The HerKentucky Guide to Last-Minute Derby Plans
Plan an outfit for Kentucky Derby in under two hours!
This week, we're talking about doing Derby like a local. Trust me when I say that the locals here in Louisville are still making plans for Derby, Oaks, and even Thurby. I've been in so many conversations this week that revolved around last-minute tickets, picking out ensembles, and generally how to put it all together.
If you find yourself with last-minute tickets to the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks, here's my shopping advice to you: DO NOT try to make an exhaustive search of all the stores in the area. Stick to a couple of your very favorites, places where you know the sizing, the sales associates, and the general look you're going for. I stopped by two of my own favorite stores, The Peppermint Palm and The Prickly Pear, this week and found that there are tons of great options available!
The ladies at the Peppermint Palm styled a couple of outfits that will stand out at the track. Elizabeth was even kind enough to model for us!
I love this green rose print. It's an unexpected interpretation of the classic "Run for the Roses" motif.
Janice Knit Shift Dress in Resort White Heart Breakers at The Peppermint Palm Louisville
This hat is so striking with its perfectly balanced hues. It works well with a white lace dress!
Jaimie Knit Shift Dress at The Peppermint Palm Louisville
The Prickly Pear Boutique has the perfect accessories for your trip to the track. The best part? Many of their accessories are on sale!
The hat selection at The Pear is fantastic!
The Prickly Pear also has a great assortment of ties by Collard Greens and Southern Proper.
I LOVE the mint julep ties!
Spend a few minutes at your favorite stores, and get back to enjoying Derby Week, y'all!
The HerKentucky Guide to Mint Juleps
Gear up for Kentucky Derby 141 with a fresh batch of mint juleps!
Happy Derby Week, y'all! Kentucky Derby 141 is almost here, and HerKentucky has a series of tips that will help you do Derby like a local. Today, we're talking about the Kentucky Derby's signature cocktail, the mint julep!
Mad Men's Betty Draper serves mint juleps.
Mint juleps are one of the most iconic things about the Kentucky Derby. Oddly, they're among the most divisive, too. Some folks find the signature blend of Kentucky bourbon whiskey, simple syrup, and muddled mint to be a refreshing spring cocktail, while others consider it a waste of good bourbon. I love a julep around Derby Day, while my beau cites legendary Louisville newspaperman Henry Watterson's recipe: "Pluck the mint gently from its bed, just as the dew of the evening is about to form upon it ... Prepare the simple syrup and measure out a half-tumbler of whiskey." "Pour the whiskey into a well-frosted silver cup, throw the other ingredients away and drink the whiskey."
Whether you love or hate the drink, it's pretty much a rule that you have to know how to make a mint julep if you're entertaining folks around Derby time.
The first thing you need to do is decide on a julep cup. A silver julep cup is, of course, the traditional way to go. I recently had a chance to talk to Matt Burnett of Wakefield-Scearce Galleries. For Matt, the julep cup is, quite literally, the family business. His grandfather, Mark Scearce, was a jeweler turned silversmith who was originally drawn to julep cup design while buying up coin silver during the World War II silver shortage. Over the years, Mr. Scearce developed a unique design that incorporates an English-style watermark and a seal denoting the current U.S. President. Silver julep cups are stunning, of course, but I asked Matt whether it was a lot of work to constantly polish a set. "Not if you use them often!" was his quick response. "Frequent use keeps them shiny!"
Antique coin-silver julep cups at Wakefield-Scearce.
Stoneware julep cups from Louisville Stoneware are another fantastic option. These gorgeous cups are a colorful and unique way to keep your julep cold, yet staying comfortable to the touch.
When it comes to bourbon, I always advise people to stick to what they personally like to drink. After all, a mint julep is just like any other cocktail, and comes down to personally preference. Of course, you should keep that within reason; it's a travesty to mix 23-year Pappy Van Winkle with anything. Woodford Reserve or Maker's Mark are always good. Old Forester makes for a delicious cocktail. (That's what the track is using this year!)
Another consideration is your mint -- most recipes call for Kentucky Colonel. This year, I picked up a Chocolate Mint varietal as well; can't wait to see how the flavors vary!
Of course, you can get as fancy or as simple with your sugar for the simple syrup as you like. I use demerara sugar for a little more complex flavor.
Classic Mint Julep Recipe
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Crushed ice
- Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (your favorite brand is the best!)
Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Kentucky bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Have a great Derby Week! Cheers, y'all!
The History of Kentucky Derby Hats
Why we wear hats to the Kentucky Derby.
Did you ever wonder why we wear elaborate hats to the Kentucky Derby? Well, the history of the Kentucky Derby goes back to the Derby Stakes in Britain, known here in the States as the Epsom Derby. The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780 and is the highest-purse horse race in Britain.
Derby Day, a 1952 film set at the Epsom Derby. It looks like the heroine needs a mint julep, no?
Voltigeur, winner of the 1850 Epsom Derby.
