Happy Kentucky Derby weekend everyone. Since it is derby weekend, I found it fitting to make a drink simply called The Derby from Vintage Spirit & Forgotten Cocktails. As with most derby related drinks, this one has a bourbon base which I am all about. The interesting ingredient here is the orange curacao. I wonder how the orange flavors will play with the sweet vermouth and the bourbon.

Speaking of the orange, I did have to substitute orange juice for the curacao in this. Initially I was hesitant to make the substitution, but I figured I would give it a shot, and add a little more bourbon to compensate for the missing alcohol in the curacao. The derby is all about gambling right? Why not take a risk here?

The Derby

1 oz. Bourbon

.5 oz. Sweet vermouth

.5 oz. Orange curacao

.75 oz. Fresh lime juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf (optional)

The nose has a slight orange-y aroma. I suspect that is mostly because of the orange juice I had to sub in. I also get a little bit of the bourbon smell coming through as well. I will say the combination of the bourbon and orange is nice to be honest.

The sip starts off with a little hit of the orange juice. That flavor does not last very long, as it is immediately mixed with the whiskey notes, with a slight hit of vermouth undertones in there as well. Those three flavors meld together and constitute the remainder of the sip. The lime juice seems to be lost. I believe the orange juice is at fault for that. The finish is nice, however the orange juice lingers on the palate for a few seconds, leaving a bit of an acidic aftertaste once you’re finished. The sip is very well balanced and no flavor truly dominates or overshadows anything else.

Overall, I would say this is a pretty good attempt at this, given the major substitution of orange juice for the curacao. I think it plays, especially since I added an extra half ounce of bourbon in here. The one complaint I have is the orange juice introduced too much acid into the equation here. Not enough to ruin the overall drink, but enough where it is noticeable, as mentioned above with the ending. This is definitely on the short list to make properly, once I get more curacao. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish deciding on which horses I want in my $1 trifecta box…

(BAnner image found here)