On mint juleps

Apropos of Nick Kindelsperger's post on the Julep, there's a great quote by H. L. Mencken:

A man who'd put rye in a julep would put scorpions in a baby's bed.

Personally, I dispense with the anachronistic silver cup and omit the simple syrup, just going with shaved ice, good bourbon and plenty of mint. There's one other funny quote which I read in an old book once (now forgotten) that I'll paraphrase:

To make the perfect Julep, one must rise early on a clear, dewy spring morning and gather mint from the garden. The sprigs must be pick't with the utmost delicacy, care being taken not to bruise the leaves. Finely shave some ice in a cool, dark spot, taking care not to let the shavings melt prematurely. Then, throw away the ice, the mint, and just drink the bourbon.