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Back in the 1830s at Bent’s Fort in
southeastern Colorado, the favorite hot-weather drink, especially on
the Fourth of July, was the Hailstorm. Enjoyed by trappers,
voyageurs (traveling men employed by fur trade companies), Mexicans
and Native Americans alike, it is the earliest known mixed drink in
Colorado and was described in a number of journals of the early
West. The Hailstorm was originally made with either Monongahela
whiskey from Pittsburgh or a wheat whiskey from Taos, three hundred
miles to the south of Old Bent’s Fort.
-From The Fort Cookbook by Samuel P. Arnold
The Fort’s Hailstorm Julep
 3 oz. bourbon, scotch or cognac
2 tsp. sugar (confectioners’ sugar is best because it dissolves
easily)
2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice to fill one wide mouth pint Mason jar or julep cup
Place alcohol, sugar and mint in the jar and
fill with ice. Secure lid and shake vigorously 50 times. If using
a julep cup, just muddle it with a silver spoon, crushing the mint
against the ice and walls of the cup. The ice will bruise the mint,
releasing its flavor, and begin to melt to dilute the drink. When
well shaken, remove the lid and drink from the jar.
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