Beyond mint julep: Kentucky Derby cocktail recipes to spice up your party
I have a semi-scandalous confession: I don’t really like mint juleps. And I especially don’t like the drink they serve at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.
So I went in search of better options and was delighted to find a new book coming out on May 3, just in time for the First Saturday in May.
“Bourbon is My Comfort Food” is from award-winning drink creator Heather Wibbels of Louisville, better known as the Cocktail Contessa online. It’s available from the University Press of Kentucky.
She’s also the former chairwoman of the board of Bourbon Women, a Kentucky-based group that has been gathering like-minded women together to talk about and enjoy their favorite drink for more than 10 years. It’s now national, with 14 chapters across the country.
How to make a good mint julep
So when I asked her to give me great drink options for the Derby she had plenty.
Some are in the book, some are from her website. All are delicious and way better than the average mint julep.
Wibbels also has some tips for how to make one that’s above average and taste better, if one is not to your liking.
“I will argue that a well-made mint julep is a thing of beauty, with fresh mint, fresh ice, a great bourbon and simple syrup. It can be a revelation,” she said. The key: Serving it in a metal (silver if possible) cup. Really.
“I didn’t believe that for the longest time,” Wibbels said. But the frosty metal holds the cold and suppresses the bourbon just enough for the mint to blend with it. “The mint julep is an experience, not just a taste.”
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But if you want to try something different but stay in the family, try a non-mint herb like sage, basil or lavender, which can make an amazing fruit julep, she said.
“One of the things I like to do is taste the bourbon neat to see what I want to pull our or to match,” she said. “Some have a lot of chocolate and cocoa. So if I use one like that, I might bring in chocolate bitters or a complementary flavor like nut bitters, then you have a kind of chocolate nut cocktail.”
You’d end up with a bourbon ball in a glass, which also would be Derby appropriate. Here’s a version called Dawn at the Downs, which is in her book.
From the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com: Everything you need to know about Kentucky bourbon
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Dawn at the Downs
Makes one drink. Convert ounces to cups to expand this recipe to serve 8.
Wibbels likes to start Derby Day with a Bourbon Mimosa, which uses chocolate bitters and orange liqueur as well as champagne.
Bourbon Mimosas
Makes a batch of 8-10.
If you’d rather get off the julep track altogether, try a pitcher of these for your race-watching party: Lavender Lemon Bourbon Slushies.
Lavender Lemon Bourbon Slushies
Makes a batch of 15-20 bourbon slushies. Each serving is around 6-8 ounces.
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Another great Derby Day breakfast cocktail: The Call to Post, which also features champagne. Both it and Bourbon Mimosas work well at the end of the day to celebrate a big win, too.
Call to Post
Makes one drink.
But if you just can’t get through the Kentucky Derby without a mint julep, try this adventurous one: The King’s Julep, named for Elvis Presley and showcasing his favorite flavors of peanut butter and banana.
The King’s Julep
Here, the King refers to the King of Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley. This julep is an homage to those peanut butter and banana sandwiches Elvis used to make. It’s a great julep for someone who is new to bourbon and wants to try a wildly creative take on a classic.
This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Beyond mint julep: Kentucky Derby cocktail recipes to spice up your party."
