As we approach the 140^th running of the Kentucky Derby I felt it wise to explore the celebration and the cocktails that are so integral to this venerable event. The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May every year. It is known as the “fastest two minutes in sports” or the “most exciting two minutes in sports”, so why are two minutes so celebrated? It’s not just two minutes; it is actually a two week festival culminating with a two minute race. It truly is one of the greatest celebrations of sport and social tradition.

The Kentucky Derby has a few traditions that are known worldwide. Hats, hats and more hats, all ladies who go to the derby wear hats, the bigger and more distinctive the better. Burgoo, is the official dish, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, and finally the Mint Julep, the official drink of the derby. Kentucky, the birth place and continual home of bourbon (it actually has a Presidential decree) makes the julep a great expression of not only bourbon but the derby itself. Although the Mint Julep is the official cocktail of the derby I have found a few other cocktails that everyone should try, not to replace the venerable julep, but to enhance you derby experience.

The Mint Julep

The origins of the mint julep as with most great cocktails are murky at best, and may never be definitively known. The mint julep originally appears in literature as early as 1784 as was prescribed as an elixir for sickness of the stomach. The Kentucky Derby serves 120,000 Mint Juleps over two days and it has been the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby since 1938. Traditionally it is served in a pewter or silver cup and only held by the lip or base and sipped through a straw so that the sides of the glass can frost over.

3oz. Kentucky Bourbon

.5oz simple syrup

8-10 mint leaves

2 mint sprigs

Place the leaves of mint in the bottom of a pre-chilled, dry julep cup. Add simple syrup and crush slightly with a muddler. Pack the julep cup with finely cracked ice. Pour the Kentucky bourbon over the ice. Stir briskly until the glass frosts. Add more ice and stir again before serving. Stick a few sprigs of slapped mint into the ice so that the aroma will enhance your experience.

The Derby

No drink quite embodies the Kentucky Derby like the Mint Julep, but another cocktail, simply known as The Derby, was created to commemorate the Kentucky Derby and is equally delicious. The origins and recipe are both convoluted and varied. There are so many Derby recipes, that it looks like every bartender who wanted to promote himself at race time would come up with his or her own version. The below drink recipe is taken from The Bartender’s Guide by Trader Vic.

1 ounce bourbon

1/2 ounce sweet vermouth

1/2 ounce orange curacao

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime.

Kentucky Colonel

The Kentucky Colonel is a cocktail that pays homage to the honorary title of the same name. The title "Kentucky Colonel" was first formalized in 1813, but was in informal use before that to refer to people with honored reputations, often related to military service in the American Revolution. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, existing Kentucky colonels began to organize as a group. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels was established in 1932. The honor awarded by the governor has been given to a broad variety of notable people – including various celebrities, artists, writers, athletes, performers, businesspersons, U.S. and foreign politicians, and members of foreign royal families – some of whom have no obvious connection to Kentucky. It has also been bestowed upon various people who are not generally considered especially notable – they have been people from "all walks of life".

2 ounces bourbon

3/4 oz Benedictine

Lemon peel

Stir bourbon and Benedictine with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass with ice. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

The Hoosier Daddy

This is a brand new yet great cocktail that can and should be enjoyed at the Derby. It was created less than a year ago by Ryan a mixologist at The End of Elm in Morristown, NJ. This is a truly wonderful cocktail that highlights the bourbon and makes for a smooth and refreshing drink. It is a non-seasonal specific drink and I consider it my favorite bourbon cocktail. It is definitely worth trying.

2oz. Bourbon

.5oz. cinnamon infused simple syrup

.5oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 maraschino cherries

Cinnamon stick

Add the simple syrup and three cherries to mixing glass and muddle. Next fill with ice and add the lemon juice and bourbon. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and the remaining maraschino cherry.

Whether you are going to the derby, watching it at a derby party, or just sitting at home, I hope that these cocktails will help you and whomever you are with enjoy the derby and all its offerings just a little bit more. In addition there is no reason to just save these cocktails for a once a year celebration. Try them and hopefully you’ll like them as much as I do. Remember, it’s 5:00pm somewhere.