Derby Party
Give me any reason to party! Even if it is the fastest five minutes in sports.
Going to the Kentucky Derby is definitely on my BUCKET LIST. But until I get there I’ll just be wearing hats and sippin’ cocktails in my own back yard the first weekend of May!
Derby Style
You can’t go wrong with a simple white dress. I usually wear white dresses to family reunions, picnics, and outdoor summer gatherings. My friends at Dig Your Roots Boutique sent me this one. You can shop my look by visiting their online store, and also follow Moonshineandsuppertime on LIKEtoKNOW.it where we share all our favorite clothing, home goods and gift ideas.
Jar - cuterie anyone?
I love these jar - cuterie’s for each guest can grab one and snack away. These little jam jars hold the perfect amount for a light appetizer. Fill 4oz mason jars with a variety of healthy snacks, we filled ours the day before our party and added crackers to the display platter the day of.
I used an old whiskey barrel lid as my serving platter, placing the jar - cuterie and other snackable items on the board. Here’s what I suggest for your jars:
1. Cheese cubes or sticks
2. Pepperoni cheese roll ups
3. Use a cocktail stick and stack a pickle, pearl onion, and a cherry tomato. Other stackable options include pickled okra, and a variety of olives.
4. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary and offer crackers on the side.
Derby Charcuterie
I wanted to play off the traditional derby faire as I added additional snackables to my spread. I was pressed for time and went with a halfway homemade spread adding easy grabs from the local grocery store. Here’s my suggestions:
1. Bourbon glazed pecans (we snaged the Private Select Brand from Kroger)
2. Salted Caramel Chocolates from Aldi
3. Fresh berries (I used blueberries to pair with our Blueberry Mint Juleps / this recipe is coming soon)
4. Chessman Cookies from Pepperidge Farms
5. Peanuts and Pistachios in the shell
My goal was to create a snacking atmosphere. I stayed away from meal/ dinner food and stayed with a cocktail/appetizer spread.
Rose All Day
I found this Dark Horse wine while browsing the Kroger’s wine selection. I knew I wanted a Rose wine to serve with the jar - cuterie and when I saw the horse label I knew this was the one.
I always like to use real glassware but I’m often caught paring it with cute cocktail napkins and disposable wooden plates. With my appetizer only spread we didn’t require any flatware and cleanup became a breeze leaving me with only glasses and display pieces to wash at the end of the evening!
I added the decorative, edible roses which are Wilton Cake decorations I found at Walmart to the PopnPep stir sticks by adding a dot of melted white chocolate to the back side of the rose then pressing them to the stir sticks.
Tablescapeing
I always shop my house first when I’m planning a party or a tablescape. After receiving the green napkins from Pepnpop I knew I would use some green glassware I had packed away in my hostess closet. These glasses were a thrift store find and the perfect size for wine! I’ve linked a few similar options here too.
Noelle suggested an emerald green table runner and we settled on this checked one from Amazon. I happened to have a few whiskey barrel lids but I know a wooden serving board or even wooden cutting boards would work just as well.
The stir sticks were gifted to us from Pepnpop. I’ll be sharing so much more from this sweet company over the next few months. Leanna, the owner is just the sweetest!
I ordered the wooden bamboo disposable plates from Amazon. I like using disposables for outdoor parties and as often as I can. I makes clean up a breeze.
The horseshoes totally completed the look. I’ve linked the small Mason jars, Mule Glasses and the wooden sticks we used to stack the snacks.
Watch for our other posts this week as we share a Derby Cookie and Derby Cocktail recipes.
All the bold links above are affiliate links, Moonshine & Suppertime does receive a small commission when you shop through these links. Thank you for supporting us in this was.
Shop our favorite Derby decor on LIKEtoKNOW.it