The Official Drink Of The Belmont Stakes

Not to be outdone by the Mint Julep of the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness official drink, the Black-Eyed Susan, Belmont Park created the Belmont Breeze, the official drink of the Belmont Stakes. Actually, this drink was developed by noted New Yorker Dale DeGroff in 1998. It is believed that prior to that the official drink for the Belmont Stakes was the White Carnation, named for the flowers that make up to the blanket presented in the winner's circle and draped over the victory for the famous "winner's photo."

Often referred to as the “King of Cocktails”, Dale DeGroff developed his extraordinary techniques and talent tending bar at great establishments most notably at the famous Rainbow Room where he was one of the first to pioneer a gourmet approach to recreating great classic cocktails, inventing hundreds of his own using fresh squeezed juices and exotic ingredients.

Drink Fun Fact: The profile of the Belmont Breeze comes from the colonial recipe: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak.

The ingredients are:

1 1/2 ounces of a good American blended whiskey
3/4 ounces Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry
1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice
1 ounce of simple syrup
(1 ounce of sweet and sour mix may be substituted for the lemon juice and simple syrup)
1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice
1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce 7-Up
1 ounce Club Soda

Shake first six ingredients with ice, then top with 7-Up and club soda. Garnish with mint sprig and lemon wedge.