“You are all winners in my book” just doesn’t hold up on Derby Day. Overanalyze, my big bet this year, once again fell flat while Emily on the other hand nailed her pic of Orb. But ask us who won the competition of drinking basil juleps…BOOM.
Hope you all enjoyed your Derby Day!
Deep in derby day prep and I’ve got a last minute tip to share. Maybe you are worried some of your guests won’t like the basil julep you’ve perfected over the last 24 hours. Well don’t worry, the fix is simple. Kick them out of your house…
Okay just kidding. But for one of the world’s easiest cocktail recipes, perfect for summer days and derby victories, look no further than a few simple ingredients to make this green tea lemonade; a perfect companion for just about any liquor in your collection.
Just a few hours to go…I’ll be cheering for Overanalyze! So actually, that’s probably a better tip. Bet on any other horse, because I haven’t won anything since a $10 scratch-off at the age of 12. Good luck and Happy Derby!
The Overanalyze
2 oz vodka, gin, or bourbon (your choice)
5 oz green tea lemonade (recipe below)
Splash of seltzer
Lemon and cucumber to garnish
Mix all of the ingredients over ice and enjoy. Drink slow because these are damn drinkable.
Green Tea Lemonade
1 Liter of Boiling Water
3 tea bags of green tea
2 liters of lemonade (get something on the natural side, not too sweet otherwise this will be gross, or better yet make your own)
1 cucumber (sliced)
1 lemon (sliced)
Steep the tea bags in the liter of boiling water and let cool. Pour the tea and lemonade into a pitcher and fill with the slices of cucumber and lemon. Keep chilled until serving.
It’s been a pretty light week of posting on my part, but I’ve had to lay low in preparation for what has quickly become one of my favorite weekends of the year. Derby Day is upon us, and I’m so excited. I plan on betting without any knowledge on a horse that will most certainly lose (remember, I choose my horse based off of what name sounds the best when I’m screaming it, see: Daddy Long Legs, 2012), eating loads of delicious derby inspired food, and drinking 4000 basil juleps.
I was tempted to come up with a new derby inspired cocktail but the basil julep is too damn good. I’m going to make some delicious iced green tea for those not interested in drinking their bourbon strong, but I’ll be sticking to my classic. What about you guys? Any derby favorites? Or more importantly, any betting tips for a typical loser…
Check back tomorrow for more updates throughout the day!
I’d like to formally apologize to the owning group of Daddy Long Legs for publicly endorsing their wonderful horse at this year’s Kentucky Derby. Considering I haven’t won anything since a ten-dollar scratch off at age 12, full blame falls on me for Daddy Long Leg’s last place finish. Actually, it’s probably my fault that the ten of us at our Derby party, who had money on 11/20 horses didn’t win a dime. The only reason these people invite me places is because I make them drinks and feed them…
Speaking of that, I once again dare you to not like the basil julep. I made an extra batch of the basil syrup this time around to have in my fridge at all times, but I had another million of these on Derby day. So refreshing that even the so-called bourbon haters enjoyed a glass. But we didn’t stop there; a big jug of Bobby’s ridiculous margaritas (seriously my favorite of all time), a blackberry and tea concoction for mixing with vodka, and a few Cow Thieves in the mix, and it was pretty easy to forget about our terrible luck.
Unfortunately I forgot to snap a few photos of the amazing food but we were too busy devouring the sticky ribs, the tequila shrimp, the southern slaw and potato salad, and the chocolate bread pudding for me to grab my phone. Another successful Derby in the books! On to the Preakness!
With only two days to the derby, I’ve decided to let you in on my horse racing secret. When betting on a race, you may be tempted to follow the odds makers and the experts in making your selection(s), but not me. My strategy is simple. Pick the horse with the name you are most excited to scream! You can’t lose!
Well actually, you can. In fact, I’ve never won. But wouldn’t you take a few minutes of enthusiastic screaming over a lump sum of money any day?
Regardless of how you choose your bets this weekend, winning or losing will be made better by this cocktail mash-up. If you are still trying to figure out how to incorporate the Derby and Cinco de Mayo, rest assured, this guy gets it done. Grabbing a handful of the Kentucky state fruit and blending them with a little lime, honey, and of course tequila makes for a perfectly refreshing blackberry margarita. I’ve dubbed it the Daddy Long Legs because that’s what I’ll be screaming for those handful of minutes on Saturday. At 30-1, sounds like it’s a long shot but what a name to scream!
The Daddy Long Legs
2 oz tequila
1 splash of cointreau
3 oz blackberry/lime juice
1 oz seltzer
In a cocktail shaker, shake the tequila, cointreau, and blackberry juice vigorously with ice. Pour into a rocks glass and top with seltzer and a simple lime garnish. Start shouting for Daddy Long Legs!
Blackberry/lime Juice
1 pint of blackberries
Juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp honey
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. At this point it can be strained but I prefer to leave it as is. Refrigerate until ready to make some cocktails.
The Nobler Experiment 