It is Derby time in Kentucky. I thought it would be a good opportunity to list some Bourbons with ties to the Derby. There are many connections between Bourbon and horse racing in Kentucky. Here are four such Bourbons you may want to drink at your Derby party.

  1. James E. Pepper: James E. Pepper was a 19th century distiller, but also a horse breeder. He had horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby and even won the Kentucky Oaks race. The distillery that bears his name today is making some fine Bourbon whiskey and I suggest that a bottle of their recently released decanter Bourbon would be an excellent choice for your Derby pour.
  1. Old Crow: Old Crow was first created at the Oscar Pepper Distillery in the 1830s. It was purchased by W.A. Gaines & Co. after the death of Crow. W. A. Gaines was a horse breeder and many of his horses ran in the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, the modern Crow Bourbon is a shadow of the Bourbon it was in Gaines’ day, but it still makes for a good Bourbon to make a mint julep with at your Derby party.
  1. Early Times: Early Times Bourbon, at one time, was the official Bourbon for the mint juleps at Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. They even had a feature race on Derby Day called the Early Times Stakes. Brown-Forman sold the brand to Buffalo Trace recently. Before selling the brand, they changed the name of the race to the Woodford Reserve Stakes and then to the Old Forester Stakes. It is run on the turf and is now called the Old Forester Turf Classic. The Early TimesBourbon is still a good Bourbon to enjoy at your Derby party.
  1. Woodford Reserve: Brown-Forman, at one time, had a horse that they allowed people to invest money in, with the hopes that it would win some races. They did this in cooperation with a horse farm near the distillery. They also sponsor the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic race on Derby Day. They are also the official Bourbon of Churchill Downs and sell a $1,000 mint julep on Derby Day. The julep is made using Woodford Reserve, the finest cane sugar, and mint, with ice made from glacier water that is pure as water can be. The money raised from the mint julep goes to charity. It is an excellent Bourbon to pour at your Derby Party, even if you don’t make the $1,000 mint julep.

These are four Bourbons with Derby connections. I hope that you will enjoy one or more of them while watching the Kentucky Derby.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller