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The road to the Triple Crown of horse racing
may start in Kentucky May 2nd but the finish line is in New York
with The Belmont Stakes on June 6. If you don't have tickets for the
track, here are two versions of the signature cocktail to try at
home.
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Dale DeGroff mixing the Belmont Breeze
on opening day at
Belmont.
Photo by Adam Coglianese |
The commemorative cocktail for New York's
Belmont Stakes is The Belmont Breeze, created by Dale DeGroff,
founder and president of the Museum of the American Cocktail and
author of The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks (Clarkson
Potter). The drink is a nod to the 19th century tradition
of serving whisky and mint drinks at the racetracks. DeGroff's
version uses bourbon as the base spirit and Dry Sack, a versatile
medium dry Spanish sherry that imparts a soft fragrant nutty flavor.
Belmont Breeze
By Dale DeGroff
 1 1/2 ounces
bourbon
1/2 ounce Dry Sack Medium Dry Sherry
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Splash orange juice
Splash cranberry juice
5 mint leaves
1 mint sprig
1 orange zest
Assemble the first six ingredients in a
cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled
cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel and mint sprig.
Belmont Breeze
(Punch Version)
By Dale DeGroff
(Serves 12)
1 liter bottle of bourbon
12 oz. Dry Sack medium dry sherry
6 oz. fresh lemon juice
8 oz. simple syrup
8 oz. orange juice
8 oz. cranberry juice
8 oz. seltzer
8 oz. 7-UP
Fresh strawberries, sliced
10 Sprigs of fresh mint
Stir all the ingredients together in a
large punch bowl. Serve over ice and garnish with strawberries and
fresh mint
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