LOUISVILLE, Ky. (NewsNation Now) — After the pandemic disrupted the 2020 edition, the 2021 Kentucky Derby is back in its usual spot on the calendar — the first Saturday in May.
About 45,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Kentucky Derby. That’s about 100,000 less than usual.
The favorite horse to win is “Essential Quality.”
Other horses in the race include:
- “Rock Your World”
- “Soup and Sandwich”
- “Midnight Bourbon”
The classic beverage of the Kentucky Derby for nearly as century has been The Mint Julep.
Each year, almost 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack. That’s a feat that requires more than 10,000 bottles of Old Forester Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.
Kentucky Derby
According to The Kentucky Derby, here’s the official recipe:
The Old Forester Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz. Old Forester Mint Julep bourbon
- 0.75 oz. Simple Syrup
- 8-10 mint leaves
- 3 mint sprigs, far garnish
Instructions
Pack mint julep cup with crushed ice. In a mixing glass, combine bourbon, syrup, and mint leaves. Lightly bruise mint leaves with a muddler, strain contents into julep cup. Garnish with 3 generous sprigs of mint. *Make sure to slap mint and insert straw into ice near mint.
