Tequila-based ‘Agave Julep’ cocktail on sale for $1,500

A hotel in Kentucky has created a one-off $1,500 (£1,077) Tequila-based ‘Agave Julep’ cocktail to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby – which this year fall on the same day.

The lavish cocktail, created by the team at The Brown Hotel, is made using Patrón en Lalique: Series 2 Tequila, and Old Rip Van Winkle 25-year-old bourbon, and is served in a custom gold-plated and engraved julep cup, from 3-6 May.

A classic mint julep is made with with bourbon, simple syrup, crushed ice, mint, and just a splash of water. However this twist on the classic serve includes Tequila, with The Brown Hotel’s director of food and beverage, Agustin Sosa, spent weeks perfecting the recipe, balancing the flavours of both spirits with mint.

“Sosa is originally from Mexico and wanted to craft a cocktail that blends the heritage of his past with that of his present in the heart of Derby City,” the hotel stated in a release.

Only 299 bottles of Patrón en Lalique: Series 2 were made, with the spirit aged for eight years in a combination of American oak, French oak and sherry barrels and housed in a handmade, individually numbered Lalique crystal decanter. Each bottle retails at $7,500.

Meanwhile, just 710 bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle 25-year-old bourbon were produced, making it the oldest and most expensive Van Winkle bourbon ever bottled, according to the hotel.

In addition to Tequila and bourbon, the recipe includes Kentucky Colonel Mint, chocolate mint, a dash of chocolate bitters and key lime-infused caramelized demerara sugar.

Due to the limited nature of its ingredients, a limited number of the pricey cocktails will be available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds going toward Kentucky Humane Society’s Equine C.A.R.E. program, which helps move horses into safe homes, matches available horses with adopters, implements wellness clinics, and offers educational tools and resources to the equine community.