Beyond the Mint Julep — 8 Cocktails for Kentucky Derby & Oaks Day 2026

The classic Mint Julep will always be the official drink of Churchill Downs — about 120,000 of them get poured during Derby weekend alone — but anyone who has hosted a Derby party for more than a year or two knows the truth: not every guest wants the same bourbon-mint-sugar combo on repeat. Friday's Kentucky Oaks has its own official cocktail, the Oaks Lily, and the most memorable Derby parties of the last few seasons have been the ones where the host puts out three or four julep variations alongside the original.

With the 152nd Run for the Roses now just six days away (Saturday, May 2, 2026), this is your shopping list. Below are eight cocktails that fit the day — five julep variations, the Oaks Lily, a sparkling Derby option, and a smart non-alcoholic build — plus the exact bottles to buy from Bourbon Central to make them. Every recipe is sized for one drink so you can scale up to your guest count.

1. The Classic Mint Julep (Old Forester's Way)

Old Forester is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, and the brand has poured the official Derby Mint Julep at Churchill Downs since 2018. There is no need to overthink this one: Old Forester Bourbon Whiskey ($34.99) is the canonical pour, and 86 proof is exactly the strength a julep was built around.

Build: Muddle 4–6 fresh mint leaves with ½ oz simple syrup in a chilled julep cup. Pack with crushed ice. Pour 2½ oz Old Forester. Stir until the cup frosts, top with more crushed ice, and garnish with a healthy mint bouquet and a powdered-sugar dust. Serve with a short straw so the drinker's nose lands directly in the mint.

2. The Honey Julep (Woodford Reserve)

Swap the simple syrup for honey syrup (1:1 honey to hot water, cooled) and the cocktail goes from sweet to round. Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($44.99) is the long-running second official bourbon of Churchill Downs and it loves honey — its baking-spice and dried-fruit profile reads almost like a hot toddy in cold form. Use 2 oz Woodford, ½ oz honey syrup, and the same mint-and-crushed-ice technique.

3. The Peach Julep (Maker's Mark 46)

By early May, Georgia and South Carolina peaches are coming in; muddle a quarter of a ripe peach (skin on) into the cup before the mint. Maker's Mark 46 ($44.99) is the right wheated bourbon for this one — the seared French oak staves used in the 46 finish push caramel and toasted vanilla forward, and those notes wrap around stone fruit beautifully. Use 2 oz Maker's 46, ½ oz simple syrup, peach, mint, crushed ice. Garnish with a thin peach slice.

4. The Oaks Lily (Friday, May 1)

Don't skip Friday. The Kentucky Oaks runs the day before the Derby and its official cocktail, the Oaks Lily, is a pink, tart, easy-drinking break from all the bourbon. The official build calls for vodka and triple sec, both of which we stock: use 1¾ oz Finlandia Vodka ($25.09), ¾ oz Cointreau Liqueur ($42.99) in place of generic triple sec for a noticeably crisper drink, 3 oz cranberry juice, and 1 oz fresh sweet-and-sour. Shake, strain into a tall glass with crushed ice, garnish with a blackberry and a lemon wedge.

5. The Prosecco Julep (Brunch Builds)

For the early Derby Day brunch crowd, lengthen the julep with Italian sparkling. Build a half-julep — 1 oz Larceny Small Batch Bourbon ($40.09), ¼ oz simple syrup, mint, crushed ice — then top with chilled Bisol Prosecco Superiore Brut Crede ($24.99). The wheated softness of Larceny disappears into the sparkling acidity in the best way; this is the one your aunt who "doesn't really like bourbon" will have two of.

6. The Rye Julep (Spice for the Bourbon Crowd)

If your group already drinks bourbon every weekend, lean into rye for variety. Bulleit Rye ($38.09) is 95% rye mash bill — assertively peppery, dry, and clean. Use 2½ oz Bulleit Rye, ¼ oz demerara syrup (slightly less sweet than simple), more mint than usual (8–10 leaves) to balance the spice, crushed ice, mint bouquet. Serve next to the classic julep so guests can compare.

7. The Premium Single-Barrel Julep (Buffalo Trace)

For the bottle that makes the table look serious, set out Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($78.99) for a one-bottle premium pour. Buffalo Trace's brown sugar and toasted-corn profile is what the julep template was built for. If your party budget allows for one true splurge bottle, an Eagle Rare 10 Year julep is what serious Derby hosts pour for the last race; the 10 years of barrel age add dried cherry and oak that single-barrel proof carries cleanly through crushed ice.

8. The Knob Creek 9 House Pour

If you're making twenty juleps and you need a single bottle that won't quit, Knob Creek 9 Year Old Bourbon ($49.99) is the working pour the bartenders we trust reach for. It is 100 proof — strong enough to survive crushed ice without disappearing — and the 9-year barrel time gives caramel and oak depth at a price that makes a 10-guest party realistic. One 750 ml gets you eight juleps.

Bonus: The Non-Alcoholic Derby Cooler

Always have one for designated drivers and the kids: muddle 6 mint leaves with ¾ oz honey syrup, add 4 oz strong-brewed black tea, top with sparkling water, garnish with mint and a lemon wheel. The flavor profile lands close to a julep without the bourbon — and your guests will appreciate the option.

The Glassware Question

You don't strictly need silver julep cups — a rocks glass works fine — but the metal does keep the drink colder for longer. Whatever you use, get the ice right. Crushed (not cubed, not shaved) is the only correct format; if your fridge doesn't make it, run regular ice through a Lewis bag with a wooden mallet, or pulse cubes in a blender for two seconds.

Building Your Derby Day Bar

For a 10–15 person Derby party, three bottles will cover everything above: one bourbon (Old Forester or Woodford), one rye (Bulleit Rye), and one sparkler (Bisol Prosecco). Add Cointreau and Finlandia if you're including the Oaks Lily on Friday, and 1.5 lb of fresh mint per 10 guests. Browse the full Bourbon Collection for julep-friendly bottles in every price tier, the Whiskey Collection for rye options beyond Bulleit, and our Best Sellers for what other Derby hosts in our customer base have already added to their carts this week.

If you're starting your Derby week shopping today, the New Arrivals page is worth a scan — limited single-barrel picks rotate quickly between now and Saturday.

Related Reading

For the full julep technique deep-dive (and why ice format matters more than you think), see our bartender's guide on How to Make the Perfect Mint Julep. For the broader race-day bourbon pairing, the original Kentucky Derby 2026 Bourbon Guide walks through what to sip during each race. If you're hosting through the full week, the Kentucky Derby Week 2026 Drinking Guide covers Opening Day through Saturday's last race, and the Last-Minute Derby Host Checklist is the 7-day shopping plan we published yesterday.

For Mother's Day cocktails the following weekend (May 10), see our Mother's Day Brunch Cocktail Guide — several of the cocktails translate beautifully from a Derby party to a brunch table. And if barrel-strength bourbon is on your radar for an even bigger julep, our deep-dive on Barrel Proof Bourbon 101 covers the cask-strength options worth considering.

Order in Time for Saturday

Bourbon Central ships fast, but Derby weekend is the highest-volume bourbon shopping week of the spring. Place your order by Wednesday at the latest to guarantee delivery by Saturday morning. Shop the full Bourbon Collection to build your lineup, or grab one of our Best Sellers if you want a single bottle that will keep every guest happy from the first race through the Run for the Roses.