“Derby de Mayo” Means Creative Juleps and Margaritas!

10 Ways to Break away from the Same ‘ol Way to Celebrate Derby Day and Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2012 is being called 'Derby de Mayo'

You are likely to see a change of hats from a Derby Bowler to a Mexican Sombrero this Saturday as you make your way from from one party to another. This Saturday May 5th, two of the biggest spring party events converge as Derby Day falls on Cinco de Mayo.

Every year the first weekend of May signals the start of Horse Racing’s Triple Crown with the running of the American Classic, The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The first Saturday in May is a day for Kentucky Bourbon and the event certainly has its own drink that will be featured around the world as the globe stops to watch “the most exciting two minutes of sports”.  

Mint Juleps will be on every all day party menu when the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby goes off at 6:24 pm EST but many a Southern Belle will transition to  Senorita as they  shed their Derby hats for a little Tequila, a bit more fun, and a Margarita.

Look…the facts are that The Kentucky Derby is for Americans ‘outside of Kentucky’ and Cinco de Mayo is really for Americans living ‘outside of Mexico’…and that’s cool with us.

Both events have the proprietary and celebratory cocktail  and in the case of Cinco de Mayo the event also includes a beer battle that is getting ‘Most Interesting’. Corona Extra didn’t become the leading import without Cinco de Mayo and now Dos Equis a superior Mexican beer is getting more attention with their popular ‘Most Interesting Man in the World‘ ad campaign.

Many believe that ‘Cinco de Mayo’ is a ‘gringo holiday’ contrived by marketing wizards that had quotas on Jose Cuervo and Corona Extra…and they might be right.  The 5th of May is not the Mexican New Year…or their ’4th of July’ and in fact it’s not really a big deal in Mexico, unless you are in or around the city of Puebla. On May 5, 1862, a small undermanned Mexican Army battled to an unlikely victory over French forces and while ‘The Battle of Puebla‘ was significant, it was only the beginning of the battle of Independence for Mexico.

So we decided to look for and create a few new ways to vary from the norm this Saturday…with a couple of more traditional options and a few new ways that people will be partying on Saturday May 5, 2012

1. New Favorite Flavored Margaritas-So you like Pomegrante Martinis…why not substitute that flavor for the more typical

Prepare to Tango! Margaritaville Last Mango

Strawberry? Or perhaps use blueberry, cherry or raspberry liquers or fresh fruit to make festive colors and tasty flavors explode.  Margaritaville Tequila makes both a ‘Last Mango’ and Lime flavored tequilas that are ideal for mixing in any fruit juice or cocktail mix.

2. A Julep is an American Mojito- Yep, the recipe is just about the same…so it might be time to try one at a place that makes really good Mojitos.  There’s much move character and flavor in a Mint Julep and they are just as refreshing

3. Be the Man- Merge your desire to ‘dress up and party’ with the day at hand. Make the rounds dressed like ‘The World’s Most Interesting Man‘. Two things may happen…and that’s just at the bar.  You may not wait for your Dos Equis…and you probably will have one bought for you.

4. Honey Kissed You on the Juleps- We’re making our own Mint Julep ‘Simple Syrup’ by taking mint leaves and ‘marinating them in Barenjager Honey Liqueur.  Why not use nature’s sweetener and the Classic Honey Liqueur with 300 years of pure tradition.

5. Load your Corona-They aren’t new but ‘Loaded Corona’s‘ go more mainstream on Cinco de Mayo.  Bartenders will add a bit of tequila to fill your Cornona bottle to the brim with a flavor boost. Bar Tip:  Take a swig of the Corona first then add the shot…for more ‘festivities’

6. What Color is Your Tea Back? Uh…Flavored Iced Teas become Adult Beverages when you add some flavor like De Kuyper Cherry Pucker and Bourbon to make your sweet tea a flavorful alternative.

7. Yes! Tequila Mixes with Sodas! Put the citrusy sour mix down for a minute and try mixing any tequila with fruited sodas like Orange Soda from the fountain or an array of flavored sodas like Cherry Sprite, Raspberry ginger ale or even Squirt.

8. Arnie Palmer’s Kentucky Open-There no such tournament but we played a round with that Barenjager Honey & Bourbon we just got in…added lemonade and iced tea like Arnold Palmer would, garnished it with mint and lemon and created a quencher for any weekend.

Senor Corona Marries a Lovely 'Rita

9. Be a Derby Dude-The Big Lebowski drank White Russians. Substitute Buffalo Trace or your favorite Bourbon instead of Vodka and splash it with Baileys for a delicious cream drink that you probably will like a whole lot better…Dude.

10.  Will Tums fit in a Pez Dispenser?- Safety Tip…you may pay big for an antacid about 10 o’clock. Julep’s ‘Ritas, Fajitas, and quesadillas…Limes and hot sauce and cilantro and mint and ugh. Burp…then repeat…Remember…it’s nacho everyday menu.

Bonus: The Marriage of Beer and Rita- The Coronita is a small bottle of Corona…but the Coronarita is the new over-the bar version of a bottle of Corona beer placed upside down in either a frozen…or on-the-rocks margarita. When it works out, the beer releases into the glass as you sip on your Margarita.  Chili’s Restaurants now offer these at their bar with their mostly American, Mexican cuisine.

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Posted by smokey on Apr 30 2012. Filed under 239 Products, Brand News, In The Biz News, Lifestyles & Trends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry