Host a Traditional Kentucky Derby Party with Van Winkle Family Recipes, Pappy Van Winkle inspired Hospitality, and Pappy Mint Juleps and

It's Kentucky Derby Season!
Celebrate the best of the Kentucky Derby with Pappy Van Winkle inspired Southern Hospitality

While the prospect of hosting a Kentucky Derby party seems daunting at first, it’s actually quite the opposite. In fact, the event you are honoring is so replete with tradition, signature cocktails, menus, colors, and festivity that it is all practically served up to you on a silver platter (perhaps the kind that would be ideal for serving Mint Juleps).

With the built-in entertainment, and a general air of excitement, southern style hospitality, and colorful tradition, you really can’t go wrong. In fact, with over 16 million viewers tuning in to watch as the field of thoroughbreds jockey to make history in the first leg of the Triple Crown on the first Saturday in May, you can be sure there are a variety of Kentucky Derby parties being hosted worldwide. From a small watch party to a grand soiree, the basic elements for hitting the Kentucky Derby Party trifecta are the same: food, drinks, and hospitality.

Rider's up. The Cocktails.

For the Kentucky Derby version of the classic old adage "if a tree falls in the woods but no one is around to hear it - did it make a sound?" Is it really a Kentucky Derby party if you don't serve Mint Juleps? We think we all know the answer.

The Pappy Mint Julep. Classic, iconic, legendary, and surprisingly easy.

The Oaks Lily. The signature cocktail of the Kentucky Oaks, a vibrant, sweet and bright pink cocktail ideal for Derby festivities.

The rest of the field: Classic, Southern inspired Kentucky Derby cocktailslike the brunch staple, Bloody Mary, all with a Pappy Van Winkle flavor twist.

The food.The requisite Kentucky Derby party menu is quite simple. Think, Southern staples. The southern mainstays on any Kentucky Derby brunch or party buffet are likely the very same that were served at Pappy Van Winkle’slegendary Kentucky Derby parties, where guests were invited to enjoy “famous mint juleps in frosty silver cups,” while the dining table beckoned with the “traditional Kentucky fare: scrambled eggs, buttered grits, and of course, beaten biscuits with country ham.”

Simple, traditional, in-season flavor. That’s really the winning ticket for any Kentucky Derby party menu. Sweet and savory ham biscuits, fresh asparagus, bright, ripe and juicy strawberries, cold shrimp cocktail, warm and buttery cheese grits, and a few simple snacks.

Call to the Post:A Kentucky Derby menu infused with hints of authentic Kentucky flavor, inspired southern traditions, and Derby flair:

Ham Biscuits with Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Rosemary Butter

Cheese Grits
Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Spicy Maple Shrimp
Spring greens with Basil Mint Vinaigrette

Across the Board: Easy and delicious dips, appetizers, and snacks to feed a crowd of any size.

If this were a horse, we'd place a bet every time. Spicy Maple Hot Bacon and Cheddar Dip.

This appetizer is a winning combo - simple, spicy and shareable: Goat Cheese with Spicy Maple Pecans

It’s no secret we love Hub's Peanuts- (if you've read Pappyland : A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and Things That Last you would have picked up on this), so we always have a bowl of them on our bar. For a peanut with an appropriately Kentucky twist and unmistakable Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged infused flavor, try our Maple Glazed or Spicy Maple Glazed Peanuts.

Another Southern staple that deserves a spot on your bar or buffet are the delightfully decadent, buttery, crunchy and infinitely shareable cheese straws. You could make your own, or reach for the aptly named 3 Sisters Cheese Straws who adhere to a traditional recipe "that tastes like home."

Hit the Exacta: You can't miss with these appetizers, full of Southern inspired and Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged flavor: Hot Shrimp and Artichoke Bake or Maple Glazed Sausage.

Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel-Aged Spicy Pepper Hot Shrimp & Artichoke Appetizer

Down the Stretch:For dessert, of course you can go with the traditional Kentucky Derby Pie, or our sweet Van Winkle Family traditional recipe, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (these are three words we think should always go together). We also serve up the Southern specialty (and longtime family favorite) a decadent, delicious and gorgeous caramel layer cake from Caroline's Cakes. However, for a super simple and authentically ideal Kentucky Derby Party desert, a tray of our Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Balls, with an array of Pappy Van Winkle gourmet goodies, with juicy, ripe and vibrant strawberries. (For extra points, serve these on a Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel Stave cutting board or hoop tray for a genuine article of Kentucky and Bourbon history.

Run for the Roses- The decor: Simple, colorful and straight from the garden.
Think of your decor as an homage to Kentucky with notes of southern hospitality. Bunches of store bought tulips placed in a variety of vases, or scattered about in Mint Julep cups or commemorative Derby glasses, use branches of Kentucky’s state flower, with branches with full blooms of signature, native Dogwood blooms or fresh buds throughout. Rely on bunches of tulips, ranunculus, fluffy hydrangea, and greenery to create lush and cheerful bouquets in bright spring colors - think pink, white, and green with pops of orange, coral and yellow.

We rely on expertise from Chenault when it comes to the decor, as her decorating (and life) motto happens to seamlessly create a simple, bright and festive feel.

Chenault’s tips for hosting a chic, elegantly welcoming and surprisingly easy Kentucky Derby party:

Don’t be afraid to mix and match (ie go ahead and use your grandmother’s china alongside disposable silverware, place paper napkins on an antique tablecloth, fill an heirloom punch bowl with flowers as your centerpiece, use fancy glassware alongside reusable ones).
Use what you have (your collection of mint julep glasses isn’t enough for serving? No problem, fill them with tulips, mint or greenery from your garden and place them as your centerpiece or on your buffet, along the bar or placed throughout your house.
Take what’s old and make it new again - mixing heirloom pieces with modern necessities creates a fun, balanced and festive atmosphere.
Don’t overthink it! (As long as the environment is fun, festive and colorful and the hosts are relaxed and enjoying themselves - the guests will too!)
Don’t get lost in the details that don’t matter - good food, good drinks and good friends…the rest will take care of itself!
Bring the outside in: Grab your clippers and ask permission (and offer an invitation) to your neighbors - fill bowls with fresh magnolia leaves, clip garden roses, that mint you need for Mint Juleps - go ahead and let it be your bar decor as well! Branches work great for creating height and variety, and any greenery will do as you fill in the rest!)
Bright and festive: don’t feel like you have to stick to a theme - bright splashes of natural Spring color will create the fun and welcoming sense of hospitality.