Woodford Reserve® Bourbon Unveils World's Most Luxurious Mint Julep Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodford Reserve bourbon is taking the traditional Kentucky Derby® cocktail, the mint julep, to a new level by unveiling the world's most exclusive mint julep cup. The Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience will feature the most exotic ingredients in the world and a collection of 103 sterling silver mint julep cups designed by Tiffany & Co. exclusively for Woodford Reserve. Proceeds from the cup sales will benefit The Heart of a Horse Foundation.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110411/CL80545 )

"Woodford Reserve is proud to partner with Tiffany & Co. to bring horse racing fans the most well-crafted mint julep cup ever to be sold," said Laura Petry, Woodford Reserve brand manager.  "Woodford Reserve has been associated with the thoroughbred community since the brand's beginning and through the sale of these cups, we look forward to assisting The Heart of a Horse Foundation in their horse rescue mission."

In addition to the 103 traditional cups, there will also be three (3) "Prestige" cups available for auction. These sterling silver cups feature a design around the base in 24 karat gold vermeil originally used by Tiffany & Co. on a horse racing cup created in 1876. Bidding on these extremely rare cups will start at $2,000 each.

"Tiffany & Co. represents the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship in silversmithing today and we are thrilled to continue that heritage with the creation of these sterling silver mint julep cups," said Susanne Halmi, group director of Tiffany & Co.  "It is an honor to partner with Woodford Reserve for a second year while also supporting the Heart of a Horse Foundation."

Owners of the Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup will enjoy a mint julep featuring a unique set of ingredients from around the globe: ice made of rainwater captured on the pristine island of Tasmania, Australia; rare Chocolate mint grown in San Diego, California; bourbon smoked sugar from Louisville, KY which combined raw Demerara sugar smoked in used Woodford Reserve barrels; and a small batch of the Master Distiller's personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon. The 103 traditional cups and three Prestige cups will be presented on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs® in The Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience located near the clubhouse escalator inside Gate 10.

"We are honored to have The Heart of a Horse Foundation chosen as the beneficiary of this year's Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup sales," said April Horowitz, Heart of a Horse Foundation President. "This program is an opportunity to promote our rescue mission and to raise awareness about horse welfare to millions of people both in America and abroad."

Fans are encouraged to follow Woodford Reserve online from exciting Derby events and activities via Twitter at @woodfordreserve. Visit www.twitter.com/woodfordreserve for all the details.

2011 marks the sixth year of the $1,000 Mint Julep Experience program with over $300,000 raised for worthy equine and humanitarian causes over the past five years.

How to Purchase a Cup

Starting April 11, 2011 at noon, (EDT) consumers age 21 years and older can log on to www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com to purchase one of the 103 traditional cups or to bid on one of the three Prestige cups. Presented on one day, at one place only, all cups purchased must be picked up by the buyer or the buyer's proxy on May 7, 2011, Kentucky Derby Day at historic Churchill Downs.

Traditional Cups

103 Traditional Cups will be sold online for $1,000 on a first come, first buy basis. (There have been 103 Kentucky Derby winners born in the state of Kentucky.) The cups are individually numbered and feature the Woodford Reserve logo along with a unique horse racing design. The handmade sterling silver cups have been designed by Tiffany & Co. and come with a sterling silver sipping straw. Each cup will be presented in a unique Tiffany & Co. Blue Box and will be set in a Woodford Reserve casing made from the same wood as Woodford Reserve barrels. The cups will be on sale from April 11-May 5 at www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com for $1,000. Any unsold cups will be available for purchase at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Prestige Cups

In addition to the 103 traditional cups, there will also be three (3) "Prestige" cups available for auction. These sterling silver cups feature a design around the base in 24 karat gold vermeil originally used by Tiffany & Co. on a horse racing cup created in 1876. The cups will be up for auction from April 11-May 5 at www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com with bidding on these extremely rare cups starting at $2,000 each.

The Mint Julep Cup's Exotic Ingredients

The $1,000 Mint Julep will be made with the most exotic ingredients in the world

• Ice made of rainwater captured on the pristine island of Tasmania, Australia, where the air is scientifically proven to be the purest in the world. The air travels over Antarctica and 10,000 miles of ocean reaching the western part of Tasmania called "The Edge of the World" where it is collected without ever touching the ground.
• Rare Chocolate mint grown in San Diego, California. This unique mint adds a tantalizing touch of spring freshness to the classic Mint Julep.
• Bourbon Smoked Sugar from Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville, KY represents the union of flavors that result when Woodford Reserve barrels are combined with raw Demerara sugar. The bourbon-soaked barrel staves are utilized during the smoking process to impart a sweet, caramel flavor and the essence of smoked oak.
• A small batch of the Master Distiller's personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon, selected specifically for the $1,000 Mint Julep.

About Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is a super-premium Kentucky "small batch" bourbon distilled at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, KY. It is a bourbon of craftmanship and the embodiment of substance and style. Woodford Reserve is also the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and its distillery is the oldest bourbon distillery in America. Woodford Reserve is one of the fine spirits produced and marketed by Brown-Forman Corporation, a producer and marketer of fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Tequila Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord and Tuaca. Please enjoy your bourbon responsibly. For more information on Woodford Reserve, visit www.woodfordreserve.com.

About Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. For additional information, please visit tiffany.com or call the shareholder information line at 800-TIF-0110.

About The Heart of a Horse Foundation

The mission of The Heart of a Horse Foundation (HOAH) is quite simple when considering ethical and humane care, treatment and rescue of our equine companions. With 7 million horses in the United States alone The American Horse Council estimates there are over 170,000 unwanted and uncared for horses. Each year, 100,000 American horses are slaughtered unnecessarily. The Heart of a Horse Foundation's mission is to maintain and stimulate the unwavering well-being of horses in America.

About Churchill Downs®:

Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875.  Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2011. The track's 2011 Spring Meet is scheduled for April 30-July 4.  Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships a record seven times and the event will return to the track for its next renewal on Nov. 4-5. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.

Churchill Downs®, Kentucky Derby® and the Twin Spires design are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.2% Alc. by Vol., The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2011.

SOURCE Woodford Reserve