Why Kentucky Derby Winners Get Roses and Drink Mint Julep
The Kentucky Derby has two images that stick with you long after the race is over. A winning horse draped in a thick blanket of roses and thousands of fans lifting silver cups packed with ice and fresh mint.
Both have become inseparable from the Derby experience but neither tradition showed up overnight. The roses and the Mint Julep each found their way to Churchill Downs through a mix of social culture, happy accidents and decades of smart branding that locked them in as permanent fixtures of the sport.
How the Rose Tradition Took Root
The "Run for the Roses" nickname did not start on the track. It started at a party. Following the 1883 Derby, a New York socialite handed out roses to women at a post-race gathering and the gesture made an impression.
Derby founder Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. took notice and named the rose the event's official flower the following year. Winners started receiving a floral collar after the race by 1896 and the tradition kept growing from there.
In 1932, that collar became the 40-pound Garland of Roses that is presented to winners today. Each garland is hand-sewn using more than 400 Freedom roses and includes a center crown with one rose representing every horse entered in the field.
The Mint Julep's Long Road to Derby Weekend
The Mint Julep has a longer history in Kentucky than most people realize. The drink dates back to the 1800s when it was consumed as a medicinal morning tonic. It did not become the Derby's official drink until 1939 and its path there came from a practical problem.
Churchill Downs officials noticed fans were walking off with water glasses as souvenirs, so the track started selling juleps in commemorative cups instead. Souvenir julep cups were first ordered in 1937 and the idea caught on fast.
Today, more than 125,000 Mint Juleps are served across Kentucky Oaks and Derby weekend combined. Keeping up with that demand takes over 10,000 bottles of Kentucky bourbon, 2,250 pounds of fresh mint, 475,000 pounds of ice plus simple syrup and mint leaves.
What started as a morning health remedy has grown into one of the most recognized symbols in American sports.
Mint Julep Recipe
For anyone looking to make one at home, the recipe is straightforward. Combine 2 cups of sugar with 2 cups of water and boil for five minutes.
Let it cool, add 6 to 8 fresh mint sprigs, cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, fill a glass with crushed ice, add one tablespoon of syrup with 2 ounces of bourbon and finish with fresh mint.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 4:30 PM.