Julep

The word "julep" is French, but its true origin lies in two ancient Persian words: "gul," meaning rose, and "ab," meaning water. According to historians, "gulab" was originally a loose term for any punch made from fruit and water.

During the 15th century, English pharmacists classed the "julep" as a drink family of sweet drafts used to disguise the taste of unpleasant medicine.

Merely a mixture of water, sugar, and liquor, the julep was ennobled in literature by English poet John Milton's slight muse on the "cordial Julep" in 1634.

By the 18th century, juleps had become the morning coffee of many, with so-called doctors prescribing them as before-noon pick-me-ups best made with rum, whiskey, and brandy. At this point, Southern pundits were writing odes to the Mint Julep. But as Kentucky Derby Museum curator Candace Perry points out, sadly, such writing hasn't occurred since.