CATERING SPECIAL ALERT This month, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, we are offering 10 percent off of our Tex-Mex dinner buffet. Regularly $45 per guest, now only $40.50 for the month of May. Please note: regular food and beverage minimums apply, discount applies only to dinner buffet. The Bellevue Club is now offering delicious catering to go for your at-home or on-the-go events. Order up a Cinco de Mayo menu to go. We’ve got the party platters and hors d’oeuvres that are sure to satisfy your hungry guests.

The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875, and the race endures as America’s longest-running annual sporting event. This year, the 136th run of the Kentucky Derby falls on May 1.

People all over the country take part in celebrating this Southern spectacle, which has been called “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” During the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the anticipation is said to be similar to that of Mardi Gras. Here are some tips to throw a first-class Derby Party of your own, while still reining in the costs.

The Setting
Think elegance, glamour and southern high-society style. Bring out your finest china, crystal, silver and linens. Dubbed the “Run for the Roses” for the blanket of more than 500 red roses draped over the winning horse, you can honor this tradition by incorporating red roses in your décor. Encourage guests to “dress to impress” and, of course, all guests should be donning dramatic Derby hats. Award a prize for the most creative or unique hat.

The Menu
There are a few born-and-bred-in-Kentucky dishes that you’ll see on every Derby party menu. Some of the menu musts—benedictine, hot browns and Derby pie. Start your party by serving up the popular benedictine dip. A mixture of cream cheese, cucumber and onion, this spread makes a beautiful tea sandwich or a dip for vegetables. Hot brown sandwiches—open-faced warm turkey sandwiches smothered with cheese sauce, tomatoes and bacon—are also a Kentucky favorite. Serve alongside country ham and beaten biscuits. Dessert on Derby day can only be one thing: Derby pie. A rich, dense, chocolate-nut pie flavored with Kentucky bourbon.

The Bar
The mint julep is a tradition that is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. More than 120,000 juleps are served at Churchill Downs on Derby weekend. While its origin is unknown, there is no doubt that the Mint Julep is the culmination of all things Southern—warm sunny afternoons, good bourbon and naturally grown mint.

Early Times Mint Julep
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
Early Times Kentucky Whisky
Silver julep cups
Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Recipe courtesy of www.kentuckyderby.com.

Activities
The race is the focal point of any Derby party, so be sure to have your television tuned in for the big race. Everyone enjoys having a stake in picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Before everyone arrives, put all of the names of the horses in a hat and mix them up. Have guests pull a name out of the hat. When the race is complete, the person that has the winning horse collects the “pot."