Celebrate the Derby Like a Local
While you may not live in Kentucky, you can still celebrate “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports®” with Louisville style at the bar or at home. Wondering what are traditional Kentucky Derby drinks, food, and fashion? Check it out below!
THE RUN FOR THE ROSES IS ALL ABOUT THE MINT JULEP
For 150 years, horse racing fans have celebrated #DerbyDay and raised a toast to the winner with a frosty Mint Julep made with Woodford Reserve®, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby®.
[Fun fact: although served at the event since day one, the julep didn't become the official drink of the Derby until 1939.]
Learn More about the artist behind the design of the limited-edition ‘Adorned in Roses’ Bourbon Bottle Celebrating Churchill Downs' 150th Kentucky Derby and 25 years of partnership with Woodford Reserve Bourbon
WOODFORD RESERVE CLASSIC MINT JULEP RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon (or 2 oz. Unsweetened Iced Tea for Mocktail version)
- 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
- 3 Fresh Mint Leaves
- Crushed Ice
Preparation
Express the essential oils in the mint and rub them inside the glass. To the same glass, add remaining ingredients and crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with more ice, powdered sugar, and fresh mint sprig.
OLD FORESTER® PINEAPPLE JULEP RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1.5oz Old Forester 100 proof
- .5oz Diplomatico
- .25oz Pineapple liqueur
- .25oz Demerara syrup
- Handful of Mint
Garnish: Mint bouquet & Pineapple wedge
Preparation
Pack mint julep cup with crushed ice. In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients. Lightly bruise mint leaves with a muddler, strain contents into julep cup. Garnish with 3 generous sprigs of mint and a pineapple wedge.
HOW MANY MINT JULEPS ARE SERVED ON DERBY WEEKEND?
Each year, almost 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack. That’s a feat that requires more than 10,000 bottles of Old Forester Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.
The perfect drink for the sweet & tart Derby fan in your life
The Spire Cocktail or Mocktail
1.5 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon (or Unsweetened Iced Tea for Mocktail version)
2 oz Lemonade
1 oz Cranberry Juice
Preparation Add ingredients to mixing glass and stir. Pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
A True Classic From An Extraordinary Tequila Hacienda
Herradura Horseshoe Margarita
2 oz Herradura Silver Tequila
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz Agave Nectar
1 Lime Wheel for Garnish
Preparation Combine all ingredients and shake with ice to chill. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a half-salt rim and lime.
Kentucky Derby Food Favorites
As long as your Derby party menu includes pimento cheese, shrimp, Hot Browns served with something pickled, a pecan dessert and plenty of bourbon, you're definitely celebrating the Kentucky Derby like a local!
Popular Kentucky Derby Fashion
Guys, this is the one legitimate excuse to wear seersucker and a bow tie. Extra points for a fedora! Ladies, don't be afraid to wear a wild, wide-brimmed hat or a funky fascinator. This royal fashion statement is fun and not just for church or weddings.
SING ALONG TO "MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME"
Even if you're watching on TV, it's pretty amazing to witness and be a part of the relevry from the bar or your living room. In Kentucky there are three major traditions – Basketball, bourbon and horse racing.
So it makes perfect sense that the most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby, should feature the state’s official song, “My Old Kentucky Home.”
The Commonwealth of Kentucky adopted the song in 1928, but it was originally published in 1853 as “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!”
The song was written by Stephen Collins Foster, who is known as “the father of American music,” and is believed to have been inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In fact, Foster’s first draft of the song featured a working title of “Poor Uncle Tom, Good Night.”
Not only did the song’s title undergo a change before publication, but the lyrics of “My Old Kentucky Home” were altered in 1986. It’s unclear when it became the definitive song for the Kentucky Derby, but some report it was played as early as 1921 for the 47th running.