Woodford Reserve’s 2024 Mint Julep Cups Commemorate the 150th Kentucky Derby and Are Encrusted With Precious Gems
Woodford Reserve unveiled the brand’s annual julep cups as part of its charity initiative. (Photo: Woodford Reserve)
On Tuesday, Woodford Reserve unveiled its 2024 mint julep cups, which cost $1,000 and $5,000 apiece. Each year, Woodford Reserve releases special-edition mint julep cups for a charity program.
The cups are particularly special this year, as they celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
“These julep cups are a tribute to 150 years of greatness,” Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said in a statement. “They’re a true spectacle, and every detail has been handcrafted.”
Three hundred of the julep cups were created by the Louisville jeweler, From the Vault.
The 2024 design features depictions of Churchill Downs’ twin spires, bedecked with either green crystals or synthetic white sapphires. The brand released 200 embellished silver cups on a base of pewter, which feature 44 green crystals in the design and are priced at $1,000.
The remaining 100 gold cups are adorned with 44 synthetic white sapphires and a sterling silver straw which can be purchased for $5,000. The gold julep cups come with a limited-release book that dives into the 150 years of history behind The Kentucky Derby.
Woodford Reserve announced for the first time since the cups released that the bourbon brand will ship them to customer’s homes, should interested parties wish to purchase them before derby day. Those who wish to purchase the cups in person can pick them up at the $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience at Churchill Downs on May 3.
Proceeds will be donated to the Backside Learning Center, an organization which offers support for those who work at Churchill Downs and their families.
As extravagant as these julep cups are, they are not the most lavish release to come from Woodford Reserve in celebration of the 150th Kentucky Derby.
In March, the brand debuted a whiskey celebrating the 150th Kentucky Derby with an eye-watering price tag of $15,000. Woodford claimed it was the “rarest whiskey” in the brand’s 27-year lifespan. The special whiskey was aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel, a cognac cask and a “couture barrel” with staves seasoned in the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle.
Woodford also released its mint julep recipe for 2024, which includes a rose-infused honey syrup that serves as a flavorful nod to the 150th Run for the Roses.
The Rose Mint Julep Recipe, Via Woodford Reserve
Ingredients
- 2 oz Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 tsp. rose-infused honey simple syrup
- 6 mint leaves
- Miniature rose buds for garnish
Directions
- Brush the mint leaves inside the julep cup to release the oils.
- Drop leaves inside.
- Add rose-infused honey simple syrup, crushed ice and Woodford bourbon.
- Garnish with more mint and mini rose buds.
Rose-infused Honey Simple Syrup Recipe
Take a handful of rose hips and infuse them into a jar of honey for two weeks. Filter out the remaining rose hips and add one part rose-infused honey to one part water, yielding simple syrup.
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