Let's Go Out Tonight: Minty Fresh — July 22, 2008

FOOD & DRINK

THE JULEP, DECONSTRUCTED A thousand pounds of mint are used to make the more than 100,000 mint juleps served during the weekend of the Kentucky Derby each May. Ever wonder how — or why — the mint julep became the Derby's official drink? One of the country's foremost mixologists and a former beverage director of the Library Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans, Chris McMillian, divulges the julep's history during tonight's installment of the American Museum of Natural History's Adventures in the Global Kitchen lecture series. A tasting follows, but if that only whets your whistle, stop in at the bar at Eighty One restaurant (45 W. 81st St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-873-8181) across the street from the museum. A seasonal cocktail, the Setting Sun, offers another take on bourbon, mixing Maker's Mark with blood orange purée, Cointreau, and a splash of lime juice. 6:30 p.m., AMNH, Linder Theater, Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5200, $20.