Insanely Decadent $1,000 Mint Juleps to Be Sold at 2014 Kentucky Derby

For the low, low price of $1,000, you can get tipsy in style at Churchill Downs.

According to Larry Olmsted of Forbes.com, premium bourbon distiller Woodford Reserve is auctioning off 75 ridiculously expensive mint julep chalices at the 2014 running of the Kentucky Derby.

Each mint julep cup is hand engraved and starts at $1,000, with all proceeds going to charity. 

The sale is part of Woodford Reserve’s ongoing humanitarian efforts. Over the past six years, the company has raised over $329,000 for organizations focused on ending animal neglect, among other things.

This year’s sale includes 65 “traditional cups” and 10 “Prestige” level chalices, with the main difference being ornamentation.

The traditional derby cup is silver and etched with a “horse scene.”

Prestige cups are likewise engraved but plated in 24-karat gold, featuring a diamond-studded horseshoe. All cups come with a silver sipping straw and are housed in a case crafted from the same wood used in Woodford Reserve barrels.

Woodford Reserve brand manager Laura Petry calls the mint juleps, “the most exclusive mint julep cups ever to be sold.”

All profits from the purchase of these high-price bourbon goblets will benefit the Heart of a Horse Foundation, whose aim is to aid the 170,000 some odd horses in America suffering from neglect and malnutrition. 

The cups are for sale online and come loaded with Woodford’s newest bourbon, an ultra-premium Double Oaked vintage.

There is one caveat to purchasing this rare cup, however: You must be at the race. 

Each cup is to be presented at the Kentucky Derby, and buyers must be present or send a proxy to pick up their prized bourbon vessel.

With that said, if you’ve got a soft spot for horses and an extra grand or so burning a hole in your pocket, you might consider shelling out for a premium booze goblet.

If anyone calls you wasteful, just remind them: You’re drinking for the horses.

We stumble so they might stand tall.