Garden & Gun, widely known as the authority on Southern culture, in partnership with Maker's Mark® and Bourbon Country®, announces Mint Julep Month® (April 4 to May 4)—a campaign that celebrates the mint julep beyond one day of horse racing. Mint Julep Month® was started in 2013 by Louisville Tourism to honor the famous bourbon cocktail and encourage excitement throughout the city and along the Urban Bourbon Trail leading up to Derby season. This year, participants are encouraged to drink better mint juleps for a better world by ditching single-use plastic straws and supporting water cleanup initiatives organized by Maker's Mark.

For thirty days, hundreds of bars and restaurants across the nation will join Garden & Gun, Maker's Mark, and Bourbon Country® in toasting Mint Julep Month® with custom cocktails and special events. This year's campaign festivities kick off with an invitation-only event in New York City, featuring original twists on the mint julep cocktail created by four distinguished bartenders from D.C., Illinois, South Carolina, and Texas. The celebration continues at participating bars, restaurants, and establishments across the country that will serve limited-edition julep cocktails throughout the month, counting down to Derby season's 145th year. Learn more at mintjulepmonth.com.

THE CAUSE:

Mint Julep Month participants are encouraged to help Maker's Mark create environmental change by eliminating the use of plastic straws in their drinks and replacing them with sustainable alternatives. Beyond the straw alone, Mint Julep Month signals the start of Maker's Mark's ongoing 'Cocktails for Cleanups' initiative to remove trash from the world's oceans and waterways, in partnership with outdoor brand United By Blue. Through consumer engagement during Mint Julep Month and organized group cleanups, Maker's Mark will remove up to 75,000 pounds of trash from the world's waterways in 2019.

"The mint julep cocktail relies on natural, clean water in more ways than one, starting with our bourbon itself, which I personally like to describe as 'nature distilled,'" says Rob Samuels, Maker's Mark Chief Distillery Officer. "Beginning with naturally limestone-filtered water sourced directly from the spring-fed lake here at our distillery, water is at the heart of everything we do at Maker's Mark. That's why we're so excited that Mint Julep Month will allow us to clean up waterways across the country, all while enjoying one of our favorite classic cocktails."

All season long, fans can support the brand's effort to create change by posting an image of their favorite Maker's Mark mint julep on social media with the hashtag #CocktailsForCleanups. Learn more at makersmark.com/cleanups.

"Each issue of Garden & Gun celebrates the best of Southern food and drink, and the title of the magazine is truly a metaphor for our love of the land and the conservation ethic that's born of the sporting lifestyle," says Christian Bryant, Garden & Gun vice president and publisher. "We are proud to join efforts with our Mint Julep Month partners Maker's Mark and Bourbon Country to underscore that messaging while supporting the cleanup of the world's oceans and waterways."

THE HISTORY OF THE MINT JULEP:

The mint julep is a classic cocktail made with quality Kentucky bourbon, crushed ice, sugar, and fresh mint, and is in many ways a symbol of Southern hospitality, heritage, and culture in cocktail form. The iconic drink dates back to the late 1700s, and as early as 1816, the now famous silver julep cups were awarded as coveted prizes at county fairs in Kentucky. In 1938 Churchill Downs in Louisville named the cocktail the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, where over 120,000 mint juleps are consumed on Derby weekend each year.  

The humble straw, invented specifically for use in that illustrious mint julep, is every bit as iconic as the cocktail itself. Unfortunately, the paper straws of the 1800s have evolved into the modern plastic straws that contribute heavily to plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways. It's believed that America now uses over 500 million plastic straws each day, for juleps and otherwise. Though straws are just part of the world's plastic problem, eliminating them is the first step in creating better cocktails for a better world.

SPECIAL EVENTS IN NEW YORK CITY, CHARLESTON, AND AUSTIN:

On Thursday, April 4, Mint Julep Month® will kick off with an event at Simon & the Whale at Freehand New York. Four bartenders from D.C., Illinois, South Carolina, and Texas have crafted original cocktail recipes inspired by the traditional julep. The featured cocktails will be served alongside a Southern-inspired menu during the party.

Mint Julep Month® wraps up Saturday, May 4, with Kentucky Derby viewing parties at Tradd's in Charleston, South Carolina, and at Launderette in Austin, Texas.

HOW BARS CAN PARTICIPATE IN MINT JULEP MONTH:

Mint Julep Month® takes place from April 4 to May 4. Visit mintjulepmonth.com to register your business as a partner and search for participating bars and restaurants in your city.

FEATURED BARTENDERS + ORIGINAL JULEP RECIPES:

• CARTHUSIAN julep cocktail created by Jayce McConnell. McConnell is the head bartender at Edmund's Oast inCharleston, South Carolina.
• GOLDEN GAIT julep cocktail created by Alex Negranza. Negranza is the operations director at Tongue-Cut Sparrow in Houston, Texas.
• BLESS YOUR HEART julep cocktail created by Kristina Magro. Magro is a bartender at Sportsman's Club in Chicago, Illinois.
• SPARKLEBERRY julep cocktail created by Darlin Kulla. Kulla is the beverage director at Succotash in Washington, D.C., owned by Louisville-based chef Edward Lee.

The featured bartenders' original recipes and complete how-to videos can be found on the official Mint Julep Month website at mintjulepmonth.com/signature-cocktails/.

About Garden & Gun

Garden & Gun is a multiplatform media company that celebrates stories of the American South through powerful journalism, bold photography, exquisite design, and finely curated retail and experiential journeys. The brand is anchored by its award-winning national magazine launched in 2007, Garden & Gun, which reports on the South's sporting culture, food, music, art, literature, and its people and their ideas. The coveted audience of 1.6 million is further engaged through the brand's Whole Hog podcast, numerous New York Times best-selling books, Fieldshop by Garden & Gun retail experience, the Garden & Gun Club restaurant at the Battery Atlanta, and 75+ events each year. Visit gardenandgun.com.

About Maker's Mark® Bourbon

In 1954, in Loretto, Kentucky, Bill Samuels, Sr., fulfilled his dream to create a handmade and delicious bourbon. He decided to make his whiskey in small batches, using soft red winter wheat, with a proprietary barrel char to enhance the softness and sweetness. He then rotated each barrel by hand for consistency, and finally, aged each barrel to taste. Bill Samuels, Sr., transformed bourbon from a "commodity" into a premium handmade spirit, and today Maker's Mark® continues to make its bourbon exactly the same way. In recent years, Maker's Mark has introduced thoughtful, super-premium innovations to its portfolio including Maker's 46®, Maker's Mark® Cask Strength, and Maker's Mark Private Select®, the brand's first-ever custom barrel program. In 1980, the Maker's Mark distillery became the first distillery in America to be designated a National Historic Landmark and has also been decreed as the "world's oldest operating bourbon whiskey distillery" by Guinness World Records. It remains one of the Commonwealth of Kentucky most popular tourist destinations, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. For more information, visit makersmark.com.

About Bourbon Country

Bourbon Country is the birthplace of America's only native spirit. While bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, over 95 percent of the world's supply comes from Kentucky, where it has been part of the culture and lifestyle of the region for over two hundred years. Lonely Planet recently recognized Kentucky's Bourbon Country as one of the top destinations to visit in 2018. A visit to the Kentucky cities and towns producing bourbon and celebrating the spirit in tours, retail, culinary and cocktail experiences, and unique accommodations can be planned at bourboncountry.com.

Source: PRNewswire

Image Source: PRNewswire