The Kentucky Derby is an event we look forward to celebrating every year, and on Saturday, May 3rd, we’re putting together a fantastic little brunch for all of our horse racing friends. And what’s a Derby Party without a Bourbon Bar complete with all the Mint Julep fixins’? 

This year, our bar cart comes complete with a fresh bottle of Whiskey Sister, our newest addition to the Sisterhood. 

Take a look at this little lady, isn’t she pretty? 

Whiskey Sister was put to good use in refreshing Mint Juleps – a Kentucky Derby tradition. All you need for this simple cocktail are four ingredients: mint leaf, bourbon, sugar (or simple syrup) and water. Here is a classic Mint Julep recipe.

On the food menu: Baby Hot Brown Bites.  Hot Browns have been a Louisville tradition since the 1920’s.  Click here to read about the history of The Brown Hotel’s “Hot Brown.”  We also served Southern Paté (aka Pimiento Cheese) and Deviled Eggs from A New Turn in the South written by one of our fave’s Hugh Acheson.

Here’s the recipe for the original Hot Brown. To make it appetizer-style, assemble ingredients on slices of baguette brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven under lightly brown. Top with turkey, Mornay sauce (we jazzed ours up with a squeeze of lemon and a couple of dashes of cayenne), diced tomato and flash briefly under broiler until sauce bubbles. Finish with toppings of chopped bacon, parsley and dusting of paprika.

Tip:  Roast your own Turkey for maximum flavor. You can buy turkey slices, but we roasted a half-breast, brined overnight and garnished with lemon slices slipped under the skin before roasting for best flavor. We used Alton Brown’s simple brine recipe and added our own seasonings.

For dessert: Coconut Cake! We love this recipe from Martha Stewart, but sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do all the hard work. We picked up our cake from our local Buttercream Bakery in Napa. 

Table’s all set!

Do you have any special Derby Day traditions? Share them with us in a comment below!