Many would agree that a Mint Julep is the perfect spring cocktail to celebrate the Kentucky Derby. With more than 120,000 of these sweet concoctions sold on race day at Churchill Downs, it's hard to deny its place in the kickoff to the Triple Crown racing season.
If you'd like to expand your bourbon cocktail lineup for your Derby Party, here are some recipes to consider:
Seelbach Cocktail (created by The Seelbach Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky)
1 oz Old Forester 100 Bourbon
½ oz orange liqueur
3 dashes Angostura bitters
4 dashes Peyschaud's bitters
5 oz champagne or sparkling wine
Orange twist for garnish
Stir ingredients and pour into a fluted glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Jockey Club (from the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s Bartendeners Guide)
2 oz your favorite bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth
¼ oz maraschino liqueur
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Add ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, and stir until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Horse’s Neck (draws its name from the garnish that resembles a horse’s neck)
2 oz your favorite bourbon
Ginger ale to taste
Lemon spiral for garnish
Gently peel a lemon in a long, even strip. Add bourbon and ice to a glass and top with ginger ale. Garnish with lemon twist.