Every May, thousands of fans travel to Louisville’s Churchill Downs to watch the Run for the Roses. If you’re not among them, you can still bring a taste of the Kentucky Derby to your house. Below, find some of our favorite Kentucky-inspired recipes, all fit for a party, fancy hat optional (but encouraged).
Brunch
Beer Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits
Biscuit dough spiked with Kentucky-style beer cheese makes for a great comfort-food pairing. Get the recipe.
A Derby-season snack from Louisville’s Brown Hotel. Get the recipe.
Dips and Spreads
Just two ingredients, plus a few flavorings, are all you need for classic Kentucky beer cheese dip. Get the recipe.
A classic cheese spread gets the boilermaker treatment. Get the recipe.
Pimento cheese’s Kentucky cousin. Get the recipe.
Dill Pickle Benedictine Spread
Benedictine, the classic Kentucky recipe, gets a dill pickle update. Get the recipe.
No matter how you slice it, this classic will feed—and please—a crowd. Get the recipe.
A Bluegrass State chef shares his modern take on a classic Kentucky Derby recipe. Get the recipe.
Mains
Ouita Michel’s go-to chili recipe tastes like Kentucky in a bowl. Get the recipe.
How do you burgoo? Get the recipe.
An all-American match made in heaven. Get the recipe.
Sweets
Traditional Kentucky Bourbon Balls
What’s not to love about bourbon, chocolate, and pecans? Get the recipe.
Kentucky Bourbon Balls, Three Ways
Try a few variations on these bite-size, boozy Southern confections. Get the recipe.
The House of Marigold shares its own Derby-day delight. Get the recipe.
Kick off Derby weekend with a pistachio chess pie mingled with bitter chocolate. Get the recipe.
Strawberry Basil Pie with Black Pepper Whipped Cream
One Kentucky chef’s favorite childhood dessert plays up sweet spring strawberries. Get the recipe.
Pineapple Butter Cake with Bourbon Ginger Mint Glaze
Fresh fruit and libations combine in a spin on a Kentucky favorite. Get the recipe.
Juleps
The classic Derby-day must-have. Get the recipe.
This batch cocktail is proof that bourbon and ice belong together. Get the recipe.
A smooth recipe to get you in mint condition for the Derby. Get the recipe.
A bourbon-less alternative to the Derby classic. Get the recipe.
Cognac and fig preserves put a tasty twist on the classic Derby-season cocktail. Get the recipe.
Other Drinks
Bourbon the old-fashioned way. Get the recipe.
A Kentucky cocktail with Italian roots. Get the recipe.
Meet the julep’s bubbly cousin. Get the recipe.
An Englishman Went to Kentucky
A mint twist on the classic G&T. Get the recipe.
Louisville’s pre-Prohibition cocktail. Get the recipe.
A sweet and spicy drink featuring Kentucky’s Ale-8-One. Get the recipe.
The refreshing combination of bourbon, lemonade, and cranberry juice just might tempt you to switch horses. Get the recipe.
