St. Patrick's Day Julep Cocktail

St. Patrick may have spent more time evangelizing than gardening, but he is known for using a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. HGTV honors the patron saint of Ireland with garden-fresh cocktails guaranteed to make you feel more Irish, no matter what nationality you are. 

Whether you're in Southern Ireland or Southern Georgia, a refreshing julep is a St. Pat's-ready cocktail with a touch o' green. At Southern Art Bourbon Bar in Atlanta, mixologist Clayton Livingston is serving up Fitzgerald's Julep this week, made with house-made mint syrup and Old Fitzgerald Bourbon.

Fitzgerald's Julep

• 1/4 oz house-made mint syrup (recipe below)
• 2 ounces Old Fitzgerald 1849
• Soda water
• Mint leaf

Place mint leaf in the bottom of a highball glass. Fill with ice, mint syrup and Old Fitzgerald. Top with soda water. If needed, give it a quick stir with a spoon to combine. 

House-made Mint Syrup

Yield: Approximately 1 liter

• 2 parts white sugar
• 1 part boiling hot water 
• 20-30 fresh mint leaves
• 2 green mint tea bags

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Adjust mint and sugar to taste. Let mixture sit and cool, about 3-4 hours. Once it's cool, strain into a glass container for storage.