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Home » Recipes » Beverages

Published: Aug 17, 2020 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Brown Sugar-Peach Mint Julep

Jump to Recipe
Two peach mint juleps on a wooden surface with fresh mint in the background and text overlay on top of the image.
Two peach mint juleps on a wooden surface with fresh mint in the background and text overlay on top of the image.

For a delicious twist on a classic bourbon cocktail, you'll love this brown sugar-peach mint julep. Made with a homemade dark brown sugar simple syrup and freshly muddled peaches, this summery mint julep is perfect whether you need a festive Kentucky Derby cocktail or a refreshing patio sipper on a warm night. No matter the occasion, you can’t go wrong with this peachy mint julep.

Two brown sugar-peach mint juleps with fresh mint sprigs and peach slices on the side.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Best Mint Julep Serving Glass
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Love Fruity Bourbon Cocktails?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Brown Sugar-Peach Mint Julep

Why You'll Love This Recipe

A classic mint julep always makes for a refreshing cocktail, but have you ever tried adding fruit? I tried my first fruit mint julep when I created this strawberry mint julep, and it was love at first sip.

Bourbon comes with caramel-like undertones, making it the perfect partner to brown sugar. Mint julep recipes typically call for white sugar, but the brown variety offers an unmatched depth and richness. Honestly, it makes me wonder why we haven’t defaulted to brown sugar this whole time.

To balance those complex flavors, fresh peaches handle the job nicely. Yes, peaches along with the mint are sweet, but the peaches also bring some acidity to the party. When all these elements come together, we’re left with summer’s best mint julep.

Bonus: If you love this recipe, make sure you also try my sweet tea mint julep!

Two peachy mint juleps on fabric with mint sprigs.

Ingredients

Before we start mixing, let’s get organized. Here are all the ingredients we need to make this peachy mint julep.

  • Bourbon
  • Dark brown sugar simple syrup
  • Chopped peaches
  • Crushed ice
  • Fresh mint

For the bourbon, we want to use a high-quality liquor. Mint juleps are strong drinks, especially in the beginning when the ice hasn’t melted much. Cheap bourbon will leave you questioning your life decisions.

That said, don’t feel like you need to break the bank. A mid-range priced bourbon makes one delicious mint julep. Think Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig, Stranahan’s, Four Roses or Woodford Reserve.

If you don't have dark brown sugar, you can substitute light brown sugar. I love the extra molasses you get with dark brown sugar and find it makes for a richer syrup. But you do you.

You may have noticed I specified crushed ice. Mint juleps always use crushed ice as opposed to cubes. The crushed ice continuously melts into the ice, keeping our bourbon cocktail extra refreshing and taking the edge off the bourbon.

We can use crushed ice from our ice maker, crush our own from whole cubes or grab a bag of the beloved Sonic crushed ice. I went the Sonic route because who isn’t obsessed with Sonic ice? Guaranteed crowd pleaser right there.

An aerial view of two brown sugar-peach mint juleps with a bar spoon on the side.

How to Make

Let's start mixing. We begin by making our dark brown sugar simple syrup to give it plenty of time to chill. To do this, we add equal parts dark brown sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Every so often, we give it a stir to make sure the sugar dissolves into a smooth mixture.

Once the sugar dissolves, the simple syrup is ready to chill. We can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks and use it for all sorts of cocktails.

After our simple syrup has a chance to chill, we add it to our serving glass with fresh chopped peaches and plenty of mint leaves and muddle. I like to add the peaches chopped rather than sliced because they break down more easily, so we don't have to worry about overworking the mint. Once the peaches release their juices, we add our bourbon with some crushed ice and then stir to both chill the bourbon as well as dilute it with melted ice.

After the initial stir, we add even more crushed ice. Traditionally, bartenders create a mound of crushed ice on the top of the cup, making for a pretty presentation, but as long as you fill it to the top, you’ll have plenty of ice. This may seem like a lot of ice, but as I mentioned, mint juleps are designed that way for continuous melting action.

