The $1000 Mint Julep
A unique collectible benefits a worthy cause!
Image courtesy Elizabeth O'Neill
A $1000 Mint Julep, made from ultra-premium ingredients. For some, it sounds like the ultimate trackside luxury; for others, it sounds like an unattainable way to sip a cocktail that they haven’t quite learned to enjoy properly. For Kentucky Derby fans in the know, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime way to give back to the horse racing community in a significant way.
Bourbon and horses are, of course, Kentucky’s two most famous industries – some would even call them Kentuckians’ most famous obsessions. And, as renowned bourbon historian Michael Veach recently noted, bourbon and horses are intertwined in more ways than we can count. Elizabeth O’Neill, Master Taster of Woodford Reserve, tells a story of her perfect Kentucky Derby moment, which marries racing and bourbon in beautiful harmony: “Last year was my first year attending the Derby in my professional capacity for Woodford instead of just as an enthusiastic spectator. I arrived at 4 a.m. to assist Chris Morris (Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller) and Tim Laird (Brown-Forman’s Chief Entertaining Officer) in making cocktails and talking to the press about the $1000 Mint Julep. There we were at Churchill Downs on Derby morning and nobody was really there yet. We were set up for an interview near the second turn of the track and there was a moment when I was able to just enjoy watching the horses galloping and trotting during morning workouts. As a horse lover and a Kentuckian, I just thought, ‘I’m so lucky to be doing this!’"
Elizabeth O'Neill of Woodford Reserve and I recently chatted over Mint Juleps.
It’s that very spirit of thanksgiving that leads Woodford Reserve to give back to the equine community. For eleven years now, Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, has used the $1,000 mint julep as an outlet to raise over $425,000 for equine and humanitarian causes. This year’s $1000 Mint Julep Cup will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, an independent 501(c) public charity that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Created in 2006 by leaders in the horseracing industry, PDJF has disbursed over $7 million dollars and currently supports 60 permanently disabled jockeys, most of whom have paralysis or traumatic brain injuries. It’s truly a remarkable charity that gives back to those jockeys who have made life-altering sacrifices in the pursuit of a sport they love.
So what makes a mint julep worthy of a $1000 or higher price tag? Unique ingredients, a rare, collectible vessel, and, of course, a charitable spirit. Ninety Crafter’s Cups, sold at $1000, will be available for purchase at the 142nd Kentucky Derby. These individually numbered cups, designed by Hamilton Shirts, feature Hamilton’s classic plaid pattern, along with the 2016 Kentucky Derby date and Woodford Reserve logo accompanied by a gold-plated sipping straw. Each Crafter’s Cup is available for $1,000. Even more rare are the fifteen gold-plated Master’s Cups, which feature a design similar to the Crafter’s Cup and are accented with diamonds and a silver sipping straw. Each Master’s Cup sells for $2,500.
As for the contents of the Julep Cup? It’s a special take on the Mint Julep created by New York mixologist Julie Renee Williams to invoke a traditional Southern dessert pecan pie. The recipe is:
Woodford Reserve 2016 Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
• 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
• ¾ oz. toasted pecan orgeat syrup
• Fresh mint
• Caramelized pecan crumbles for garnish
• Edible bronze flakes
Rub fresh mint around julep cup. Combine ingredients with crushed ice and swizzle in glass. Add more crushed ice, garnish with mint bunch, caramelized pecan crumbles and edible bronze flakes. To make toasted pecan orgeat, toast pecans, mix or muddle into small pieces and simmer on low heat to create a nut milk. Fine strain or use a nut milk bag to remove nut pieces, and add equal parts sugar to liquid.
Cheers to smooth sips, a great cause, and the magic of the Kentucky Derby!
(This post was brought to you by The Kentucky Derby Book and also appears on the book's blog. Check out The Kentucky Derby Book for an interactive look at the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports!)
Kentucky Burgoo
The history and tradition of Kentucky's iconic hunter stew.
Of all of Kentucky’s iconic regional dishes, burgoo is the oldest, the most rustic, and certainly the heartiest!
A catch-all hunter’s stew, burgoo has as much variety in its origin story as it does in its ingredients. Some claim the recipe was brought over from Wales, while others attribute its creation to French chef Gustave Jaubert, who served Kentuckian John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War. After the War ended, Jaubert was hired by Frankfort’s Buffalo Trace Distillery to cook large iron kettles of burgoo for its employees. Jaubert was soon known as The Father of Burgoo, catering events with 1000 gallons of burgoo, which reportedly contained “400 pounds of beef, six dozen chickens, four dozen rabbits, thirty cans of tomatoes, twenty dozen cans of corn, fifteen bushels of potatoes, and five bushels of onions,” according to a Louisville Courier-Journal article at the time.
These days, burgoo is one of Kentucky’s signature regional cuisines, served everywhere from Keeneland’s track kitchen to church picnics across the Bluegrass State. The stew was even referenced in the name of the 1932 Kentucky Derby winner, Burgoo King!
