The Mint Julep is the king of Kentucky Derby drinks. Nobody’s arguing that. But don’t overlook two other signature cocktails—the Oaks Lily and Woodford Spire—which are rapidly growing in popularity at the annual Louisville event. Spectators at the 151st running of the Derby on May 3 will have cocktail options aplenty.
The popular Mint Julep was, unsurprisingly, the top-selling drink at the 150th running of the Derby in 2024. Churchill Downs sold 120,000 Mint Juleps across Derby week with its bourbon, simple syrup, and mint. Next up was the Oaks Lily, which rose to 38,372 served during Derby week in 2024, a 23% increase over 2023. The Woodfire Spire is on the rise too, selling 14,233 in 2024, a 38% increase from the year prior.
Each drink has its own signature look, which can make it easy to spot them when you’re watching on television or scrolling through social media. A copper cup marks the Woodford Spire, a sprig of mint catapulting out of a slender glass signals a Mint Julep, and if you see a more rounded glass with blackberries on top, well, you’re looking at an Oaks Lily.
For those not able to don a festive hat and make their way to Louisville, Churchill Downs offers up the recipes for the two fastest-growing drinks at the Derby.
What Is The Oaks Lily Cocktail?
The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is more than a one-race or even one-day affair. Events fill the track all week long before the Derby, including the Kentucky Oaks race the day before the first Saturday in May. Kentucky Oaks Day has taken on a life of its own, and the Oaks Lily, a vodka-based drink first served there in 2006, is the second-most popular drink at the track.
The Oaks Lily, the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks, is a mix of vodka, sweet and sour mix, triple sec, and cranberry juice to create a "bright, berry-forward delight" served over ice and garnished with fresh blackberry and a lemon wedge, according to Levy, the concessionaire for Churchill Downs. The track sources thousands of pounds of blackberries each race week, largely because of the Oaks Lily.
How to make it: Fill a stemless wine glass with crushed ice. Add one part vodka, one part sweet and sour mix, ¼ part triple sec, and three parts cranberry juice and stir. Add a straw and garnish with blackberries and a lemon wedge.
What Is The Woodfood Spire Cocktail?
In 2018, Churchill Downs introduced the Woodford Spire, a bourbon-based cocktail, to give fans yet another drink of choice during the Derby.
"We created it as an alternative to the Mint Julep for people who wanted something different and not as bourbon-forward,” Elizabeth McCall, master distiller for Woodford Reserve, tells Delish. "You simply have to look around at the crowd—most people have one Mint Julep (it’s almost mandatory during Derby)—then they switch to the Spire in its iconic copper cup. Most people, after all, are at the track seven to eight hours on Derby Day."
McCall calls the Woodford Spire "an easy sipper—a seasonable cocktail for people who may not drink bourbon neat or on the rocks." The recipe calls for Woodford Reserve bourbon paired with lemonade and cranberry juice over ice, garnished with a lemon. "Our bourbon has citrus notes," McCall says, "so the cranberry and lemonade are a perfect complement to the whiskey."
The drink pairs well with a country ham and biscuit dish, McCall says, or a classic Benedictine sandwich.
How to make it: Add 1.5 ounces of straight bourbon whiskey, 2 ounces of lemonade, and 1 ounce of cranberry juice to a mixing glass and stir. Pour it over ice and garnish with a lemon wedge or twist.