As a finishing touch, we garnish with a peach slice and leafy mint sprig, but before we do that, we place the mint sprig in the palm of one hand and quickly clap our other hand on top of the mint. This releases the mint’s fragrance and makes for an even more enjoyable drinking experience.

Now grab your preppy seersucker suit or fancy hat and sip away.

The peach mint juleps with a bunch of whole peaches in the background on sheer fabric.

Best Mint Julep Serving Glass

Traditionally, mint juleps come in pewter cups. The cups are designed for holding on the bottom or the top, which allows a frost to form on the outside. This is great for keeping our cocktail cold and refreshing on even the hottest days.

However, with the pretty peach color, I opted for the same cup design but in copper. If you want to get matchy-match like me, you can pick up the copper mint julep cups on Amazon.

If you don't have classic mint julep cups, don't worry one bit. You can simply use an old fashioned or highball glass.

Because of the muddling, I recommend a heavy-bottomed glass if you go this route. If you only have more a delicate glass, you might want to muddle in a cocktail shaker, pour the contents into your serving glass and then build the mint julep from there.

Looking down on two peach mint juleps on sheer fabric with soft lighting in the background.

Perfect Pairing

Feeling peachy? Let's keep up those summery vibes with this bourbon-peach clafoutis, which nicely mimics the same flavors of our cocktail.

Or maybe you want something savory. In that case, try my prosciutto-grilled peach pizza with pesto. Prosciutto boasts a slight sweetness and silky texture that pairs with the bourbon.

For even more pairings, I teamed up with several other talented food bloggers to bring you a collection of Kentucky Derby recipes -- all of which are delightful with this fruity julep. For the complete list, please visit the Kentucky Derby party food recipes roundup on Wine a Little Cook a Lot.

For a festive Kentucky Derby celebration, I hope you try this brown sugar-peach mint julep.

Cheers!

Two brown sugar-peach mint juleps with a bar spoon and peach slices next to them.
A close-up view of the brown-sugar peach mint julep with fresh peaches.

Love Fruity Bourbon Cocktails?

  • Blueberry bourbon smash
  • Peach-maple bourbon smash
  • Gingered bourbon-apple cider cocktail
  • Cherry bourbon smash
  • Apple cider old fashioned

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

Two brown sugar-peach mint juleps with fresh mint sprigs and peach slices on the side.

Brown Sugar-Peach Mint Julep

For a delicious twist on a classic bourbon cocktail, you'll love this brown sugar-peach mint julep. Made with a homemade dark brown sugar simple syrup and freshly muddled peaches, this summery mint julep is perfect whether you need a festive Kentucky Derby cocktail or a refreshing patio sipper on a warm night. No matter the occasion, you can’t go wrong with this peachy mint julep.
5 from 71 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Calories: 238kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Jigger or small measuring cup
  • Muddler
  • Bar spoon

Ingredients

For Dark Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar

For Brown Sugar-Peach Mint Julep

  • 8-10 fresh mint leaves
  • ¼ cup diced peaches
  • 1 ounce chilled dark brown sugar simple syrup
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • Crushed ice
  • Fresh mint sprig for garnish
  • Peach slice for garnish

Instructions

For Dark Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

  • Add water and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Turn off heat once the brown sugar dissolves.
  • Allow to cool and then chill. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several weeks.

For Brown Sugar-Peach Mint Julep

  • In a mint julep cup or heavy-bottomed old fashioned or highball glass, add the mint leaves, peaches and dark brown sugar simple syrup. Muddle until the peaches break down and release their juice. 
  • Add bourbon and fill the cup halfway with crushed ice. Stir to chill and melt some of the ice. Fill the rest of the glass with more crushed ice. 
  • Take a mint sprig and place in the palm of one hand. Quickly clap the other hand on top to release its fragrance. Add as a garnish along with a peach slice. Enjoy!

Notes

  • For full tips, please see blog post.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Erica says

    June 16, 2021 at 8:11 am

    5 stars
    This was absolutely refreshing on this hot day! I love how the crushed ice kept everything nice and cold. Also, I adore those cups you used 😍

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 16, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Thank you! I just loved the copper with the peach.

