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Spring is finally just around the corner, and that means the flowers are getting ready to bloom at Churchill Downs before the 2026 Kentucky Derby gets underway on May 2. That also means that whiskey distillery Woodford Reserve is releasing its Derby bottle, an annual release that contains the same classic bourbon as the original but has a label designed by a different artist each year. We have the details to share about the 2026 edition.

The Woodford Reserve distillery is located in Versailles, Kentucky, and that’s where the team, led by master distiller Elizabeth McCall, makes bourbon, rye, and other whiskeys, some of which are given some very interesting cask finishes (the whiskey is also produced at parent company Brown-Forman’s much larger Shively distillery just outside of Louisville). Woodford’s ties to the Derby run deep—it became the “Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby” in 2018, and it has been the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby” since 1999 (that partnership currently runs through 2027).

The first Derby bottle came out in 1999, the same year Woodford became the official bourbon, and for the first few years the design was pretty simple. But in 2003, the distillery began collaborating with a different artists to design new labels for each release. “In 1999, the thoroughbred horse racing industry [began] to recognize it needs to change itself,” master distiller emeritus Chris Morris told the website Distillery Trail in 2019. “Churchill Downs [reached] out to partners to help bring relevance to a new audience. And they choose Woodford Reserve because Woodford Reserve has a vibe, has a buzz, an excitement about it . . . In 125 years of running the Kentucky Derby, this track had never endorsed a single bourbon brand. So, we become the first and only official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.”

This year, the artist behind the label is England native and Chicago resident Anna Murphy, who is known for her “signature ‘blue and white’ porcelain-inspired style,” according to the distillery. The art for the 2026 bottle is called “Dress to Impress, 152” and is meant to be a tribute to the Derby’s signature style, with red roses and speedwell (said to symbolize good luck and safe travel). “‘Dress to Impress, 152’ is a radiant tribute to Derby fashion, where bold style, timeless tradition, and the spirit of celebration come to life,” Murphy said in a statement. “At the heart of my work is a simple mission: to create beauty that leaves people feeling uplifted and carrying a little more wonder into the world.”

The 2026 Woodford Reserve Derby bottle will be available starting this month at retailers around the country (SRP $50), and you can find expressions from previous years at websites like ReserveBar now.