The Best Mint Julep Cup for the Kentucky Derby Is Actually a Yeti Rambler

And it’s only $20.

By

Published on May 4, 2023

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RAMBLER 10 OZ STACKABLE LOWBALL Tout — Photo:
Food & Wine / Tyler Roeland

The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, and you can bet your horse I’ll be drinking a mint julep. Woodford Reserve, crushed ice, mint, and a little simple syrup, the drink is a Derby classic that’s well worth sipping through the rest of the summer.

And while you might be considering investing in a set of julep mugs for the occasion, I have another suggestion: Instead, get a Yeti Lowball Rambler. It’s the best mug for the drink.

To buy: Yeti 10-Ounce Lowball Rambler, $20 at yeti.com

A traditional julep cup is made with silver or copper, which is designed to look beautiful and keep ice from melting. You’re supposed to hold the metal band up top to prevent your hand from warming the glass. But the Yeti provides the best of both worlds. You can keep your hand firmly around the mug wherever you like, and because it’s made with double-vacuum seal insulation, it’s going to keep the drink ice-cold for hours on end.

One of my favorite features is the lid, which has a magnet slide to ensure nothing spills or leaks. So even when my pick crosses the finish line first, my julep will stay right where I need it.

There’s one obvious downside of the Yeti Lowball for this use case; it’s not as pretty as a classic julep mug. But first of all, it’s still plenty pretty, and secondly, its versatility outweighs this in my book. Unless you have a julep mug from your great-grandmother, you’re likely not breaking it out more than a few times a year. But I use my Yeti Rambler for morning coffee, cocktails in the park, beer by the pool, and mint juleps during the Kentucky Derby.

The 10-ounce mug currently comes in nine colors to match your style, including seafoam, black, and the brand’s new rescue red. There’s even a stainless option, which is about as close to a derby cup as you’re going to get. You can add your name or a design to it, and it’ll last long enough to pass down to your great-grandkids, I’d bet.

This year, skip the drinkware you’re only going to use once. Instead, add this Yeti mug to your collection. It’ll quickly become the only mug you use.