Horses are poised, bets are on, hats are at the ready and the bourbon is standing by, ready to be poured into thousands of mint julep cocktails. It must be Kentucky Derby weekend.

America 's most famous horse race says more than 125,000 mint juleps are consumed at the annual two-day festival at Churchill Downs, in Louisville , Kentucky. According to its website, that requires about 10,000 bottles of Kentucky bourbon, 2,250 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 475,000 pounds of ice.

But you don’t have to be there in person to enjoy this classic cocktail. The julep — a simple mix of sugar, water, fresh mint, crushed ice and bourbon — is accessible and easy to recreate.

First, a little history

Mint juleps have been drunk at the Kentucky Derby since it began in the late 19th century, but they became its signature drink in the 1930s.…