The original Mint Juleps were made with peach brandy, a Southern staple prior to the Civil War, well before the rise of bourbon in the South. The peach brandy gives this cocktail a mildly fruity quality with a bourbonesque background – the brandy is aged in toasted barrels, after all. When the Derby rolls around, we make the Peach Julep instead of its more modern cousin, and we always sweeten it with Big O Ginger Liqueur instead of simple syrup for a gently spicy finish.