wear helmets and special vests like flak jackets. We were told to expect shooting..."

"No!" he shouted; his hands flew up and hovered momentarily between us, as if to ward off the words he was hearing. Then he whacked his fist on the bar. "Those sons of bitches! God Almighty! The Kentucky Derby!" He kept shaking his head. "No! Jesus! That's almost too bad to believe!" Now he seemed to be sagging on the stool, and when he looked up his eyes were misty. "Why? Why here? Don't they respect anything?"

(Full Text)