Not only useful for making mint juleps, mint syrup is also delicious when spiked in a cold glass of iced tea or drizzled over ice cream. (MORE: Seasonal Lemonade Recipes For March) ...

8-10 mint leaves, depending on their size and potency, plus more for garnishing 1/2 ounce maple syrup 2 ounces bourbon (I used bottled-in-bond, since crushed or pellet ice melts pretty quickly) ...

Don’t over-muddle the mint, or you’ll end up with a bitter drink. Add the simple syrup (see recipe below to make your own – much preferred – store-bought just isn’t that good).

Mint Syrup Makes 2 8-ounce bottles 2 cups water 1 cup sugar ½ cup mint leaves 1. Place the water in a stainless-steel pot. Set over low heat.

When my garden is overflowing with mint, which happens to grow like a weed, I can never resist harvesting a bunch for this sweet treat. Make a large batch of mint syrup before your Kentucky Derby ...

Allow to steep for 20 minutes and remove the mint leaves. (If you leave the mint leaves too long, the syrup becomes bitter.) When the mixture is cool, pour through a funnel into the prepared bottles.