Most historians will tell you the Mint Julep was born in the American south in the early 1800s. But spirits historians Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown have traced the Julep back as far as the 15th century, and found some outstanding 18th Mint Julep recipes hailing from London, Edinburgh, and Dublin that feature some amazing "lost" ingredients. There is no question, as Irvin S. Cobb states in his "Recipe Book" that the Mint Julep evolved in the United States. What's surprising is that the Julep was simplified to create the modern drink we know today.