Overview
- Forbes urges hosts to build menus beyond the Mint Julep, offering 10 bourbon and low-ABV options to balance early, mid, and late-day drinking.
- Bartenders advise stirring crushed ice until the cup frosts and lightly slapping mint leaves rather than muddling to release aroma without a grassy taste.
- AP and The Independent note the julep’s scale at Churchill Downs, where the Derby reports more than 125,000 served over two days using about 10,000 bourbon bottles, 2,250 pounds of mint, and 475,000 pounds of ice.
- Forbes highlights eight reliable bourbons under $60 for parties, with picks suited to both mixing and neat pours so hosts can stock smart without overspending.
- Expert Dan Shook recommends Four Roses Small Batch Select for juleps, Old Forester 1924 for long neat sessions, budget-friendly Benchmark Top Floor for crowds, and rare celebratory pours like Blade and Bow 30 Year Old or Very Old St. Nick Believe.