Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post via Getty Images
On May 7th, at roughly 6:34 pm, the 2016 Kentucky Derby will commence. And only a few minutes later, the whole thing will be over. Revelers will descend upon Churchill Downs well before the race to imbibe mint juleps and celebrate the unity of bourbon and horse racing.
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You don’t have to get a ticket for the race to enjoy it. You can watch the action from the privacy of your own home while you enjoy one of these tasty derby-themed cocktails.
The Best Cocktails to Drink During the 2016 Kentucky Derby
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Black Walnut Old Fashioned
Served at The Skylark in NYC
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
- .75 oz. Walnut Liquor
- 4 Dashes of Orange Bitters
Garnish with an Orange Twist and Brandied Cherries
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Blue Moon Julep
From Sazerac (Seattle, WA)
From Lead Bartender, Keith Villanueva
Ingredients:
- 2.5 oz Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Bourbon
- 0.5 oz Mint Syrup
- 3 Dashes House-Made Mint Bitters
Build in Julep Cup over crushed ice, top more crushed ice, garnish with mint spring and dash of powdered sugar
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Bourbon Sherry Julep
From Bookstore Bar & Café (Seattle, WA)
From Bartender Kevin Langmack
Ingredients:
- In a Lewis bag crush 4-5 scoops of ice.
- Place 4-6 sprigs in the bottom of a julep cup and add .25 oz simple syrup and give a light muddle. Top Julep cup with ice and add:
- 1 oz Bourbon(Buffalo Trace)
- 1 oz Sherry blend (using equal parts Lustau Pedro Ximenez, Fino, and East India Solera)
Add straws and mound crushed ice on top
Fresh mint garnish.
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The Dark Maple
Ingredients:
- 1.3 oz. Bulleit® Bourbon
- 1 oz. Maple simple syrup
- 4 oz. Ginger Beer
- .5 oz. Lime
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake Well. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass or serve as up in a martini glass. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
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Gold Rush
Ingredients:
- 1.3 oz. I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 0.5 oz. honey syrup
- 0.5 oz. fresh lemon
Shake and Strain over ice.
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Gramercy Buck
Cocktail created by Amanda Tissue of the Gramercy Park Hotel
Ingredients:
- 1.3 oz. Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- 1 oz. Lemon Juice
- .75 oz. Simple Syrup
- Muddled Strawberries
- Top off with Ginger Beer
Serve in a highball glass.
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The Neigh-Sayer
Cocktail created by Joey Vargas of American Whiskey NYC
Ingredients:
- 0.75 oz. The Gifted Horse American Whiskey
- 0.25 oz. Benedictine Liqueur
- .38 oz. Madeira Fortified Wine
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ingredients:
In a mixing glass stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with thinly sliced apple and top with freshly shaved nutmeg.
-
Root Julep
From Tulio (Seattle, WA)
From Bartender Matt Slocum
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 1.5oz Maker's Mark Bourbon
- 0.5oz Root Liqueur
- Few sprigs of mint
Muddle mint with sugar, top with crushed ice. Add Maker's Mark and Root Liqueur, stir. Garnish with a smacked mint leaf.
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Smoky Mountain Sipper
From Red Star Tavern (Portland, OR)
From Lead Bartender, Brandon Lockman
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz bourbon
- .5 oz fresh lemon juice
- .5 oz blackberry puree
- .25 oz fernet
- Couple sprigs of mint
Combine all ingredients, shake and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with mint.
-
Talk Derby to Me
From Tanner Smith’s in NYC
Ingredients:
- 1 oz El Jimador Tequila
- 0.5 oz Lime
- 0.25 oz green chartreuse
- 0.5 oz agave
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and double strain into a highball glass over cubed ice, garnish with fresh mint and dehydrated lime.
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Walnut Sazerac
Served at The Rickey at Dream Midtown
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. George Dickel Rye
- .75 oz. Nocello Walnut Liquor
- Absinthe
- 4 Dashes of Peychud’s Bitters
Garnish with a Lemon Twist.
