Mint Julep Garden Bar

Apr 07, 2026

Mint Julep Garden Bar

Elevate your Kentucky Derby watch party with a Mint Julep Garden Bar, a refreshing and interactive twist on the race’s most iconic cocktail. Created in partnership with CAFÉ™ Appliances and curated by New York Times bestselling author Caroline Chambers, this Derby-inspired experience allows guests to craft their own custom juleps with mint, berry, and peach syrups. Featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon, fresh herbs, and crushed ice, this elegant DIY cocktail station brings the timeless traditions of Churchill Downs to your home celebration with effortless sophistication.

Tips from Caroline

Set up a little mint julep garden bar with crushed ice, fresh herbs, and a few flavored syrups so guests can build their own perfect Derby drink — no muddling required.

Traditional juleps involve muddling mint, which is lovely when you’re making one drink… but chaotic when you’re hosting a party. So we’re skipping the muddling entirely and making a few simple syrups ahead of time instead. Guests can pour, stir, and sip without anyone standing at the bar smashing herbs for 20 minutes.

I like to make mint, berry, and peach syrups so everyone can pick their favorite — or mix and match. A splash of club soda at the end keeps things light and extra refreshing.

Tools:

• Small saucepan
• Blender
• 3 small bottles (for the syrups)
• Small plate or shallow bowl (for mint sugar)

Ingredients:

• 3½ cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 large bunches fresh mint
• 1 cup strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
• 1 ripe peach, chopped, or 1 cup frozen peaches
• 1 bottle bourbon (I like Woodford Reserve)
• Crushed or pebble ice
• Club soda or sparkling water
• 2 lemons

Method

1. Make a simple syrup by adding 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

2. Add a large handful of fresh mint leaves to the first jar. Pour about ⅓ of the warm syrup over the mint and let it steep while you prepare the other syrups.

3. Place the berries in a blender with ⅓ of the simple syrup and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the second jar.

4. Rinse the blender, then add the peach with the remaining ⅓ of the simple syrup and blend until fully pureed. Transfer to the third jar.

5. Let the syrups cool completely before serving.

6. To make the mint sugar, combine ½ cup sugar, zest from one lemon and 4 mint leaves in a shallow bowl. Use your fingers to rub everything together until fragrant, then remove the mint leaves and transfer the mint sugar to a small plate or bowl for rimming glasses.

7. Now the fun part! Set up the mint julep garden bar by placing the mint syrup, berry syrup, peach syrup, bottle of bourbon, club soda, crushed ice, lemon wedges, and mint sprigs together so guests can build their own drinks.

8. Once everything is set up, guests can build their drinks right at the bar. Here are two easy cocktail ideas using any of the flavored syrups.

Julep

• Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass and dip the rim into the mint sugar, if desired. Fill the glass with crushed ice.
• Add 2 ounces bourbon and 1 ounce flavored syrup of your choice (mint, berry, or peach). Stir until the glass becomes frosty.
• Garnish with a mint sprig (clap it between your hands first to release the aroma) and serve.

Bourbon Spritz

• Fill a glass with crushed ice.
• Add 2 ounces bourbon, 2 ounces flavored syrup of your choice (mint, berry, or peach), and the juice from one lemon wedge. Stir to combine.
• Top with 2 ounces club soda (or more if you prefer a lighter drink).
• Garnish with a mint sprig or lemon wedge and serve.

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CAFÉ curates customizable appliances that lets you reflect your personal style. Derby at Home Ambassador Caroline Chamber’s kitchen complements her everyday life, whether cooking, spending time with her family, or hosting a party. Shop Caroline’s CAFÉ kitchen.

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