Derby Day and the Derby Cocktail (4 Ways)
by Ken Walczak
I don’t have anything against the Mint Julep. Far from it. The Julep is a delicious tipple and it makes one hell of an accompaniment to a horse race. It’s also a really tasty way to consume large quantities of Maker’s Mark bourbon.
In fact, Derby Day has become essentially the only time a year that I interact with either horse racing or Maker’s Mark, and our annual reunion is always pleasurable. (For me, anyway. I can’t speak for the feelings of the whisky, or the horses. Or Calvin Borel, for that matter. Dude always looks like he needs a sandwich.)
Having said all of that: Let’s say you’re not quite as set in your ways as I am. Maybe you’ve done the Julep thing a few times, and you’re eager for a change. Maybe your local dive stocks Maker’s and not much else, and you feel like you’ve quaffed your yearly allotment for 2011 already. Or maybe you’ve got schmancy friends coming to your Derby – like, the kind that buy hats for the occasion, whether they’re at Churchill Downs or not – and you’d like to drop a little knowledge, just to impress them. Seems like a cocktail called the “Derby” would be just the thing, right?
But which Derby cocktail? Trader Vic’s 1947 Bartender’s Guide lists three variations, all with very different ingredients and qualities. Fittingly, the only thing the three have in common is a mint leaf.
Derby Cocktail #1 (Haigh Imprimatur Version)
1 oz. bourbon ¾ oz. fresh lime juice ½ oz. sweet vermouth ½ oz. orange curaçao
Shake; strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf – spanked, let’s go ahead and assume.
This Derby has the blessing of “Dr. Cocktail” Ted Haigh, who included it in his essential Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. I tried it with Four Roses bourbon, Carpano Antica vermouth, and Combier orange liqueur. The result was a surprisingly tart, citrus-forward drink that wouldn’t seem out of place on a brunch table. Combier has a sharp, zesty orange flavor, so it’s possible that you’d get a more well-rounded, richer result with something like Cointreau or (better yet) Grand Marnier.
Not that you should feel the need to tinker. Any way you make it, this Derby is a mild, easygoing cocktail and a fine reason to drink bourbon before post time. Party bonus: my very citrus-forward Combier version paired perfectly with chips and salsa
Derby Cocktail #2 (Savoy Version)
1 ½ oz. gin 2 dashes peach bitters 1 sprig mint
Stir gently, or “roll” with cracked ice (see below). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
This one appeared in the venerable Savoy Cocktail Book long before Trader Vic got a hold of it. As with all things Savoy, I defer to Erik Ellestad’s Under-Hill Lounge for the final word. Erik suggests that you “roll” the cocktail instead of shaking it: “That is to say just pour it back and forth for 15 seconds or so between two shaker tins or glasses. Not quite shaking, but not quite stirring. If you shake it you’re going to pulverize the mint and all you’ll taste is bitter plant guts.” Listen to Erik; he’s a pretty smart dude.
I will say this for Derby #2: it provides a fine excuse to sing/holler my current favorite song. (D. Simon, what up!) Otherwise there’s not much to recommend it over our other options, particularly not for afternoon, horse-race-adjacent drinking. Let’s move on.
Derby Cocktail #3 (Romolo Improv Version)
2 oz brandy (Germain-Robin) 4 dashes curacao (Cointreau) 4 dashes pineapple syrup (homemade caramelized pineapple syrup) 2 dashes orange bitters
Shake; strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf. Spanked? Sure, why not.
For this one, I turned to an expert. I didn’t have any pineapple syrup at home (though Small Hand Foods makes a lovely one), so I stopped in to 15 Romolo to see bartender and Friend of the Column Ethan Terry. I thought Romolo might have the Small Hand on hand; I hadn’t even imagined the possibility of a homemade caramelized pineapple syrup. But that’s San Francisco for you.
Surprisingly, the Derby #3 Ethan made me had all of the flavors I expected from Derby #2. The pineapple and orange flavors brought out a fruity quality in the brandy, such that the whole cocktail tasted primarily of peach. And not fresh peach or that really nice crème de pêche, either. More like a medicinal peach, of the kind I associate with Fee Brothers peach bitters, or the cheap peach brandy I’ve used to mix Fish House Punch.
In sum, not the most sophisticated cocktail experience I’ve ever had. Derby #3 tasted nice, in a fruity kind of way (and Ethan did mix mine expertly), but ultimately it seemed like a bit of a shameful thing to do to Germain-Robin.
Fortunately, Ethan reminded me of one other cocktail commonly listed as a “Derby,” this one mint-free:
Derby Cocktail #4 (Bourbon Frisco Boogaloo Version)
2 oz. bourbon (Robert Hess uses Maker’s) ¼-½ oz. Bénédictine (½ oz. if you’re HAM like me) 2 dashes angostura bitters
Stir with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glasses. No need to spank anything, but if you’ve got something spankable handy, don’t let me stop you.
The Frisco cocktail is a subject worth its own column, but one way to make it is essentially to swap out the bourbon in this recipe for rye. Made that way, the Frisco is a quick-hitting, bracing little thing that will start your evening off right … and then end it prematurely, if you’re not being careful. Same principles apply to this “Bourbon Frisco” version of the Derby. It’s tasty alchemy, but protect ya neck.
If the sun has set and you’re still enjoying the company of the guests who arrived hours before post time and started in on sweet drinks like the #1, a simple, spirituous cocktail like the #4 is a great way to reward yourself for a successful Derby Day. Make a few for your guests, while you’re at it.
Or else pull out the last of those mint sprigs and toss together another pitcher of juleps. It’s tradition, after all, and I have nothing at all against the Mint Julep.
Post time for the 137th Kentucky Derby is 6:24pm Eastern time, May 7th. The early favorite is … a horse, I imagine.