Terry Bradshaw backs Bradshaw Bourbon for 2026 Kentucky Derby
terry bradshaw is taking Bradshaw Bourbon into the 2026 Kentucky Derby mix, announcing on Instagram that the brand will partner with The Yard at Churchill Downs. The move puts his bourbon label in front of one of racing’s biggest crowds on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bradshaw’s post lands with timing that matters: the 152nd Kentucky Derby has a 6:57 p.m. ET post time on NBC and Peacock, and more than 125,000 Mint Juleps are served at Churchill Downs each Derby weekend. For a bourbon brand built around horse culture and whiskey, that is the kind of placement that puts the bottle in the middle of the event’s most reliable drink economy.
The Yard in Pittsburgh
The Yard described the collaboration in an Instagram post: “Saddle up ? It’s Derby Day at The Yard! We’re teaming up with Terry Bradshaw to pour his new Bradshaw Bourbon all day long ?” The brand called The Yard a renowned grilled cheese and gastropub in Pittsburgh, giving the partnership a food-and-drink angle that travels well beyond a single celebrity appearance.
Bradshaw debuted Bradshaw Bourbon in 2020, building the label from his passions for horses and whiskey. The flagship expression is a small-batch Kentucky straight bourbon with aromas of vanilla, toffee and toasted oak, plus a flavor profile of baking spice and coconut. That positioning keeps the brand firmly in the premium bourbon lane rather than the novelty-shelf category.
Bradshaw Bourbon in 2026
Earlier in 2026, Bradshaw expanded the lineup with two new cask strength single barrel expressions. One is a six-year aged bourbon at Green River Distilling Co., the 10th-oldest distillery in Kentucky, and the other is a limited 12-year release called TB-12-Year.
Fewer than 25 barrels were produced for the TB-12-Year release, which makes the Derby partnership feel less like a one-off endorsement and more like a push to place scarce inventory where high-volume bourbon consumption already peaks. The Derby weekend setting gives Bradshaw Bourbon immediate visibility among buyers who already expect premium pours, and The Yard’s role suggests the brand is leaning on hospitality, not just name recognition, to move product.
Churchill Downs on Saturday
The 152nd Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, with the race airing at 6:57 p.m. ET. Bradshaw, a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowler, has already turned a football career into a broader media and spirits business; this Derby tie-in is the clearest sign that Bradshaw Bourbon is being marketed as a living brand, not a one-season stunt.
