Kentucky Derby 2022 drinks: Recipes, ingredients for traditional Mint Juleps, bourbon cocktails

By Mia ZanzucchiMay 4, 2022, 8:10 PM EDT

The state of Kentucky has a rich history in bourbon and distilleries, boasting the production of 95 percent of all the bourbon in the world. With over 11 million barrels of bourbon in the state (two barrels for every one Kentucky resident), it’s no wonder bourbon drinks and the Kentucky Derby go hand in hand.

The 2022 Kentucky Derby will air on Saturday, May 7 from 12 to 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Get ready for the 148th Kentucky Derby with these traditional (and less traditional) bourbon cocktails, mocktails and more.

Mint Julep ingredients, recipe

The Mint Julep is a Kentucky Derby staple. In a regular year when Churchill Downs hosts spectators at 100 percent capacity, over 100,000 Mint Julep drinks are sold on Kentucky Oaks Friday and Kentucky Derby Saturday. This requires around 10,000 bottles of Mint Julep mix, 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.

To make your own Mint Julep at home, you can either purchase premade Mint Julep syrup and add ice and mint to garnish or you can make it entirely from scratch with the bourbon of your choice, simple syrup and mint, like the Kentucky Derby’s own recipe, which uses Old Forester (a product of Louisville, Ky. that is made less than 5 miles from Churchill Downs).

Serve it up in an official Kentucky Derby 148 glass—or the Unofficial Kentucky Derby Losers cup, which honors the 147 horses that have finished in last place.

What's Derby Day without a classic mint julep?

Get your cocktail glasses and hats ready for today's edition of @KellyClarksonTV, and don't forget that the @KentuckyDerby comes to NBC this Saturday! pic.twitter.com/EWsnqaOZm5

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 27, 2021

Mint Julep variations

If you’re feeling posh and maybe a bit more adventurous, why not try replicating this year’s $1,000 Kentucky Derby Mint Julep, which is a nod to the connections between Kentucky and France (for example, both have towns named “Versailles,” but with completely different pronunciations).

The recipe, of course, contains mint and Kentucky bourbon, but also includes pomegranate, orange, lemon and a dash of honey from Versailles, France, if you happen to have some.

If you’re more into fruit, why not try a cherry-infused variation of the Mint Julep, a blackberry take on the cocktail, or a recipe that incorporates strawberry.

Mint Julep Mocktail

Mint Juleps aren’t just for grown ups. Keep the bourbon out and make it a mocktail, like in celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s kiddie Mint Juleps.

For those with access to Ale-8, a craft soda similar to ginger ale that is sold almost exclusively in Kentucky, make your mocktail even more intensely Bluegrass with Ale-8’s very own mock Mint Julep recipe.

Oaks Lily

The Oaks Lily isn’t a bourbon drink, but it does have Derby roots. The cocktail, which featured vodka, sweet and sour and cranberry juice, is the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks, which is run the day before the Derby (Friday, May 6, 1-5 p.m. ET on Peacock and 5-6 p.m. ET on USA Network) for only the fiercest fillies in horse racing. The official Oaks Lily recipe suggests a stemless wine glass and blackberries and lemon to garnish.

Bourbon Slush

If you’re looking for something a little cooler, try bourbon slush, a frozen, boozy concoction that puts all other slushies to shame. Besides bourbon, you’ll get tastes of tea, lemonade and orange juice.

Old Fashion

Less adventurous bourbon fans can’t go wrong with a simple Old Fashioned, which is a combination of sugar, bitters and bourbon with orange for garnish.

Keeneland Breeze

Journey an hour and a half southeast from Churchill Downs and experience the Keeneland Breeze, named for Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. This light, citrus-infused drink features bourbon, triple sec and ginger ale. Revisit the Keeneland Breeze in the fall, as well, when the 2022 Breeders’ Cup heads back to Lexington on November 4 and 5.

Black-Eyed Susan

Start prepping for the second leg of the Triple Crown (Saturday, May 21 on NBC) with the Black-Eyed Susan, the official drink of the Preakness Stakes. The Black-Eyed Susan is a sweet and fruity cocktail, and while there are many takes on the drink floating around, Pimlico’s official recipe includes vodka, bourbon and orange juice.

Belmont Jewel

Finish out the Triple Crown with the Belmont Jewel, Belmont Park’s official drink of the final Triple Crown race (Saturday, June 11 on NBC). Less sweet than the Black-Eyed Susan but still citrusy for an early summer feel, the official Belmont Jewel recipe contains bourbon, lemonade, pomegranate juice and orange zest.

