Glassware

Julep Cup

A julep cup is a straight-sided metal beaker of stainless steel, silver, silver plate or pewter, 41cl in Urban Bar’s own listing and 40cl for its steel cups. With crushed ice churned in it, the metal chills fast enough for frost to form on the outside, the sign that a julep is cold. It is the cup for the Mint Julep and our Jerry Can Julep, and it suits a Sherry Cobbler or a swizzle.

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An empty brushed stainless steel julep cup with a beaded foot and beads of condensation on its outside, on a white background.

The tool

About the Julep Cup

Metal Carries the Cold to the Outside

Glass is a poor conductor of heat, so a tumbler full of crushed ice stays merely cool on the outside and mists over. Stainless steel carries heat many times faster, and silver faster still.

Once crushed ice and drink are churned in it, a metal cup's outer surface falls under 0°C. Moisture in the air freezes onto it, and the cup turns white with frost.

Fingers Off the Frost

Fingers on the body of the cup warm it and leave a print in the frost. Hold a julep cup by the rim and the foot so the frost can form and stay.

Packed, Churned and Topped Up

Our Mint Julep is built in the cup: mint pressed gently in sugar and water, crushed ice packed in, bourbon poured over and churned with a bar spoon for 20 to 30 seconds. The ice settles, so pack more on top in a dome.

The Jerry Can Julep stirs spiced rum briefly through pressed mint and syrup, then crushed ice goes in, and a dash of Angostura goes over the top.

A julep cup against other vessels for crushed-ice drinks (cup sizes from Urban Bar’s listings; rocks glass from our shop)

Stainless steel julep cup

Usual size: 40cl (Urban Bar)
On the outside: Frosts quickly
Care: Dishwasher-safe; hand washing keeps the finish

Silver or silver-plated cup

Usual size: 41cl (Urban Bar’s Julep Cup)
On the outside: Frosts fastest
Care: Hand wash and polish

Pewter cup

Usual size: Sizes vary; our guidance 30cl or more
On the outside: Frosts
Care: Hand wash; lead-free only

Rocks glass

Usual size: 26cl (our shop)
On the outside: Mists over
Care: Dishwasher-safe

Vessel	Usual size	On the outside	Care
Stainless steel julep cup	40cl (Urban Bar)	Frosts quickly	Dishwasher-safe; hand washing keeps the finish
Silver or silver-plated cup	41cl (Urban Bar’s Julep Cup)	Frosts fastest	Hand wash and polish
Pewter cup	Sizes vary; our guidance 30cl or more	Frosts	Hand wash; lead-free only
Rocks glass	26cl (our shop)	Mists over	Dishwasher-safe

Steel Is Practical, Silver Is Traditional

Stainless steel is the practical choice: cheap, tough and quick to frost, and it is the cup the IBA names. Silver frosts faster and is the traditional metal, at the cost of polishing.

Pewter is another option. Buy modern pewter sold as lead-free, and keep antique pieces for the shelf.

Using it

Using the Julep Cup

Usage

Crushed-ice drinks: the Mint Julep and the Jerry Can Julep, the Sherry Cobbler and swizzles. For a Mint Julep, pack crushed ice into the cup, churn the bourbon through it with a bar spoon for 20 to 30 seconds until the outside turns white, then mound more ice over the rim.

Pro Tip

Put the empty cup in the freezer for a while before building. A cold cup frosts quickly once you start churning, and the frost holds better in a warm room.

Professional Tips

Crushed ice goes in right to the top before you churn.
Grip the rim or the foot, keeping your palm off the frost.
Stand the mint bouquet beside a short straw, so the nose meets the mint.
Top up and re-pack the ice once the first lot settles.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A rocks glass. Our Mint Julep and Jerry Can Julep recipes both allow one; you get the same drink, though the glass mists over rather than frosting. Fill it as tightly with crushed ice.

Premium Option

A sterling silver or heavy silver-plated cup. Silver carries cold faster than steel, so it frosts quickly, and it is the traditional metal for a julep; it needs hand washing and polishing.

Specifications

Material
Stainless steel, silver, silver plate or pewter
Capacity
40 to 41cl in Urban Bar’s listings
Details
Straight or slightly tapered sides, a rolled rim and often a beaded foot

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More to explore

Common Questions

What is a julep cup made of?

Usually stainless steel, which is cheap, tough and frosts well; the IBA's Mint Julep names a stainless steel cup. Silver is the traditional metal; pewter is another option. Silver plate looks like silver at first but wears through at the rim with use.

Why do julep cups frost?

Crushed ice churned with the drink chills the metal past freezing point. Moisture in the air then freezes onto the outside as frost, where a glass would only mist over. Metal carries the cold to its outer surface far faster than glass, which is why the frost forms in under a minute.

Can you use a julep cup for other drinks?

Yes, for anything built on crushed ice: a Sherry Cobbler, a swizzle, or a julep made with rum or brandy. It suits drinks meant to be very cold and sipped slowly. Avoid hot drinks, which make the metal too hot to hold, and drinks served up, which need a stem.

How do you care for a julep cup?

Hand wash it, then dry it at once so water does not spot it. Keep silver, silver plate and pewter out of the dishwasher. Stainless steel can take a dishwasher cycle, though hand washing keeps the finish longer.

What size is a julep cup?

Urban Bar’s cups are listed at 40 and 41cl. A Mint Julep holds only about 70ml of liquid: 60ml of bourbon plus a little sugar and water. Crushed ice fills the rest of the cup, heaped over the rim. Much under 300ml and the ice has nowhere to go.

Do I need a julep cup to make a Mint Julep?

No. A rocks glass full of crushed ice makes an identical drink; the glass mists over rather than frosting. The cup adds the frost and a colder rim against the lip, and many people like the ritual of it.

How do you hold a julep cup?

At the rim or the foot. Fingers wrapped round the body warm the metal and melt a print into the frost, and the frost is what tells you the drink is cold. A cup with a foot gives your fingers somewhere to go.

Is pewter safe to drink from?

Modern pewter sold for food and drink is lead-free and safe. Antique pewter may contain lead; keep old cups for display rather than drinks. If a cup is not marked or sold as lead-free, choose stainless steel instead.

Sources.

Checked between 18 October and 20 October 2026.

Urban Bar, “Julep Cup 41cl”.
Urban Bar, “Tiki Stainless Steel Julep Cup 40cl”.
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (David Wondrich), “The julep” (secondary source: Virginia 1770 poem; the 1787 definition; ice first attested in 1807; Mint Julep a southern ritual with silver cups; Churchill Downs’ official drink in 1938).
Jerry Can Spirits shop, “Club ICE Tumbler, 26cl”.
Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs), “The Mint Julep: official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby” (the Derby’s own page: the official drink for almost a century; an official julep glass).

Make something

Made with the Julep Cup

Used In These Cocktails

Sherry Cobbler Mint Julep Jerry Can Julep Whiskey Smash

Related Equipment

Updated 20 October 2026

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