Hats on for the Kentucky Derby & mint juleps

I dusted off my hat box last night and opened it carefully.

Inside was my Kentucky Derby hat, a wide-brimmed straw creation (no, that’s not me pictured above) covered with tulle and maribou. It looked great—no moth holes, no spiderwebs. It had survived storage another year and will be in beautiful form for its big day at Churchill Downs on May 3.

On Wednesday, I’m flying from LAX to Louisville, Kentucky, for the race. Often billed as the “greatest two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby horse race is a party without parallel.

OK, so maybe I do care more about dressing up for the event than I care about whether Big Brown, Pyro or Colonel John is this year’s favorite. But I’ll place a few bets anyway. And I’ll have a lot of fun, whether I win or not. (Winning, of course, is preferred.)

This will be my third Derby. I have to admit, it grows on you. The beauty of the horses, the excitement of the event, the stirring moment when the crowd sings “My Old Kentucky Home.” And then, of course, there are the mint juleps.

Most of the time, I wouldn’t recommend this drink, which is sort of an odd combination of tastes: mint, sugar, bourbon. But hey, it’s spring…and Derby time.

Even if you’re not going to the race, you can raise a mint julep toast to it and the good people of Kentucky: the Bluegrass State. And while you’re doing it, give some thought to touring Kentucky one of these days. It has much to commend it: Southern hospitality, horse farms, bourbon distilleries.

As a matter of fact, you can taste your way across the state on the Bourbon Trail, visiting Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace and Four Roses distilleries.

To help you capture the spirit of the Derby, here’s a mint julep recipe from the folks at Wild Turkey, where master distiller Jimmy Russell has held court for 54 years. Russell and his minions taught me the finer points of bourbon tasting a few years ago. They’ll do the same for you if you take a Wild Turkey tour.

You can make a julep with any Kentucky bourbon (Jack Daniels doesn’t count: It’s made in Tennessee. By law, bourbons can only be made in Kentucky).

Jimmy’s julep uses Wild Turkey 101; he says the higher proof produces a richer, deeper and fuller taste.

JIMMY’S JULEP

2.5 oz. Wild Turkey 101
3 sprigs of mint (six to eight mature-sized leaves); more for garnish
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup crushed ice

In a traditional silver julep cup or double-old-fashioned glass, mull two sprigs of mint with the brown sugar and one ounce of Wild Turkey 101 for a few minutes, crushing the mint leaves with a spoon. Add the crushed ice, the rest of the bourbon, and garnish with sprig of mint.

–Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Racegoer in a bonnet at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Kentucky / Los Angeles Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 9:00 am by Rosemary McClure and is filed under Gourmet, Southern States, Sports, Spring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.