This Saturday, May 3, is the date of the historic Kentucky Derby. Over 150,000 people will descend upon Churchill Downs, sip mint juleps and watch this historic horse race.
The Kentucky Derby shares that 20 horses run the race each year, and the winner of the race gets a prize of a hefty $3.1 million. The jockey of the winning racing horse will walk away with $310,000, according to NBC5.
This historic race is also a fashion show in its own right, which makes for great people-watching. Guests who attend the Kentucky Derby often wear extraordinary hats ranging from the opulent to the bizarre. But besides horse-racing and fashion, there’s another star of the show at the derby: booze.
Kentucky is a bourbon town, so it’s no surprise that bourbon is the tipple of choice. Distilleries all over the state are joining in on the festivities. If you prefer to celebrate in liquid form, these three bottles are an excellent way to do just that.
3 Bourbons Commemorating the 2025 Kentucky Derby
Evan Williams 2025 Derby Festival Single Barrel
Heaven Hill’s very own Evan Williams dropped this pink wax-topped bourbon to commemorate the Kentucky Derby in February, according to The Whiskey Wash. This particular release marks the ninth year of Evan Williams Derby releases, and each year’s release includes a Pegasus Pin.
Evan Williams’ Derby Bottles each have a barrel number, date and bottling date on them, ensuring authenticity. Though the colorful pink wax topper is definitely eye-catching, the juice inside is apparently pretty solid stuff as well.
The Whiskey Wash shared this year’s bourbon is from 2017 and clocks in at 106 proof. Jonah Flicker of Men’s Journal was particularly partial to this bourbon’s release, calling it “fantastic.” Flicker claimed the heftier proof adds quite a bit to this classically driven bourbon, with its vanilla and maple flavors, with a zing of baking spice as it concludes.
Interested parties can pick up a bottle at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience which costs approximately $89.99, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
Maker’s Mark Greats of the Gate 2025: Lexington
Speaking of wax-topped bottles, Maker’s Mark unveiled the second edition of its Greats of the Gate series, a series of whiskeys honoring famous racehorses. The Lane Report shared that the whiskey brand launched Greats of the Gate 2025 in early April. Maker’s Mark donates proceeds to nonprofits within the Bluegrass State.
With a suggested retail price of $179.99, this year’s Greats of the Gate honors the racehorse Lexington. Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson designed this label, and it features Lexington’s racing colors — orange and black. The bottle features a signature from President of Aidrie Stud Bret Jones, the descendant of Lexington’s owners.
The bottle has a suggested retail price of $179.99 and just 5,000 bottles exist, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
Woodford Reserve 2025 Kentucky Derby Bottle
We’d be completely remiss if we didn’t include Woodford Reserve’s 2025 Kentucky Derby bottle on this list.
The Brown-Forman-owned brand sponsors the Kentucky Derby and releases jewel-crusted derby julep cups right before the race each year. Woodford’s julep cups are for a good cause, yet often fetch prices of $1,000 to $5,000 a pop.
Woodford’s 2025 Bourbon is another option for a commemorative derby buy priced at a more reasonable SRP of $50. This bourbon boasts a painting on the label by the Cuban-born artist, Humberto Lahera. Robb Report shares that it is called Carrera Dinamica, and depicts a jockey on a horse with a flurry of roses in his wake.
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