      Reply
  2. Sara Welch says

    June 15, 2021 at 9:47 pm

    5 stars
    Love a sweet cocktail with a kick! We winded down with this tonight; it was too good to pass up and turned out so good!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 16, 2021 at 11:11 am

      I hope you loved it!

      Reply
  3. Eliza from BENSA Bacon Lovers Society says

    June 15, 2021 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    This is the most creative, gorgeous cocktail recipe I've seen. It's hotter than the blazes here in Denver, so I had to make this IMMEDIATELY. Loved it! Thank you for all the great tips and information, too.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 16, 2021 at 10:59 am

      Thank you so much! I'm also in Denver, and I can't get enough mint juleps right now -- so hot!

      Reply
  4. maryanne says

    June 15, 2021 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    You had me at bourbon and peaches! I made this for our last gathering, and everyone raved about it, especially the bourbon lovers. The brown sugar syrup added such a nice flavor with the peaches and bourbon.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 16, 2021 at 10:48 am

      Y'all will love it!

      Reply
  5. Gavin Sutherland says

    June 15, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Drank a few too many of these last night but despite that I'm already planning when to make my next batch as they were so good!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 15, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      Haha, I've certainly been there! So glad you enjoyed, though! It's good for the soul.

      Reply
  6. Beth says

    June 15, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! This drink is so refreshing and tasty! My hubby and I absolutely loved this over the weekend! So easy and perfect after along working day!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 15, 2021 at 4:05 pm

      So, so glad you both loved it!

      Reply
  7. Veronika says

    August 30, 2020 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    This is a perfectly refreshing drink for today's hot Sunday. I already had all the ingredients and made it tonight -- I'm a fan! Definitely worth making if you love bourbon.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:41 pm

      I hope it was super refreshing! I find it perfect for hot nights.

      Reply
  8. Debbie says

    August 29, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    5 stars
    Being from the southern Louisiana, I remember my father drinking mint juleps from my my Grandmother's silver chalices from a very young age. I have always adored the cool minty flavor of this refreshing beverage. The addition of peaches and brown sugar simple syrup was genius.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:39 pm

      Awww, I love when a recipe takes you back to a nice family memory. Hope you love it!

      Reply
  9. Leslie says

    August 29, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    5 stars
    What a great combination of flavors! My guests were so impressed when I whipped this up for them! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      I have no doubt they will!

      Reply
  10. Tammy says

    August 28, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    Such a lovely summer cocktail! It was refreshing and perfect for the final days of the season 🙂

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      Absolutely! I say we drink as many fresh peach cocktails as possible right now!

      Reply
  11. Kushigalu says

    August 28, 2020 at 10:47 am

    5 stars
    Such a refreshing and gorgeous cocktail this is. I love the twist you have given to the recipe. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:27 pm

      You’re welcome! The brown sugar and bourbon really add such a nice touch.

      Reply
  12. Kathryn Donangelo says

    August 27, 2020 at 10:25 am

    5 stars
    This brown sugar peach mint julep cocktail was such a delight. I've been on a peach kick lately and this hit the spot! SO glad I gave this recipe a try!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 31, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Thanks, Kathryn! That makes me so happy!

      Reply
  13. Bernice Hill says

    August 24, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    5 stars
    Since I keep a regular supply of bourbon handy, I made this tonight. It was a perfect Monday evening cocktail on the back deck!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 24, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      Sounds like the perfect way to enjoy a Monday evening!

      Reply
  14. Shelley says

    August 24, 2020 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    You just have such GREAT ideas! First of all, adding a fruit to the classic mint julep is just such a sweet, refreshing little twist. But brown sugar?!?! OMG yes! Since bourbon and brown sugar both have those caramel-y vibes, it's such a perfect match. My Derby Day celebrations will never be the same lol!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      August 24, 2020 at 6:48 pm

      Awww, thanks so much, Shelley! Really appreciate it. ?

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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