Four Roses and Kentucky Derby Festival Name Rose Julep Winners

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 8, 2021) – Six bartenders from across the region competed for top honors at the 18th annual Rose Julep Cocktail Competition. A panel of expert judges and the public chose the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice winning juleps, respectively.

Bartender Isaac Fox of Louisville’s La Chasse took home the Judges’ Choice award for the “Aztec Julep,” a unique cocktail that mingles Four Roses Small Batch with a homemade roasted pineapple-chipotle syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Bittermen’s Xocolatl Mole Bitters and mint.

Bartender Colleen McCarthy of Louisville’s Martini Italian Bistro took home the People’s Choice award for “The Zing a Ling,” a unique cocktail that mingles Four Roses Small Batch with a homemade lingonberry shrub, freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice, raw ginger, rhubarb bitters and mint.

The top six finalists who qualified for this year’s competition included:

• Colleen McCarthy, Martini Italian Bistro, Louisville
• Isaac Fox, La Chasse, Louisville
• Mike Abbott, Goodfella’s Wiseguy Lounge, Lexington
• Sha Bustle, Thirsty Fox, Lexington
• Bill Whitlow, Rich’s Proper Food & Drink, Northern Kentucky
• Lauren Pellecchia, Northern Kentucky

The People’s Choice judging took place from March 22 – April 5, participants were encouraged to either visit each location or make the cocktails at-home and then vote online for their favorite. The Judges’ scored the juleps based on aroma, creativity, taste and presentation.

Official competition judges included Andy Perez, 2021 Poster Artist; Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival CEO; Judy Hess, 2021 Kentucky Derby Festival Chairman; Sara Havens, The Bar Belle; and Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal.

Congratulations to the winners and a very happy Kentucky Derby Festival to all!

About Four Roses Distillery
Established in 1888, Four Roses is the only Bourbon distillery that combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill and age 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique flavor profile. With distilling and warehousing operations in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, respectively, Four Roses is dedicated to producing award-winning Bourbons with smooth and mellow tastes and finishes. Four Roses is available in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.fourrosesbourbon.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.