Kentucky Burgoo, Recipe courtesy Churchill Downs
Ingredients
· 1 pound beef top round chunked
· 1 pound lamb sirloin chunked
· 1/2 pounds chicken thighs chunked
· 1 tablespoon salt
· 12 cups water
· 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
· 6 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (one 12-ounce bag)
· 2 1/2 cups frozen sliced okra (one 12-ounce bag)
· 2 15-ounce cans, butter beans, drained
· 1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
· 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
· 1/4 cup Kentucky sorghum or molasses
· 1/4 cup ketchup
· 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
· 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation
1. Place the beef, lamb, and chicken in a large Dutch oven.
2. Add the salt and water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the beef and lamb are fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the beef, lamb, and chicken pieces to a plate and let cool.
5. Strain the broth, pour back into Dutch oven.
6. Stir in the onion, garlic, mixed vegetables, okra, butter beans, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sorghum or molasses, ketchup, vinegar, cloves, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Add the meat to the vegetables and cook for about 1/2 hour to thicken the broth.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Quilts, Quilts, and more Quilts at the AQS Quilt Show
There is one event the entire year revolves around. There is one event every Kentuckian around me loves but also dreads. The tourists. The crowds. The traffic.
The Kentucky Derby?!?!
Nope! That's for you central Kentuckians. Over here in Western Kentucky, the event of the year is the AQS Quilt Show. Starting early this week, the streets of Paducah will start to fill with quilters from near as far (seriously, FAR, as in Japan far) and really live up to its name The Quilting Capital OF. THE. WORLD.
The Quilt Show transforms the entire town. I will never forget the first year I moved back. I walked into my favorite coffee shop downtown only to find the front had been filled with fabric bolts of every color. Coffee shop/Fabric store! Only during the Quilt Show.
Some less enthusiastic citizens complain about The Quilt Show. These are the people who have never actually gone to the Convention Center and taken in the beauty and artistry that is competitive quilting. These are the people who prefer to frown over the slightest change in their routine and giggle at the ladies in their quilted vests. These are the people who don't even go down town the entire week for fear of being confronted by someone not from Paducah!
These are not my people.
I'm very lucky to have my own quilting tour guides every year. My husband's parents run Planet Patchwork, a popular quilting website, and have been coming to the Show for years. (That's how I knew Nicholas and I were meant to be. He took me to the Quilt Museum on his first visit to Paducah and showed me his father's endorsements in the front of all the quilting books.) They show me all the best shops and shows. We eat at the church quilting luncheons. It's a blast to be a foreigner in your own town.
So, as the rest of Kentucky gears up for a little horse race, Paducah will be living large with the quilters. If you're not from around here, I encourage you to come by. And if you are from Paducah and have never embraced the Quilt Show in all its glory, it truly is your loss.
~ Sarah Stewart Holland
Rediscovering the Mint Julep
The mint julep gets a bad rap.
Kentuckians, especially the Louisvillians and bourbon aficionados among us, tend to write the Kentucky Derby’s signature cocktail off as something for amateurs or tourists – at best relegated to a Derby Day-only experience. We hear countless variations on the old joke “throw out the mint and syrup; drink the bourbon” going as far back as famed Louisville newspaper editor Henry Watterson (Pluck the mint gently from its bed, just as the dew of the evening is about to form on it…Pour the whiskey into a well-frosted silver cup, throw the other ingredients away, and drink the whiskey.) to the Kentucky Derby Book’s author Bill Doolittle. But, a well-made julep can be refreshing and quite tasty. I recently spoke with my friend Elizabeth O’Neill, the Master Taster at Woodford Reserve, about the mint julep’s origins and the proper way to prepare a julep.
The mint julep – a combination of Kentucky bourbon whiskey, simple syrup, and a sprig of mint – arose on horse farms as a medicinal elixir, Elizabeth says. “It was a way of treating aches and pains in the era before you had aspirin lying around to treat every headache or sore muscle.” The signature silver cup also originated on horse farms, where “silver cups were used as trophies at horse races, and drinking out of the winning cup was a celebratory tradition.”
These days, Elizabeth says, mint juleps are meant to be fun – “like an adult slushie!” The rule she observes in advising folks on how to mix the perfect mint julep is that there’s no wrong way to enjoy the cocktail: “Play with the amounts of sugar or bourbon to develop a taste that you like!”
To make a great mint julep at home, according to Elizabeth, you have to start with a good bourbon. She suggests Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. You’ll also need simple syrup – a mixture of one part water to one part sugar which has been heated until it dilutes, then cooled – crushed ice, and several sprigs of mint. Place the mint in the julep cup first and muddle it a bit, then pour in an ounce or so of simple syrup. Fill your cup to the top with ice, then add about two ounces of bourbon. Be sure to add a generous sprig of mint to garnish – according to Elizabeth, “the majority of the taste experience is through smell. If you don’t have that up-front aroma of mint, you won’t really experience a mint julep.” Most importantly, “Drink it how you like it!”
