Kentucky Derby Party

You don't need front row seats at Churchill Downs to enjoy the excitement of the Kentucky Derby. Create the same atmosphere in your living room, mix up some juleps, put on your best hat, and throw a Kentucky Derby party. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting events in sports. Always held on the first Saturday in May, the 2008 Derby is May 3, with post time at 6:04 p.m. Television coverage begins an hour or two ahead of race time.

The actual Kentucky Derby race is only about 2 minutes long, but there’s a lot of action packed into that short race. Be sure your television is the center of attention at race time. Plan your Kentucky Derby Party so all the guests have arrived about an hour or two in advance. Save food and festivities for after the race.

Women’s hats are a Kentucky Derby tradition. Ask your guests to come to your party dressed as they would if they were going to Churchill Downs, with women in fancy hats and men in pastel colors, seersucker, and hats of their own.  Have your own friendly, off-site betting on the race. Photos of the horses and jockeys can be found on the official Kentucky Derby site.

The best sites on the Web for Kentucky Derby Party planning are DerbyPost.com , ezine's Kentucky Derby Party Games, and this NPR piece by Derby aficionado Jesse Baker.

Kentucky Derby Party Decorations and More

If you live anywhere Louisville, Kentucky, you’ll have more Derby theme party supplies at your fingertips than you can imagine. If not, order plates, napkins, banners, decorations and more online at Kentucky Derby Party, Caulfield’s Novelty site, or Plum Party Supplies. Or get some horse party theme items from your local party store or Oriental Trading online.

The Mint Julep
The cool, refreshing, simply Southern mint julep is at the heart of a Kentucky Derby party. Mint juleps are easy to make and only require three ingredients, plus ice and water. The hardest part will be finding silver cups to serve them in. But don’t fret about that, either. You’re probably not likely to want to pursue the $700 hand crafted silver cup from julepcups.com, but more affordable julep cups can be found online at the Silver Superstore, WesternSilver.com and at local department stores.

Here’s a simple mint julep recipe for four that can be multiplied or divided, depending on how many Derby partiers you’re serving.

• 4 handfuls of mint leaves
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• 8 ounces bourbon
• Crushed ice

Working in batches, bruise the mint leaves in a bowl, slightly crushing leaves with a mortar/pestle or the rounded handle of a rolling pin. Combine crushed leaves, sugar and water in a saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes. Strain. Fill 4 silver julep cups with crushed ice. Add 2 ounces of bourbon to each cup. Pour equal amounts of syrup into each cup. Stir rapidly until outside of cup gets frosty. Rub fresh mint around the rim of the cup.

The official Kentucky Derby mint julep is made with Early Times Whiskey, however, many a mint julep has been made with bourbon. Early Times’ Web site has recipes and mint julep trivia, including the legendary claim that “when a julep is done right, you can hear the angels sing.”

The Kentucky Derby Party Menu

Kentucky Burgoo
For your Derby party, serve a traditional Kentucky favorites.  Burgoo is a thick stew full of meats, vegetables and spices that can be filled with whatever you want. There is no one recipe for Kentucky burgoo, but most burgoos contain meats (chicken, pork, beef or game – even squirrel in a pinch), vegetables (lima beans, potatoes and corn, to name a few) and a thickening agent like cornmeal or okra. Here’s one recipe for Kentucky Burgoo with pork, beef, chicken and lots of vegetables and spices.

• 2 pounds pork shank
• 2 pounds beef shank
• 3 pound roasting chicken
• 8 quarts water
• 1 1⁄2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1⁄2 pounds onions, diced
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 quart tomato puree
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 2 red chili peppers
• 2 cups diced okra
• 2 cups lima beans
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Put pork, beef, whole chicken and water in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and falling off bones. Remove meat from the pot. Let it cool and then remove meat from bones. Combine meat, potatoes, onions, carrots, green pepper, cabbage, tomato puree, corn, chili peppers, okra, lima beans and celery in pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 hours or until thickened. Add parsley, thyme, salt, cayenne pepper and oregano in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Benedictine Sandwich Appetizers

• 1 large cucumber
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash green food coloring

Peel, seed and grate the cucumber. Drain by pressing grated cucumber between paper towels. Place in food processor along with cream cheese, onion, mayonnaise and salt. Add food coloring, one drop at a time, until mixture is light, bright green. Spread mixture between two pieces of white, crustless bread and cut into triangle sandwiches.

Kentucky Chocolate Walnut Pie

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 11⁄2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 9-inch deep dish pie crust, unbaked

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour into pie crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 more minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.