Watch the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7 from 12 to 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Full coverage is also available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Florida Derby 2023: How to watch, what to know ahead of race day

By Annie CoryMar 29, 2023, 1:36 PM EDT

The stakes are high on the road to the Kentucky Derby, as a field of 12 will vie for $1 million and precious qualifying points at the Curlin Florida Derby on Saturday, April 1 on CNBC and Peacock. The winner of the race will receive 100 of these points with the runner-up getting 40, the third-place runner receiving 30, the fourth-place finisher receiving 20 and the fifth-place horse receiving 10.

NBC Sports has you covered with everything you need to know about Saturday’s race, which will get underway Saturday at 6 p.m. EST, airing on CNBC and streaming on Peacock.

Who will be racing at the Florida Derby?

Jungfrau
- Bill Mott (trainer), Paco Lopez (jockey)
West Coast Cowboy
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Sonny Leon (jockey)
Shaq Diesel
- Renaldo Richards (trainer), Miguel Vasquez (jockey)
Mage
- Gustavo Delgado (trainer), Luis Saez (jockey)
Mr. Peeks
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Edwin Gonzalez (jockey)
Nautical Star
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Leonel Reyes (jockey)
II Miracolo
- Antonio Sano (trainer), Jesus Rios (jockey)
Mr. Ripple
- Saffie Joseph Jr. (trainer), Edgard Zayas (jockey)
Cyclone Mischief
- Dale Romans (trainer), Javier Castellano (jockey)
Fort Bragg
- Tim Yakteen (trainer), Joel Rosario (jockey)
Forte
- Todd Pletcher (trainer), Irad Ortiz Jr. (jockey)
Dubyuhnell
- Danny Gargan (trainer), Jose Ortiz (jockey)

Who is the favorite for the Florida Derby?

All eyes will be on the reigning two-year-old champion Forte come Saturday, who has earned 90 points to date and won five of his six career starts. His 2023 campaign got off to a quick start after taking the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream by 4 1/2 lengths on March 4 in his 3-year-old debut. His other recent wins include triumphs at the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The 4/5 morning line favorite and trainer Todd Pletcher, however, will have some obstacles in the way as they look to continue the charge to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. As Pletcher looks to extend his streak to a record-setting seven wins, he’ll need Forte to overcome a post position 11 at Gulfstream Park.

Horses who have drawn post position 11 at the Florida Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles since Gulfstream was reconfigured in 2006 have come away with the crown a mere 2 of 50 times.

What should I look for come race day?

The unlucky post position for the favorite Forte opens the door for other contenders, such as Fort Bragg and Cyclone Mischief.

Fort Bragg, who was initially slated to race at last weekend’s Sunland Derby before re-routing to Gulfstream, will be making his second start for Tim Yakteen. The $700,000 purchase is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Fountain of Youth on March 4 and is 5-1 on the morning line for Florida under Forte.

Not far behind, however, is Cyclone Mischief, who displayed an encouraging performance at the Fountain of Youth, holding a lead for the first mile before falling to third. The three-year-old and his trainer, Dale Romans, will look to cause a bit more havoc at Gulfstream and earn valuable points to keep the hopes for Louisville alive.

Others to keep an eye on come race time include Mage, who has a total of 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and West Coast Cowboy, who currently sits with six.

How can I watch the Florida Derby?

Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 6 p.m. EST
TV Network: CNBC
Streaming: Peacock

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC Sports and Peacock.

For more horse racing coverage and the latest on the road to the Kentucky Derby, visit nbcsports.com.

Road to the Kentucky Derby: Forte seems dominant ahead of Florida Derby prep race

By Al BernsteinMar 28, 2023, 2:54 PM EDT

The numbers speak for themselves. Horses trained by Todd Pletcher have earned more purse money (over $455 million) than those trained by any other person in the history of thoroughbred racing. He has won with an impressive 23% of his starters, and 52% have finished first, second or third.

When it comes to the Kentucky Derby, however, Pletcher becomes a mere mortal. From 62 career starters, he has won the race twice, with two seconds, and four horses who finished 3^rd. Many of Pletcher’s Derby horses were longshots who were in the race primarily so their owners could have a horse in America’s biggest race. His two Derby winners, while they were reasonably backed at the windows, were far from odds-on favorites. When Super Saver won in 2010, he paid $18.00 for a $2 win ticket. Always Dreaming, his 2017 winner, was a very lukewarm favorite who returned $11.40 to win. Many racing fans are used to seeing Pletcher’s horses win at short odds, primarily in New York and Florida. They might be shocked to find out that when Always Dreaming won the 2017 Derby, he was the shortest-odds horse that Pletcher had ever saddled in the Kentucky Derby, despite having odds just under 5-1.

This Saturday, he will saddle Forte in the Florida Derby. Forte will enter the race on a four-race win streak, with those wins coming in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes. He is a 4/5 morning line favorite, and if he wins the race, he should move forward to Louisville as a very strong favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Clearly, he would be the shortest-priced horse Pletcher has ever had in the race, but that almost wasn’t the case.