In 1873, Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. visited Europe, taking in the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. He returned home to Louisville and organized the race now known as the Kentucky Derby, looking toward these races for inspiration for track design, race length and other details. When the Kentucky Derby began in 1875, Kentucky ladies wore their finest to the races, just as their British counterparts did. Of course, in those days, finery included a chapeau, and the tradition stuck.
Kentucky Derby 1938. via The Huffington Post.
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Epsom in 1948. via The Daily Mail.
If you think about it, we still kind of look to the Brits for millinery fashion. Around the time Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and Duchess Kate began wearing fascinators and small, snug-fitting hats to weddings and races, we started to see those styles around the track in Louisville as well.
Prince William, Prince Harry, and Duchess Kate at the 2011 Epsom Derby. via Getty Images. I was really just looking for an excuse to post this photo of Harry, obvs.
Here's to Derby style and gorgeous chapeaux! Happy Derby week, y'all!
Country Ham Balls
Besides bourbon, Kentucky has a great country ham scene, and why not highlight it with this delicious recipe? Not only is it easy and delicious, the meatballs can be made ahead of time then baked when you need them!
country ham balls
Inside showing the country ham and pork sausage!
country ham balls
adapted from Sterling Bits
makes 24-36 balls (depending on how you roll them)
2 pounds local country ham, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 pounds local pork sausage
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 local eggs, beaten
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon mustard
1 cup white wine vinegar
- Mix country ham, sausage, bread crumbs, and eggs together until well combined.
- Roll out meat mixture to golf-ball sized meat balls. At this point, the meatballs can be cooked or frozen for future use.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.
- Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, mustard, and vinegar in a pot. Boil until rolling and allow to boil for 2 minutes.
- Place meatballs in a 9x13 casserole dish and pour hot sauce over meatballs.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning balls at least once, or until done.
- Serve.
Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world; head over for more Kentucky Proud recipes!
Last Minute Derby Party Prep with Rocksbox
Product review and free trial code for Rocksbox
This time of year, there's always ONE MORE party to attend. That's the magical thing about Louisville around Derby time. The Kentucky Derby may be a two minute horse race, but we celebrate for a week or so. And, the invitations keep rolling in. Sometimes, you're booked for two to three events in a day. It's a pretty wonderful problem to have.
Me, last night, at Moet & Chandon's Derby in a Bottle party
I like to joke that, this time of year, everybody in Louisville suffers from #DerbyFoMo: The fear of missing out on a good Derby-related party. So, we keep going, even though we have work and social obligations. After all, Derby only comes around once a year, right?
With all these fun festivities to attend, it was really nice to come home to a package from Rocksbox the other day. Rocksbox is a subscription jewelry service that sends three pieces of jewelry at a time straight to your mailbox. You can wear them and return them or, if you fall in love with a specific piece, you can purchase it at a special price. How simple is that?
Rocksbox has teamed with HerKentucky to help you prep for your last-minute party invitations and avoid #DerbyFoMo by providing you a free one-month subscription to Rocksbox. Just use code herkentuckyxoxo at checkout, and there's one less thing you have to do to prepare for big parties!
Thanks so much to Rocksbox for providing me a sample subscription for review! I hope you check out their service for yourself!
Seersucker Kentucky Cocktail Napkin Giveaway!
Weep no more, my lady! HerKentucky is giving away a set of these adorable blue seersucker Kentucky cocktail napkins just in time for Derby! One lucky winner will receive one set of eight cocktail napkins from Elizabeth Elfen and they will be delivered by Friday, May 1st. Just in time for your Derby Party! Your mint julep has never had it so good!
The hemstitched cocktail napkins are a blend of cotton and linen and measure 6" x 6". They will be packaged as pictured.
Go Local Box Review and Giveaway
Review of Go Local Box subscription service.
Have y'all seen Go Local Box?
It's a subscription service that brings the best locally-produced products from their Louisville manufacturers straight to your door. Founder Jay Vasse works with local vendors to curate a themed monthly box, which can be yours for only $35 per month. There's no strings -- you can cancel or skip a box at any time -- and the items are pretty fantastic.
Go Local Box sent me the April (Derby-themed) box, and I just loved it! So many wonderful items; it was like a mini-Derby Party in a box!
The April 2015 Go Local Box includes:
- A Derby Pie tart
- Bourbon Truffles from Art Eatables
- A Kentucky Derby Candle from Craft41Love
- Mint Julep Mixer from Old Honey Barn
- Bourbon Sugar Scrub
- Horseshoe Pendant from Woodwear by Andrea
That's a pretty fabulous assortment of products. It would make a fantastic present for your favorite homesick Kentuckian, or would be a great way to help yourself to the latest locally-made products. The customer service is pretty great, too. When my box arrived with a broken candle, Jay dropped off a new one at my front door that evening. I can't guarantee he'll deliver that same level of service for everybody, but he assures me that if there's anything amiss with your shipment, he'll make it right!
We've teamed up with Go Local Box to provide one lucky HerKentucky reader with a three-month gift subscription. Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below!
Good luck, and have fun shopping locally!