South City Kitchen Serves Up a Georgia-Twisted Julep for Race Day (and you can, too!)

I don’t know about you, but I love a reason to dress up like I own a horse and spend two minutes yelling at a TV screen. Kentucky Derby Day is basically our Super Bowl of seersucker, and this year, South City Kitchen is giving us an extra delicious excuse to celebrate: a Peach Tea Julep that’s as Southern as it gets without requiring you to actually say “y’all.”

Forget your standard mint julep. Ian Mendelsohn, South City’s Director of Beverage Operations — and low-key wizard — decided we needed something a little less predictable, a little more Georgia. And let me tell you, this drink doesn’t just tip its hat to tradition. It yanks off the hat, hands you a peach, and says, “Relax, darlin’. We got this.”

Available at all four South City Kitchen locations on May 3 — yes, the day before the Derby itself because why not start early — the Peach Tea Julep is a refreshing, boozy crusher that blends fresh-brewed peach tea, two bold bourbons, and a house-made syrup so good it deserves its own trophy.

I asked for the recipe, and Ian kindly shared it. If you’re hosting a watch party, trust me: make a batch of these, and you’ll be the one crossing the finish line in first place.

Here’s how it comes together:

South City Kitchen Peach Tea Julep
Created by Ian Mendelsohn, Director of Beverage Operations

• 1.75 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
• 0.75 oz Rittenhouse Rye 101
• 0.5 oz Peach Tea Mint Syrup (recipe below)
• 6 dashes peach bitters
• Served in a classic julep cup
• Garnished with a hearty mint sprig and juicy peach slices

Method:
Add all ingredients into a julep cup and stir like you mean it. Keep adding crushed ice and stirring until the cup frosts over and feels like you’re holding winter in your hand. Top with more crushed ice (yes, even more), then crown it with mint and peach slices. Sip immediately and feel your worries dissolve into a puddle of peachy, bourbon-soaked bliss.

Now, about that syrup:
Good news — you don’t have to chase down a farm stand at dawn.

Peach Tea Mint Syrup

• 32 oz water
• 24 oz cane sugar
• 4 Celestial Peach Passion tea bags
• 10 grams fresh mint leaves

Syrup Method:
Bring the water to a boil, then steep the tea bags and mint for 10 minutes. Take out the tea bags, but let the mint hang out in the water for another 20 minutes. Strain it, add the liquid to a pot with the sugar, and warm it just until the sugar dissolves. Cool it down, bottle it up, and stash it in the fridge. (If you “sample” a little with a spoon while it’s cooling, I won’t judge.)

Why This Julep Just Hits Different

First, let’s talk about the bourbon backbone. Elijah Craig Small Batch brings that rich, caramel-heavy warmth we all secretly hope for in a julep, while Rittenhouse Rye 101 adds a peppery kick that reminds you this is not a drink for amateurs. (Bless their hearts.)

Then there’s the syrup. Celestial Peach Passion tea is the kind of nostalgic, fruity flavor that makes you think of front porches and fans spinning lazily overhead. Add the mint and you’ve got a syrup that feels like sipping summertime itself.

It’s not too sweet, not too heavy, and 100% designed for drinking under a giant hat while you yell, “Go, baby, go!” at a tiny horse you’ve never met.

Where to Find It (Or How to Fake It at Home)

You can grab the real deal at any of South City Kitchen’s four spots: Midtown, Buckhead, Vinings, and Avalon. They’ll be slinging these beauties on Friday, May 3, and trust me, they won’t last long once the word gets out.

If you’re the DIY type, the recipe is totally manageable at home. Pro tip: make your syrup a day ahead so it’s nice and cold, and don’t skimp on the crushed ice. You want that frosty julep cup so cold it gives you brain freeze just looking at it.

Better yet, batch the drink in a big pitcher (multiply the ingredients by however many friends you love enough to share bourbon with) and let guests pour their own into fancy little julep cups. It’ll feel like you rented out a private Derby box, minus the eye-watering price tag.

If you need me on May 3, I’ll be the one at South City Kitchen, julep in hand, pretending I put money on the winning horse.

(And yes, I’ll be wearing a hat.)