In 2010, we know that Pletcher scored a mild upset in the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver. He was definitely not the best three-year-old in Pletcher’s barn. That year, he had a horse named Eskendereya, who seemed as unbeatable as Forte does now. He was set to enter the Derby off a three-race win streak. That streak included an 8 ½ length victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and a 9 ¾ length win in the Wood Memorial. The Pletcher barn was devastated when Eskendereya suffered a career-ending leg injury in training one week before the Kentucky Derby. So, instead of saddling the big favorite in the race, he took his shot with four other horses. As the chart tells us, Super Saver benefitted from a rail-skimming ride by Calvin Borel and gave Pletcher his first Derby winner.

As far as I am concerned, any discussion of Forte and the Florida Derby should begin with the concept of professionalism in a racehorse. In one respect you can call him more professional than (dare I say?) Secretariat. Big Red was brilliant, and he showed the ability to win on the engine and from off the pace. Forte’s three career races around two turns, however, are a virtual carbon copy of each other.

As a two-year-old, in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, he was in fifth place after six furlongs, sitting 2 ½ lengths off the lead, and he went on to win by a neck. That race set him up for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In the Juvenile, he was again in fifth after six furlongs, sitting four lengths off the lead before he went on to win by 1 ½ lengths. It’s been said that race horses mature the most between ages two and three, and Forte’s only race this year showed that maturity. In the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, he was in fourth after six furlongs, sitting about two lengths off the lead, and then he blew by the field, going on to win by 4 ½ lengths.

This concept of professionalism in a racehorse is based in part on how well the game plan of the trainer is executed by the horse. Forte is a horse that has clearly used his fast cruising speed and his ability to relax off the pace to his advantage. Looking at those three wins he posted around two turns, they show that Forte’s natural ability allows him to idle like a Cadillac behind front-runners, and he has a growing ability to pass his competition on the far turn and power through the stretch on his way to victory. The Pletcher game plan, nurtured through the experience of 62 starts in America’s most important race, has been very convincing thus far.

Working in Forte’s favor even more is the fact that there are several horses in the race who tend to run on the front end, which should set up jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. to make Forte’s signature move to the lead as the front-runners start to tire. Skeptics might point to Forte’s journey from the #11 post as a reason to think he might have a problem here, but the fact that he relaxes in races and has a high cruising speed should allow Ortiz to get a mid-pack position to pounce from.

As for the rest of the field, the two most likely to finish underneath Forte in exotic wagers are Fort Bragg and Cyclone Mischief. Fort Bragg is a horse who sold for $700,000 as a yearling. He was formerly trained by Bob Baffert and has been transferred to the care of Tim Yakteen. He should be near the front end early and is likely to have the class to last longer that some of the other forwardly-placed runners. Another who has a good chance to hit the board is the Dale Romans-trained Cyclone Mischief. He has raced against some of the top horses of his age group and was third to Forte in the Fountain of Youth, beaten by nearly 6 lengths. Although he was on the lead in that race, I expect him to sit a couple of lengths off the pace here. There are two longer-priced entries here that could hit the board to fill out some tickets. They are the lightly-raced Mage (fourth in the Fountain of Youth with a troubled trip) and West Coast Cowboy, who has tried hard in all three career races and is 20-1 on the morning line.

For those who think they might be able to beat Forte, consider Todd Pletcher’s record in the Florida Derby. He is the leading trainer in the history of the race with six wins, and five of those have been in the last nine years.

If there is a theme to the Derby prep season thus far, it is Pletcher, Pletcher, Pletcher. In addition to Forte, he trains Kingsbarns, the front-running winner of the Louisiana Derby, and Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice. Tapit Trice, who will run in the Blue Grass Stakes on NBC a week from Saturday, is an intriguing horse who won the Tampa Bay Derby with come-from-behind style. As talented as Forte is, we don’t know how talented Tapit Trice can be, as he seems to mature more with each start. At Tampa Bay, he was eighth in the middle of the stretch and got home to win by an easy two lengths. He is an 8-1 second choice in the most recent Derby futures pool, with Forte favored at 3-1.

It is always fascinating when the early Derby favorite has his final prep race. We’ll have to sit back and watch on Saturday to determine whether Forte will continue his dominance or if he will hit a bump in the road. His talent and his ability to duplicate his running style from race to race lead me to think that his growth and maturity will continue to be on display in the Florida Derby, and he’ll advance to Kentucky a huge favorite for America’s biggest race.

How to Watch the Florida Derby

Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 6pm ET
TV Network: CNBC
Streaming: Peacock

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 149th Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC and Peacock.