Derby Party

Kentucky Derby California Style

~ Bill Thornley ~ 4 Comments

The first Saturday in May is a special day to me. Having grown across the Ohio River from Louisville, we always watched the Kentucky Derby. My parents hosted many parties for the race. I attended the Derby with friends when I was in high school and college, among the crush of humanity in the infield. Back then you could buy an infield ticket for $5. I still have the infield ticket from 1973 when Secretariat won the Derby on his way to win the Triple Crown. We would get to Churchill Downs very early in the morning to be in line when the gates opened. We then raced with our stools and milk crates to stake out our spots along the inside fence by the finish line. We would camp there all day for “The most exciting 2 minutes in sports.”

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Lynn and I dressed up for this year’s Derby Party

When I moved to California, I wanted to introduce my love of the Derby and the traditions of Kentucky to my new friends and the young lady I met who I have been married to since 1979. Lynn and I began hosting Derby Parties in 1978 when we watched our first Triple Crown winner together. I was rooting for Alydar, Calumet’s Horse to win, and Lynn was rooting for Affirmed, the California horse.

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Setting up for the party

We have continued these parties with a few breaks for our kid’s grade school years. Our goal has always been to spread the traditions of Kentucky, and our love of the excitement, beauty, and power of horse racing. This year carried on those traditions. We did add a new twist this year with some rain. We just don’t do rain in California in May. Only twice in over 30 years of parties have we had rain.

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Ray wearing his admission badge

This year Lynn designed an invitation that looked like some of the old Admission Badges in my collection from the turn of the century. We asked people to wear their badges along with a bow tie for the men and a hat for the ladies.

With the post time being just after 3:30pm in California, we start the party around 1:00pm so it’s a great time for an afternoon of seeing old friends, dining, and horse racing. We have TV’s all over so people can watch the other races and all the build up to the Derby.

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This year’s centerpiece

We have the Mint Juleps flowing in the official Kentucky Derby glasses I have collected over the years. We offer other beverages but the Mint Juleps are a big hit. This year’s food was fantastic with Burgoo, ham, and pulled pork as the main dishes. There were too many appetizers, salads, vegetables, and desserts to list. It’s always good. Our friends enjoy bringing a dish to add to the day.

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Betting the winner

Our guests have an opportunity to pick a horse or horses in a win pool. Over the years they have started to study up prior to the party and all come prepared with their list. The winner was also the betting favorite at Thornley Downs. Everyone loves cheering the horses down the stretch.

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Joann’s winnings

We have been to the Derby several times. In 2015, we attended the Belmont to see American Pharoah the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed. We really enjoy attending the races but there is no bigger thrill than introducing friends and family in California to the traditions and excitement of the Kentucky Derby.

My bourbon bottle is empty!

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

Or an alternative title is how to decorate with bourbon bottles! My wife, Lynn, got the idea a few months ago to use empty bourbon bottles to decorate at our Derby Party last weekend. As you can see by the pictures below, they make the perfect centerpiece for a party that revolves around Mint Juleps and the Kentucky Derby.

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Our backyard set up for last weekend’s Derby Party

Lynn did some research online looking for ideas on how to use them. She spent a morning at the LA Flower Mart to find the tablecloths and wood rounds that served as the bases. She coupled those with red roses in our silver julep cups. Taylor added the bougainvillea and we had the perfect centerpiece for the Kentucky Derby!

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An empty Basil Hayden’s bottle put to a new use

If you don’t throw parties and want to recycle your empty bottles to buy more bourbon, try eBay. Empty Pappy Van Winkle bottles have sold on eBay for over $200. In a recent auction, a set of 15-20-23 sold for $599.00. A 20-year-old Orphan Barrel Barterhouse bottle sold for $12.00. You can watch and see many of the empty higher priced bourbon bottles sell from a $1.00 to $25 over $100.00. Everybody collects something. And if you are just looking for some unique bottles to decorate with, eBay is a great place to scan for bargains.

You can also use empty bottles to decorate the back of a bar, or even as soap dispensers. With the breadth of ideas you see on Etsy  and Pinterest these days you can find a lot of ideas to use that empty bottle. At the very least, recycle it so someone can make a new use out of the bourbon bottle!

Bourbon Recipe: Bourbon Slush for a Bourbon Blast

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

Another favorite drink at our annual Kentucky Derby party, besides mint juleps, is Bourbon Slush. It’s great for a large gathering when you need to make drinks for a crowd and this recipe is a real crowd pleaser. Lynn got the recipe out of Porch Parties, a really great book full of cocktail recipes to be enjoyed outdoors by Denise Gee (she also has a Southern Cocktails book that I want to check out).

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The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made a day, a week, or a month in advance. Once made you thaw it in a punch bowl and it makes slush on its own. You can add crushed ice if you wish to keep it slushy.

Lynn made it for our Derby Party a few years ago. She had some left in the freezer that we thawed later for another party in the summer and it was wonderful and refreshing. It very simple!

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Bourbon Slush Recipe

Ingredients:
6 Cups of water
2 Cups Bourbon
One 6-Ounce Container Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate, Thawed
One 12-Ounce Container Frozen Lemon Juice Concentrate, Thawed
Strong Tea (Recipe below)
Garnish with Mint Sprigs or Lemon Slices (Optional)

Directions:
Combine the water, tea, bourbon, sugar, orange, and lemon juice concentrate in a large container or bowl and mix until sugar dissolves. Pour into two gallon-size freezer bags. Freeze until an hour before serving, Place the frozen punch in a large bowl and let thaw breaking up every 15 minutes, When punch is melted, add more ice or water as desired. Serve in punch cups. Garnish, if desired.

Strong Tea:
2 Cups of water
1 family-size or 4 regular tea bags

Boil the water. Add the tea bag(s) and let steep until cool. Discard the tea bags and set aside.

This “Slush” will have everyone talking and enjoying their day at the races, or a summer afternoon on your porch. It’s an easy way to serve many while enjoying your party.