Woodford Reserve’s $1,000 Mint Julep Cups Are Back
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There are a lot of whiskey fans out there who wouldn’t think twice about spending a thousand bucks on a bottle, but how about a cup? That’s what Woodford Reserve is asking you to do, but it’s for a good cause—the $1,000 and $5,000 Mint Julep cups charity program is back just in time for the Kentucky Derby.
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This year marks the 150th running of the Derby and nearly two decades of the cup charity program. In 2024 the proceeds will benefit Backside Learning Center, a nonprofit set up to support the workers who make the Churchill Downs racetrack run smoothly, along with their families. The cups for this year’s charity event were designed by Louisville jeweler From the Vault, each featuring a depiction of the twin spires that are on the roof of the grandstand and an engraving commemorating the Derby’s 150th anniversary. There are 300 cups available to purchase: 200 cups embellished with sterling silver with 44 green crystals priced at $1,000, and 100 gold-plated cups with 44 synthetic white sapphires priced at $5,000 (these also come with a coffee table book about the Derby). “These julep cups are a tribute to 150 years of greatness,” said Woodford Reserve master distiller Elizabeth McCall in a statement. “They’re a true spectacle, and every detail has been handcrafted.”
You can purchase your cup on Friday, May 3 (Kentucky Oaks Day) or Saturday May 4 (Derby Day) at the $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience at Churchill Downs, or you can order one to be shipped directly to your home from the Woodford Reserve website. Woodford came up with a special Mint Julep cocktail recipe for this year’s Derby, so go ahead and use your thousand dollar cup to drink it if you are feeling fancy. The recipe is as follows:
The Rose Mint Julep
2 oz. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 tsp. of rose-infused honey simple syrup
6 mint Leaves
Wipe mint leaves inside a julep cup, expressing the fragrances and flavor. Drop the leaves in the cup. Add rose-infused honey simple syrup, crushed ice and Woodford Reserve Bourbon to the cup. Garnish with mint and miniature rose buds.
This is not the only Derby-related news from Woodford in recent weeks: In early March, the distillery announced its 2024 Kentucky Derby bottle, which makes sense given that it’s both the “Official Bourbon” and “Presenting Sponsor” of the Derby. And a few weeks ago we reviewed the excellent and expensive new Baccarat Edition 150th Derby whiskey. You can find the entire lineup, including the 2024 Derby bottle, available to purchase now from ReserveBar.
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