Decadent and Depraved

While Kentucky Derby 134 drew the second largest crowd in the history of the Derby to the grounds of Churchill Downs, we held our own modest celebration in my living room. Although sans gigantic crazy hats, we still partied on through "the most exciting 2 minutes in sports" with fresh mint juleps and chicken wings sure to please the snobbiest of Junior League ladies. (Okay, so maybe the chicken wings are more fitting for football, but they did the job.)

Traditional Mint Julep:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• Sprigs of fresh mint
• Crushed or Shaved Ice
• Kentucky Whiskey (We used Maker's Mark, but Early Times is the official whiskey of the Derby)

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of whiskey. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.




Our picks!



NOT PICTURED: No.4 COURT VISION

And we won! Big Brown came in 1st. Unfortunately we only bet 2 bucks on it, but this didn't ruin our sense of pride. Coming in second was Eight Belles who sadly broke both ankles right as she crossed the finish line and had to be euthanized. I personally thought she could have been saved, but she would have never been able to race again rendering her useless to the rich derby folks. Hmph.



If that's not enough Derby action for you (I know it was a magical trip.), check out Hunter S. Thompson's 1970 essay on the event:
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved