What to Drink for Kentucky Derby Day Instead of a Mint Julep
Editor’s note: The mint julep is the traditional Derby Day tipple and while we love it, we also found other ways to celebrate the annual “Run for the Roses” with these equine-inspired elixirs. For mint julep lovers, we’ve included a few twists on the classic recipe.
Pull out your fascinators, frilly hats and fancy dresses and press those seersucker suits: The 147th Kentucky Derby is on and scheduled for May 1, 2021. Unlike the 2020 Derby, which was postponed and then went on in September without spectators in the stands, this year’s event will have more of the pomp and pageantry--albeit in a reduced capacity, socially-distant way. Whether you are watching it at home on television or hosting or heading to a Derby gathering with your covid pod or fellow vaxxed friends and family, you’ll want to sip something inspired by the strong, fast, gorgeous creatures who are the stars of this beloved leg of the Triple Crown. You can best that these Bourbons, wines and cocktails are surefire crowd pleasers:
Pinhook Bourbon
The name of this American whiskey brand launched in 2010 is a reference to the practice of buying yearling horses at auction, training them and reselling them when they are two-years-old and ready to race. The company was launched in 2010 with stores of twenty barrels purchased from MGPI; today spirits are aged, blended and bottled at Castle & Key in Frankfort, Kentucky. Each year, they release a new vintage of Bourbon and rye meant to showcase the best representation of their barrels and named for a promising young thoroughbred. Co-founder and master blender Sean Josephs says the tie-in to horses evolved organically when the team started traveling to Kentucky to check on their barrels. Jamie Hill, an old high school friend of fellow co-founder Jay Peterson, also operates a pinhooking operation and Bourbon Lane Stable, the racing arm of his business. “Successful pinhooks--much like whiskey--are made on instinct, experience, an appreciation of quality, a little luck, and a lot of patience,” Josephs says. “Pinhook was founded with an ethos of transparency around how we acquire our distillate, and calling our Bourbon Pinhook is a way of letting folks know that we are not distillers and proud of sourcing and blending [our] whiskey.” For the labels, selected horses are hand- drawn by Noli Novak of The Wall Street Journal, with other elements reminiscent of the bright colors and bold geometry of jockey’s silks. Hard Rye Guy is the 2021 flagship rye, with aromas of apricot, cinnamon and eucalyptus and a palate of candied licorice, caramel and orange peel; Bohemian Bourbon is the 2020 flagship Bourbon, with hints of candied pecans, tropical fruit and wet stone.
Woodford Reserve Bourbon
In 1999, this brand was named the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby--the first time Churchill Downs endorsed a Kentucky Bourbon. Since that time, Bourbon fans and collectors anxiously await the release of the yearly commemorative Derby bottle. This year’s design, created by former Atlanta Braves baseball player and Louisville artist Richard Sullivan, depicts a watercolor image of thoroughbreds thundering down the stretch; it’s a complement to one he also designed last year. “Each has featured unique artwork with the date and number in a limited quantity, a sure recipe for collectibles,” says master distiller Chris Morris. “Combined with the prestige of Woodford Reserve and the fact that the artwork is unique to the bottle and not used across other Derby items make the bottle a much sought-after item.” Sip it solo, with water or ice or in a Woodford Spire mixed with lemonade and cranberry juice while watching the Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports--which Morris is excited to be doing in person this year.
Blanton’s Bourbon
When it was first released in 1984, this spirit was the first single-barrel Bourbon commercially available; today it’s one of the most coveted brands of Bourbon, with appealing notes of baking spices and vanilla balanced with corn sweetness and an unctuous caramel-tinged mouth feel. Each bottle is topped with a stopper depicting a horse and jockey in various positions of motion. There are eight different stoppers in all, each of which is adorned with a letter. If you collect all of the letters and line them up in order, they spell out Blanton’s; online sites like Etsy are filled with creative ways to display these stoppers on a back bar or shelf. “It depicts all the iterations of a horse race, with the last jockey raising his arms in victory,” explains master distiller Harlen Wheatley. “It connects the horseracing industry to our Bourbon and helps [people] remember and think of an enjoyable trip to the track while sipping on some of the best Bourbon cocktails.” Wheatley is raising a glass this year to the vaccine and other efforts that have gone into fighting the pandemic, and looks forward to literally getting things back on track at Churchill Downs.
14 Hands Winery
The expressions in this Yakima Valley winery’s portfolio are inspired by the unbridled spirit of the wild horses that used to roam the eastern part of Washington state, drinking and grazing along the Columbia River. The name is a reference to their height, measured in the width of a palm--14 of them, to be exact. “With the fruit from tenacious vines grown in this area, our wines are handcrafted into approachable, fruit forward reds and crisp, juicy whites that are laced with the legend of the region,” according to winemaker Keith Kenison. For Derby parties, he suggests pairing the lively apple and citrus notes in their Columbia Valley Brut with tangy pickled shrimp developed eggs, the delicate strawberry, melon and peach notes in the rosé with flatbread topped with peach, country ham and arugula, and the fruit-forward Run Wild Juicy Red Wine Blend with Bourbon pulled pork and pimento cheese grits served in individual ramekins. The richness of a canapé version of Kentucky Hot Brown, a dish made famous at the Brown Hotel in Louisville that tops white bread with turkey, bacon, tomato and melted cheese, is foiled by the crisp and fresh character of their Brut Rosé.
Cocktail Recipes
Run for the Roses
Recipe courtesy of Sara Bradley, Chef / Owner, Freight House, Paducah, Kentucky
Inspired by the nickname for the Kentucky Derby and the event’s official flower, this drink contains a syrup made with demerara sugar and rose water. Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular varieties, with a taste that straddles a lemon and orange; if you can’t find them, either use regular lemons and add a little more syrup if desired, or use a mixture of lemon and freshly-squeezed orange juice.
1 ½ oz. Old Forester Rye Whiskey
¾ oz. rose syrup (see note)
½ oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz. chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
Add the rye, rose syrup, lemon juice and bitters to a mixing glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe, top with Champagne and gently stir.
For the rose syrup:
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup demerara sugar and ½ cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat, let cool and add 2 tablespoons of rose water. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Out of the Gate
Recipe courtesy of Emily Heyde, Co-Owner, Fork & Barrel, Louisville, Kentucky
This Mint Julep / Bourbon Sour mashup gets a whiff of florality and balanced sweetness from elderflower liqueur. If you want to lengthen and lighten the drink, add a splash of club soda.
1 ¼ oz. Mellow Born BIB Bourbon
¾ oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz. grapefruit juice
½ oz. lemon juice
Mint sprig, for garnish
Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a goblet over fresh ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.
14 Hands Sparkling Pineapple Mint Julep
Recipe courtesy of Sarah Tracey, writer and wine educator, The Lush Life
This gin-based riff on the classic mint julep tops the drink with chilled sparkling wine to lend effervescence and vibrance. Pineapple preserves are an unexpected tropical alternative to sweetening the Julep with plain old simple syrup,
1 ½ oz. gin
1 tbsp. pineapple preserves
7 mint leaves
5 oz. 14 Hands Columbia Valley Brut, chilled
Mint sprig and slice of fresh pineapple, for garnish
Combine the preserves and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add the gin and ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled. Pour mixture into a tall or Collins glass, top with Brut and garnish with a mint sprig and pineapple.