The appeal of the Kentucky Derby permeates our culture, reaching beyond the sporting world and into the imaginations of consumers across the board.
It’s known as “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” but our enduring love for the annual event begins well before the thundering of hooves and the celebrations at the winner’s circle. Among the traditions which make the derby so beloved is Woodford Reserve, and the special edition bottles it releases each year to mark the race. This year’s bottle is the twentieth from the bourbon giant, and it promises to be a favorite among collectors.
Back-to-Back Wins
The 2019 limited-edition Woodford Reserve Derby bottle is not only important because it marks two decades of special Derby bottles from the bourbon maker. This year’s bottle is also remarkable for the fact that it features the gorgeous, dynamic artwork of Keith Anderson, who works in the Bourbon Street Café at Brown-Forman headquarters in Louisville. This is the second year in a row that his art, showcasing thoroughbreds racing across the front of the bottle, has elevated the annual release.
“My vision for this year’s Derby bottle came to me on Derby Day in 2018, when I was at Churchill Downs watching the horses race past me,” Anderson said in a recent statement. “Their sheer power, their colors and the jockeys are seared into my mind—and now featured on the bottle.”
A Shared History
Anderson’s newest bottle is also featured in a special year-long exhibit at the Frazier History Museum, at the start of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in downtown Louisville, celebrating Woodford Reserve’s long and colorful involvement with the Kentucky Derby. Visitors from around the world who visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail will have the chance to see all 20 of Woodford Reserve’s Derby bottles, all the original artworks used to design the labels, and other artifacts in the aptly titled “Woodford Reserve & the Kentucky Derby: Two Decades of Artistry, Bourbon and Horse Racing.”
“The Frazier Museum is the where the world meets Kentucky,” Frazier President and CEO Penny Peavler said in a statement. “So, we and our partners at Brown-Forman are eager to celebrate the two industries for which Kentucky is world-famous: horse racing and bourbon whiskey.”
A Trophy Among Collectors
For years now, Woodford Reserve’s Derby bottle has held a place of honor among bourbon enthusiasts and collectors who eagerly anticipate each year’s entry since the first release in 1999. Over the years, contributors continue to up the ante in terms of artistry, including Anderson himself, who recently told WDRB how he felt pressure to surpass his own work from last year. "It's funny,” he explained, “because I told [Woodford Reserve] 'whoever comes behind me to do this bottle, good luck.' I didn't know it was going to be me."
This year’s bottle is definitely a win for Anderson, and Woodford Reserve, and it can be a big sales win for your business, too. Talk to your Breakthru Sales Consultant today to make sure you’re getting the most out of this special edition bottle.