The Texas Mint Julep will make its debut for the Saturday, May 7th, Kentucky Derby Day, at downtown bar Reserve 101.

Reserve 101 is not your daddy’s whiskey bar and its newest cocktail concoction is not your daddy’s Mint Julep. Instead of the traditional mix of bourbon, water and mint leaves muddled with sugar or syrup, the Texas Mint Julep is made from an infusion (a steeped mixture) of Woodford Reserve (Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby) with fresh mint and super-hot Habanero chili peppers. This adds a slightly spicy kick worthy of the Lone Star State to the whiskey, which is then mixed with Agave nectar to provide sweetness to the Texas Mint Julep.

“The Habanero doesn’t exactly smack you upside the head; it creeps up subtly so as not to overpower the traditional Mint Julep flavor,” says Reserve 101 co-owner and whiskey expert Mike Raymond. “Texans appreciate something a little different and that’s what our bar’s all about.”

Raymond developed the Texas Mint Julep for the 2011 Kentucky Derby Day. It is the latest addition to Reserve 101’s line of infusions, including whiskey infused with coffee, apples, peaches, cinnamon and pecans—even tobacco—and chili-pepper-steeped vodka.

Reserve 101 stocks over 170 varieties of premium whiskey—the best selection in Houston and possibly the entire region—along with other liquors, beer and wine. The bar also is known for its Martinis and Signature Cocktails, the list of which now includes the Texas Mint Julep. Reserve 101 is located at the corner of Caroline and Dallas, across from House of Blues and near the George R. Brown Convention Center.

“We attract a lot of people from out of town, many of whom become regular patrons whenever they’re in Houston,” Raymond says. “Customers include celebrities, sports personalities and visiting bands, along with downtown workers and local whiskey and Martini connoisseurs. Actor Sean Penn, boxer Oscar de la Hoya and players for the Houston Rockets and LA Lakers franchises consider Reserve 101 their local neighborhood bar.”

The establishment holds complimentary Tuesday Tastings of liquor, beer and wine, often hosted by brand ambassadors such as Jim Beam’s great-grandson Fred Noe. Reserve 101 is open seven days a week. “Happy Hour,” with dollar-off beers and wines and half-price Signature Cocktails runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, with specials just about all the time, including Sundays.

More information about Reserve 101 and whiskeys is available by contacting This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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