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| http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/02/sport/california-chrome-kentucky-derby/caption |
Hello everybody, we are less than one week away from The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports, The Kentucky Derby! In my opinion, this is the best time of year to be from or in Louisville. The Kentucky Derby festival starts off with a BANG during Thunder Over Louisville, and for the two week's until Derby it's non-stop fun! We have The Chow Wagon, The Pegasus Parade, Steamboat Race(Go Belle!), Thurby, Oaks, the Mint Julep contest, Mattress race, Mini-Marathon, etc, etc, etc! After two weeks of fun, we end it with a horse race that is not only the most exciting, but the first of three(Preakness, Belmont) to hopefully award another horse The Triple Crown!
Now most people know fashion is a HUGE(or YUGE if you are Donald Trump) part of the Derby. Big hats and spring color dresses or pants for the ladies, bright and colorful button down shirts with slacks for the gent's. Another staple of the Derby is bourbon, and in particular, The Mint Julep.
Most Louisvillan's and out-of- towners alike will drink a mint julep or two on Oaks or Derby, but it's either you love them or hate them. I do kinda like them, but honestly I used to drink them for the collector's glass they come in. I know they are a big part of the Derby tradition, it's just I yearn for an official beer. Instead, we are stuck with Bud, Miller, Coors, Stella, and maybe a Goose Island or Shock Top as the available beers. None of those are bad, but none hail from the great state of Kentucky or represent the Derby City.
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| https://sarahgoodreau.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/mintjulep_1.jpg |
Well all of that might end up changing sooner than later. Falls City, a once prominent brand in Louisville during most of the 20th century, has been reborn and was named the official craft beer of Thunder over Louisville 2016! The brand has just released two new beers, a seasonal(Easy Goer' IPA) and Kentucky Common, and revamped the packing on the other two beers to give them a nice, clean uniform look. The Kentucky Derby Festival Beerfest is on Wednesday, May 4th at the Kroger Fest-A-Ville, showcasing locals, regional, and national craft beers. My hope is that in the near future that a Kentucky Common(either Falls City or another local brewery) could eventually be side-by side with the mint julep as a official Derby beer.
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| https://www.facebook.com/fallscitybeer/photos |
The Kentucky Common(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_common_beer) was the most popular beer style in Louisville from the mid-late 19th century to Prohibition. It has been claimed that around 80% of Louisvillan's drank Commons. A Common beer, similar to a California common(Anchor Steam beer), is a style of beer that is lower in alcohol, light brown to amber in color, and is a blend of barley and corn. Due to the lack of refrigeration or ice during the time period, a Common was fermented at higher temperatures like an ale, aged at a short time or not at all, and consumed immediately or shortly after brewing, usually as draught. This provided a low-cost, highly available beer to an increasing number of thirsty European immigrants. I have tried Falls City Kentucky Common, and have to say it is the perfect Spring/Summer beer with it's lower alcohol, light body, and easy drinkin' appeal.
With craft beer on the rise in Louisville and all over the country, it only makes sense to include it in during the biggest sports event in our city. Lagers like Bud, Miller and Coors are ok,Stella is a decent import and Bourbon Mint Juleps are part of tradition, but what about local craft?? I hope that the Kentucky Common continues to do well and in the future becomes a part of the tradition. I would also like to see beers, such as Louisville Lager(Goodwood Brewing, Louisville), Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale(Alltech, Lexington), Cumberland Brews(Bardstown Rd, Highlands), Sterling Pilsner(Sterling Brewing Co., Louisville), West Sixth IPA(West Sixth Brewing, Lexington), and Against The Grain brewing Co(Louisville Slugger Field).,just to name a few, also available at Churchill Downs and other Kentucky Derby Festival events. Let's not forget our Indiana friends at New Albanian Brewing Co., Upland(Bloomington, IN) or Flat 12 across the bridge in Jeffersonville. Louisville may be known for Bourbon, but our beer scene is neck-and-neck down the stretch and closing fast!
HAPPY DERBY!
