The Long Beach Post is here to help, and this week we are publishing a series of videos ahead of New Year’s Eve on how to make our favorite drinks.

Today, reporter Jason Ruiz teaches us how to make a Mint Julep:

The Mint Julep is a fantastic summertime drink. It’s packed with ice and bourbon and mint and can cool you down even when you live on the second floor of a 50-year-old Long Beach apartment building with no air conditioning and wall-to-wall carpet. That’s where I first discovered it on a sweltering August evening years ago.

Like many classic cocktails, it has a simple recipe; two parts bourbon, one part simple syrup, and mint. Unlike any other cocktail, it’s the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby. One critical step in making this cocktail is to make sure you muddle the mint into the syrup to really release those minty flavors. Then give it a while in a bar shaker and pour into a Julep cup.

A Julep cup is not what was used in this video, but if you don’t have one handy you can substitute a copper mule mug. The point is to keep the drink colder for longer.

The kind of bourbon you use is up to your preference. I like Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace or Maker’s Mark, but the truth about any cocktail is that it’s made best when you make it with the brand of booze you enjoy. Cheers!