Find an ‘Off To The Races’ Kentucky Derby-inspired tablesetting with recipes and inspiration for the Run for the Roses, including a Sweet Tea Julep and Mini Derby Pies with Easy Bourbon Whipped Cream.
I’m off to the races at the table, in anticipation of the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” with the running of the Kentucky Derby this Saturday.
A table inspired by the “Run for the Roses”, with both plaid and roses married in Lauren Skylar Floral plates and served with floral flatware.
The unbridled spirit of 14 Hands wine is chilling in celebration.
Napkins are dressed in their Derby finery. . .
With silver napkin rings and pearl-trimmed napkins, topped with a sheer metallic overlay.
Mint Julep Cups are serving as vases filled with azalea blooms and sprigs of mint.
And a burlap tablecloth provides a foundation and texture in contrast to the sparkling surfaces of the crystal and silver.
A leather handled wine chiller provides a centerpiece and vase for the table with azalea and snowball viburnum blooms.
Help yourself to a Sweet Tea Julep, a marriage of two classic Southern drinks, the mint julep and sweet tea!
Ingredients
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 lemon, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups cold sweetened tea
1 cup bourbon
Crushed ice
Muddle cut or torn mint leaves with sugar in a 2-qt. pitcher with back of spoon to release flavors. Stir in tea and bourbon and add lemon slices. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish, if desired.
Sweet Tea Julep
Ingredients
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cups cold sweetened tea
- 1 cup bourbon
- Crushed ice
- Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- Muddle cut or torn mint leaves with sugar in a 2-qt. pitcher with back of spoon to release flavors.
- Stir in tea and bourbon and add lemon slices. Serve over crushed ice. Garnish, if desired.
For a sweet ending, Mini Derby Pies, a Bluegrass-inspired recipe and just the right size for the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports”.
Baked in a muffin tin, these Mini Pies are a winning trifecta of pecan pie, chocolate and a touch of Kentucky Bourbon!
Top your Mini Derby Pies with Easy Bourbon Whipped Cream, ready in 20 seconds!
You can find the recipe for Mini Derby Pies with Bourbon Whipped Cream, HERE.
Off To The Races Table Details:
Burlap Tablecloth / Couleur Nature, Amazon
Dishes / Lauren Skylar Floral, HomeGoods,many years ago
Stemware / Mikasa Barmaster’s Wine Glasses
Crystal Beverage Glass / vintage, mother-in-law’s
Silver & Chargers/ HomeGoods
Napkins/ Pier 1, several years ago
Mint Julep Cups / Towle
Napkin Rings / Pottery Barn, several years ago
Horse bust / Hobby Lobby
Wine Chiller / retail days
You might also like:
Kentucky Derby-Inspired Tea Party
Find Kentucky Derby tea party inspiration to celebrate the 150th Run for the Roses. You’ll find table and menu inspiration to host a tea or watch party with recipes for Buttercream Rose Mint Julep Cupcakes, Patchwork Tea Sandwiches, Cheddar Cheese Wafers, Brown Butter-Bourbon Scones and Sweet Tea Juleps.
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Tablescape Thursday
What a wonderful place … and such a lovely table !
I love those plates Mary, the plaid is great! I know I’d like to drink too. One of the guys is going to the track tomorrow, think I might do a little reading up and see if he’ll place a bet for me too-enjoy the race:@)
We all get together to watch the race and just have a good time. Good food, good drinks and a race with our wonderful friends!🐎🐎
Looks like you scored a winning Trifecta: amazing tablescape, food and drinks for the Running of the Roses!🌹🐎 Have a wonderful weekend!
Very festive table, Mary!
Perfect.
Mary, The trophy is yours! This is a beautiful table for the Derby ~~ the perfect combination of elegance and southern charm and delicious refreshments (pecans, yum!). I hope you have your hat ready! I love seeing the stylish hats the women are wearing to watch those exciting two minutes! Linda
You are always so consistently clever and creative! Your designs are so intriguing. I just LOVE your posts!! Thank you for sharing. Those dishes are to die for. I love having a Mint Julep recipe with sweet tea. Absolutely beautiful!
Such a beautiful table, like always. You have certainly put together a beautifully Derby inspired table. I love celebrating the Kentucky Derby and you have provided so much inspiration here.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Getting out my big hat and heading to the lake! Please get my julep ready!!
Do you do any interior design for other people???
Inspired. Brilliant. Completely beautiful.
This table is a blue ribbon winner for sure Mary, it’s an absolute eye-popper! I love how you’ve married so many natural elements with elegant touches, and your flower arrangement is running away with the show~ I am literally drooling over the thought of a Sweet Tea Julep and a decadent bourbon cream topped derby pie! I love to watch all the festivities and everyone in their finest~Southern tradition at it’s most outlandish!
Jenna
I sincerely hope you’re working on a tablescape book… None others can hold a candle to your creativity!
Beautiful table, Mary. While everything is stunning, your commentary is what brings it alive. Pretty pictures are worth a thousand words, but when coupled with prose filled with expressions unique to the subject those pictures become worth a million words. Reminds me of the old saying, “Not just another pretty face.”
Judith
Beautiful! What a great idea…
How pleasant to enjoy this lovely table scape at the close of a rough day. Thank you, and may your favorite win!
