Hosting a Kentucky Derby Party

It’s derby season which means putting on your best hat and throwing together the perfect southern soiree.

I teamed up with my friends at Santé Nuts to put together inspiration and tips for you to host a Kentucky Derby-inspired party! First and foremost, their new Bourbon Pecans are incredible.  They’re crisp and buttery with a mellow vanilla flavor and a sprinkling of salt.Truly, so addicting to eat! And, they’re non-GMO, gluten-free, and made in a peanut-free facility, in case your party guests have any dietary restrictions.They make for the perfect addition to your derby party spread! Along with the nuts, provide other little bites to enjoy that will make your guests feel like they are at the derby! My go to menu for this party, along with Santé Nuts, is salmon cucumber tea sandwiches, mint julep fruit cups and deviled eggs! (recipes below). All of these recipes can be eaten with one hand so you can have a cocktail in the other (with the exception for the mint julep fruit cups).

A derby party isn’t complete without the perfect derby signature cocktail. These bourbon slushies are to die for and perfectly compliment the Bourbon Pecans.

Bourbon Slushie

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups strong brewed sweet tea, homemade or store-bought
• 3 cups bourbon 
• 24 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 
• 12 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 
• Orange slices (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a very large pitcher or bowl (at least 24-cup capacity), mix together the tea, bourbon and lemonade and orange juice concentrates. Stir in 3 quarts (12 cups) water. 

1. You can either place in the freezer for 8 hours. Stir, then continue to freeze for 2 hours more and up to 2 days. Take out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving. OR using a blender, blend ice cubes until they are crushed, divide into cups and pour the mixture over it! 

1. Garnish with an orange slice! 

For decor, I chose to decorate our bar shelves with red roses, the signature derby flower. The more the better and have fun with it! Normally you see me styling with a lot of gold and brass, but for this I wanted to keep it more traditional and use silver trays and champagne buckets. I am also obsessed with these horse bit napkin rings! Set all your snacks out on pedestals and trays and pre-make the slushies so guests are ready to enjoy them when they arrive. Have little bowls filled with the Bourbon Pecans by the food and the cocktails so guests can munch on them throughout the party!

Post Party Tip: It’s such a fun addition to have Santé Nuts out on your bar cart or bar area to munch on when you go to make yourself a Friday cocktail! You can purchase them at www.santenuts.com, or on Amazon. Check out their other flavors too!

SHOP THE POST

RECIPES:

Mint Julep Fruit Cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 to 8 mint leaves, torn 
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• An assortment of fruit of your choice, about 6 cups.
• Additional mint leaves for garnish. 

DIRECTIONS

1. Add sugar, water and mint to a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain and discard mint leaves.
   
2. Stir in bourbon.
   
3. Place fruit in a large bowl. Pour sugar mixture over fruit along with extra mint leaves. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. 
4. Serve into individual cups! 

Salmon + Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

• Smoked Salmon
• Cucumber, sliced thinly
• Chive cream cheese
• White bread

DIRECTIONS

1. On each slice of bread, spread the cream cheese. 
2. Add salmon and sliced cucumbers and make into a sandwich. 
3. Cut off the edges of the sandwich then cut into 4 squares. 

Southern Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS

• 12 eggs
• 2 tbsp celery stalk, minced (about 1 stalk)
• 2 tbsp mayo I use Homemade or Primal Kitchen’s
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp dill relish, drained
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
• paprika, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot filled about halfway full with water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, gently lower the eggs into the pot (I use a ladle for this) and boil for 11 minutes. While the eggs boil, draw an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water) for the eggs. Immediately following the cook time, transfer the eggs in the ice bath and let cool for 10 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, In a bowl, combine the celery, mayo, yellow mustard, dill relish, dill, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir to combine. 
3. Peel the hard boiled eggs and slice lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks (I use a teaspoon for this) and add it to the relish mixture. Using the back of a fork, mash the yolk and then stir until well-combined and smooth.
4. Spoon the filling mixture into a sandwich sized ziplock bag.  Make a small incision and cut the tip off the bottom corner of the bag. Gently squeeze the yolk into each cavity of the egg whites until each are evenly filled. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve and enjoy!

|| Recipe Borrowed from here.