It’s Kentucky Derby weekend, y’all! And while up here in Northern Kentucky, we don’t get the true Derby Day experience, you can always try to emulate it.

The best way, we’ve found, is to put on your most ornate piece of headwear, your brightest-colored clothing and drink a mint julep.

If you’re looking to make one at home, while I’m sure every bartender or mint julep enthusiast has their own particular version, the traditional way to make this Kentucky Derby staple is with four ingredients: mint leaf, bourbon, simple syrup and crushed ice.

Typically (from what I’ve seen online, don’t yell at me if this isn’t how you make it), the cocktail is made by muddling fresh mint leaves in a glass, pouring in two ounces of bourbon plus half an ounce of simple syrup and stirring with crushed ice.

While this drink is typically enjoyed best on a warm spring day, this year might be a little chillier. With highs in the mid 50s, you might need a bit of a bourbon blanket if you’re sitting outside (or just a regular blanket, I guess).

If you don’t want to make yours at home and you’re not planning to head down to Louisville, there are plenty of bars around here where you can enjoy a nice mint julep.

You can enjoy some local libations with The B-Line, aka The Bourbon Line. This self-guided NKY bourbon tour includes distilleries, bourbon bars (all of which have over 100 bourbons on offer) and bourbon-centric restaurants. There are stops from Covington and Newport all the way down to Augusta and Maysville.

Scroll throught to find a B-Line location near you!

The B-Line

Bars

Distilleries

Restaurants