Love your a derby post! And I noticed the Makers Mark bottle. I do not live too far from where it is made. I am ready…hat and all! Please visit mykentuckyliving.blogspot.com to see some of my derby mentions. Your Derby table is lovely! Sheila
What an elegant table. Perfect for Derby day!! Get your biggest hat and enjoy your mint julep! I particularly love the plates. They would look beautiful at A Christmas table too.. Oh, did I say Christmas?? Sorry, I’m still waiting for a temperature above 60!! Have a fun Derby Day. I’m getting my items together for our race day here in Indy!! 🌹🍹🎩🏁🏇👒
Oh my Mary, if that’s not the prettiest derby table ever!! I love the contrast of the burlap with the rest of the table’s finery. Those plates…goodness, are they perfect for the Run for the Roses!!! You just always amaze me with your creativity and beauty. Your lake makes the perfect backdrop.
Enjoy your weekend!
Mary …Oh, goodness! Your sweet tea juleps and Derby pie tassies are speaking to my Southern heart. :)
Beautiful post. LOVE LOVE your iced tea glasses!
Gorgeous, I would so love to entertain with you, our styles are so similar!
Mary…I’ve been a Southern Living recipe devotee for more years than I want to tell, but your creative styling, beautiful elements, and perfect photography never fail to inspire me to actually try recipes I’ve just overlooked! Thank you so much for sharing your talents here–your posts are lovely, tasteful, and motivating. Happy Derby Day!
What a perfect table to celebrate The Derby!….I have written down that Mint Julep Ice Tea…not only sounds great, it looks wonderful…..I so love how you placed the burlap on the table mixing it with the crystal…love it…and I have such remorse in not buying those beautiful RL plates way back when!…..Have a great weekend and Derby Day!!!
Man, oh man……I really love your julep crystal glasses. I need those badly. Did I just say need?? I WANT them badly!!!! Sure u don’t remember where u found them????
Love bourbon. Bought a muddler in Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. Planted mint yesterday. Now I just WANT your glassware!!!!!
Hi Janey, They’re my MIL’s crystal pattern, 60+ years old. We handle them with care :) Unfortunately she doesn’t remember the pattern.
Just love your southern hospitality! So many gorgeous pics, so nice to get my net back to breath it all in!
What a great table! The napkins are beautiful!
What a beautiful tablescape. Thanks for featuring a Northwest wine. We have wonderful ones up here. And wasn’t the race great? American Pharoah, a beautiful horse. And on to the Triple Crown.
Yael from Home Garden Diggers
Enjoyed seeing you use my Community silver plate! I’d enjoy digging through your collections! Have you written a book?
So beautiful and smart and colourful as well as inspirational. Thanks for showing. The weather looks perfect to match the occasion.
Looks like a magazine. So pretty.
What a serene setting!
Mary, you continually offer up amazing delights with each new post. I’m swooning over this table ~ roses, tartan, silver, flowers, and horses. Wow, makes me want to hop a jet plane and land right there at your table. This may be a favorite, but then again I’m always thinking that about your tables. Each one is so unique, created with all the perfect details ~ 14 Hands wine. How do you do it? ‘-)
Beautiful! Love the tartan plates!….Christine
How perfect are the tartan plaid plates for this Derby styled table. The horses head and the “14 hands” wine are perfect!
So incredibly gorgeous!!! Love, love, love it! ;)
Your table is beautiful! I love all the different textures. I really love the mint julep cups with the azaleas. So lovely!
Carolyn @ Our MT Nest
Oh Your Tables! They never fail to charm! :)
LOVE the dishes!
Your Derby Day Tablescape is spectacular and your attention to detail and commitment to the theme is awesome. The plaid plates with the roses are so beautiful and I love that you are even serving the 14 Hands wine.
This Derby Day Tablescape is a winner! I love the mix of plaid with the roses and the horse details. You even find the perfect themed wine! Have fun at the races. Do you have a favorite?
I always look forward to your tablescapes. This is beautiful. Your recipe for sweet tea julep looks refreshing and delicious!
You didn’t hold the reins on this table setting. What a delight for the eyes and mind. Your use of descriptive prose made me smile throughout the entire read. I want the Sweet Tea Julep and the Mini Derby Pies. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful table.
I love your floral teaspoon, forks, etc. Could you please tell the style name and where I might find them?
Hi, Mary,
Love the contrasts in this tablescape–roses with plaid, crystal with burlap, etc. Dressy and cottage-y at the same time. You say you got the flatware at Home Goods. Do you happen to know the names of the brand and the pattern?
Thank you!
Maureen
Thanks Maureen! No, the flatware is vintage not from HomeGoods, the details are here: https://homeiswheretheboatis.net/2012/07/22/flower-fix/
Thank you, Mary! I thought it looked like vintage silverplate, but in the description it said the silver was from Home Goods, so I assumed it meant the flatware. My mistake! I appreciate having the link to the post where you talk about it and tell the pattern. It’s very pretty.
You are amazing Mary! Always look forward to your posts. You are my inspiration.
How fun! We used to live in Kentucky and I still own several gorgeous hats! So now while we watch the Derby races, I wear my hat, drink mint Juleps, make hot browns and eat Derby pie!
Fantastic table! However, the Derby isn’t this Saturday, it’s the following Saturday.
Thank you! This table was originally shared and published several years ago. :)
Oh, thank you. I didn’t realize.