Whether enjoyed solely on the First Saturday in May or as a refreshing cocktail during the summer months, the classic mint julep is a drink that deserves a little more respect!
Primp Style Lounge
I recently had the opportunity to play Hair Model for a day at Primp Style Lounge! Primp is an amazing resource for Louisville ladies who want to look their best, offering blowouts, hair styles, makeup application, and styling consultations.
My hair is extremely thick and curly, and I don't often splurge for blowouts. Here's how it looked when I started the day:
Soon, we were testing elaborate updos that would work for a gala or a wedding party.
I also LOVED the Marie Claire undo -- y'all, this style is only $25 and is simply perfect for summer weddings and events!
I also LOVED this bouncy ponytail that made me feel like Barbie!!
Visit Primp Style Lounge at either of their Louisville locations -- St Matthews or Middletown -- for amazing service, perfect details, and the sweetest staff ever!
Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Chris Stapleton
Happy Birthday to Johnson County's hard-working singer-songwriter!
Christopher Alvin Stapleton was born April 15, 1978 in Lexington and grew up in the tiny Johnson County town of Staffordsville. Of course, proud Kentuckians and music fans know that Johnson Central High School alumnus Chris Stapleton is now one of the hottest acts in country music. He's been hailed as a new, "need to know" artist by media outlets from GQ to Rolling Stone to Garden & Gun, but he's actually been working as a singer and songwriter in Nashville for years.
Like his fellow Johnson County native Loretta Lynn, Chris Stapleton hails from a family of coal miners. His father and both his grandfathers worked in local mines. My friends and relatives in Johnson County assure me that Stapleton is as down-to-earth and nice as he was when he lived in the Appalachian hills. In fact, he recently returned home to perform a free concert at his alma mater, donate musical instruments to the Johnson Central Music Department, and film a Dodge Ram commercial.
Chris and Morgane Stapleton
Kris Kristofferson, Chris Stapleton, and Willie Nelson.
In celebration of the nicest guy to take Outlaw Country by storm, here are five things you probably didn't know about Chris Stapleton.
- Stapleton's first stint in the Music City actually wasn't music-related -- in 1996, after graduating as his high school class's valedictorian, Chris studied engineering at Vanderbilt for a year before moving back to Eastern Kentucky to study and work in Morehead. A few years later, he moved back to Nashville and landed a songwriting contract within a week of his arrival.
- Chris met his wife, Morgane, when they were working as songwriters at adjacent publishing houses on Nashville's Music Row.
- Chris was a member of two bands -- the Bluegrass group The SteelDrivers and the Southern Rock ensemble The Jompson Brothers -- before releasing his breakout solo record Traveller.
- Stapleton wowed audiences with his duets with Justin Timberlake during the 2015 CMA Awards. They have been friends for years, and note that they often trade parenting tips. (Chris and Morgane Stapleton have two kids, while Justin and his wife Jessica Biel have an infant son.)
- Stapleton's prolific songwriting credits include songs recorded by Adele, George Strait, Alison Krauss, and Tim McGraw and collaborations with Darius Rucker and Sheryl Crow. If that isn't a wide enough range, he also has a spot on the upcoming Coachella lineup.
Happy birthday, Chris Stapleton! You've made Eastern Kentucky very proud!
Happy Birthday, Miss Loretta!
A tribute to Loretta Lynn on her 84th birthday!
Somebody once told me that "There's only two types of people in the world: the kind who like Loretta Lynn, and the kind who don't." Now that's true, obviously, but I'd take that statement one step further: Here in Kentucky, one of the fundamental rules is that you have to like Miss Loretta.
Born April 14, 1932 in Butcher Hollow, Loretta was the daughter of coal miner Ted Webb and his wife Clara. Life wasn't easy in 1930s Eastern Kentucky; Loretta once said "You get used to sadness, growing up in the mountains, I guess." But, Loretta was a survivor. Like many girls of her generation, she got married young -- she was only 14 when she married Oliver "Dolittle" Lynn. Loretta later joked of her youthful naïveté, "I didn't know how babies were made until I was pregnant with my fourth child."
Like a lot of mountain folks, Loretta and Doo had to leave home to find work, settling in a logging community in Washington State. in 1953, Doolittle bought Loretta a $17 Harmony guitar as an anniversary present. She taught herself to play, and by 1960, she'd cut her first record.
Miss Loretta's musical career has spanned decades, and she's received every imaginable musical accolade. Her enduring popularity, however, is as much for her amazing personality as her musical talent. She's a strong woman, a trailblazing musician, and an outspoken voice for common sense morality. She's always advocated for women's rights, recording controversial songs about divorce and birth control, while championing traditional values. When Miss Loretta says "The country is making a big mistake not teaching kids to cook and raise a garden and build fires," we Kentuckians hear the wisdom of our own grandmothers.
Loretta Lynn is a source of pride and strength for generations of Kentucky women. We are all a little better for the teachings of the Coal Miner's Daughter from Johnson County.
From all of us here at HerKentucky, Happy Birthday, Miss Loretta!