Note that I am not much of a cook, but I have been known to mix a few cocktails and have hosted a few cocktail parties. Here is a Mint Julep recipe that I think I have nearly perfected for larger batches, much easier when hosting a Kentucky Derby Party. This could easily be scaled down, would just end up with extra infused bourbon.

Need: Bourbon, Simple Syrup, Mint Leaves and crushed ice.
I used Makers Mark for this, it is a good but lower to medium priced Bourbon that is smooth. Of course Woodford Reserve would also be a great choice, but I had a few 1.75's of Makers on hand. I would not consider using a cheap bourbon.

Creating a mint infused Bourbon.
In a small bowl-
Add about 40 or so mint leaves.
then add about 3 oz of bourbon.
Let set for a solid 15 minutes.

After 15 or so minutes pull the mint out, leaving as much of the bourbon as possible in the bowl. Then take small portions of the mint and wringe/squeeze a bit over the bowl with bourbon and drop the mint in again. After you have added all the mint back to the bowl let set again for a bit. I do this process one more time, then let it set for about another 5 minutes and occasionally stir while I am preparing the below.

In a large mixing bowl, note that I only use glass items in this process, not a fan of plastics or metal in my prep work.
Add 3.5 cups of bourbon, then add 1 cup of simple syrup. Mix until the simple syrup dissolves.
Then add about 3 1/2 tablespoons of the infused bourbon, after mixing you should get a light mint aroma, not too heavy of a smell.

Put in an bottle and put in fridge overnight.

For the finished cocktail-
Take a 8 oz or so glass, add crushed ice to about 3/4 full. Pour Julep recipe over the top of the ice like a snow cone. Take a bar spoon and stir at a good pace until the glass (ideal world is a silver cup) begins to frost. You can add more ice after stirring if you wish. Add about three mint leaves for decor and dust with powdered sugar and you are good to go.

I also serve with a short wide straw.

I am presently working on mint infused rum for Mojito's to make it easier to make for parties. I am getting pretty close to getting this recipe down, most would say it is already very good but I am not yet satisfied.

Cheers,
Todd