Bourbon and horse racing go hand in hand, you may be familiar with the Mint Julep which represents the Kentucky Derby, but have you ever heard of the Belmont Jewel. This drink is the official cocktail of the Belmont Stakes – each triple crown race has it’s own drink!
The Belmont Jewel Cocktail for the Belmont Stakes is a combination of bourbon, lemonade, pomegranate juice, and simple syrup. Easy and delicious all summer long!
While I want to share the Belmont Jewel Cocktail with you, it’s certainly does bring up memories of the past when I used to go with a friend of mine to the racetrack.
I was young and living on my own in an apartment when one of the guys in my building, Joel, became my pal. We were a most unlikely pair but it was definitely a case of opposites attracting.
Me; responsible, serious, hard working. Him; flighty, self-indulgent and seemingly without a job. But then I found he had a job. He bet on the horses.
While I drove to an office for an 8-5 job he spent his days lounging by the pool, going to the track and a big part of his time was spent pouring over data to help him determine his next big win.
I went to the track with him occasionally, but I only bet once on a horse he recommended. And I lost! I was crushed. I’m not sure what that $2 would equate to today; maybe $20…but that was it for me. I found other ways to pick a winner even though I’ve never bet on another horse.
This season? Picking a horse for The Derby was easy. I had a couple of friends over for the shortest parties in existence.
Show up for the race a couple of minutes ahead of time, grab a cocktail (Muscavado and Vanilla Bean Mint Julep), watch the race and leave to go back to cutting the grass or washing the car.
No one had a favorite but still, we all got into the race from the starting gate and ‘my’ horse was easy to pick.
Poor thing. Started in an outside gate and had to move quite a distance to the inside but he held his own. He stayed close to the lead and we all decided this horse was our hero; the little engine that could.
As the race came to a close and the leader stayed his ground it looked close but it was between the leader and ‘our’ horse and son of a gun; the horse whose name I had not known before the race took the win.
American Pharoah. I found out later he was a favorite but he was also fighting tradition. Starting in position 18, one horse scratched so he moved to number 17. No horse had ever won the derby from position 17. This was destiny!
Heading into the Preakness I continued with my short party tradition and my offering of the race’s signature cocktail.
Not as well known as the Mint Julep, the Preakness also has a signature cocktail called The Black-Eyed Susan so of course I had those made, everyone grabbed their cocktail and that race looked too easy when our boy won handily.
So now it’s time for the third leg of the Triple Crown; some might think that a series of races but I might think of it more as a series of cocktails!
The Belmont Jewel Cocktail for the Belmont Stakes is hardly that. Talk about an identity crisis…this one has that certainly.
Not like the Julep and the Derby, this race has seen different cocktails come and go. Until 1997 the White Carnation was the signature cocktail; it was replaced by the Belmont Breeze, a complicated drink created by famed mixologist Dale DeGroff.
Though popular for several years, the folks in charge decided a less complicated and easier to prepare drink would be more fitting; they do make tens of thousands of them each race day.
Happy that I only make a handful I was still very pleased that I didn’t have to buy a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry; I have enough stock on hand that bottles used for only one cocktail seldom fit into my game plan.
Enter the Belmont Jewel. I’ll tell you, this baby is bourbon forward. I like bourbon but sometimes, and this was the case here, I think it could use some toning down. So I’ve added a bit of sparkling soda. Not only to temper the bourbon a bit, but hey who doesn’t like a bit of fizz, right?
I liked this cocktail. I think the name is befitting the third jewel in the Triple Crown and the ease of preparation speaks more to my party planner ideas.
Nearby on Saturday at 4:15pm? Come on over for a party. We’ll be done by 4:30; let’s hope we can hoop and holler just a bit when my new favorite horse wins the whole doggone thing. Cheers!
The Belmont Jewel Cocktail
- 3 ounces bourbon
- 4 oz lemonade
- 2 ounces pomegranate juice
- Sparkling Water optional
- Lemon wheel or cherry for garnish
- Combine bourbon, lemonade, and pomegranate juice in a cocktail shaker and fill shaker with ice. Shake until container is ice cold.
- Fill a low-ball glass with ice, pour mixture over ice and top with sparkling water if desired. Stir.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel..
- Root for American Pharoah.
Check out the official drink of the Belmont Stakes
FAQ
What is the official drink of the Triple Crown?
What is the official bourbon of the Belmont Stakes?
What is the official drink of the Preakness Stakes?
What to drink at the Belmont Stakes?
This Belmont jewel recipe is the official drink for the Belmont Stakes, though it hasn’t always been the cocktail of choice for the June race. The drink is simple and refreshing. The mix of bourbon, lemonade, and pomegranate juice is perfect for any occasion, particularly summer parties.
What Bourbon do you drink at a Belmont race?
For many years, the white carnation was the Belmont drink of choice. In 1998, Dale DeGroff created the Belmont breeze for the race, and it’s a fabulously complex drink. The Belmont Jewel recipe above was published in 2011, although different premium bourbons are recommended as marketing and sponsorship changes.
How many times has the Belmont Stakes been changed?
The Belmont Stakes’ official drink has changed three times. Until 1997, the White Carination was the official drink. It was replaced by the Belmont Breeze in 1998, which was overtaken by the Belmont Jewel. Find the recipes for all three drinks here.
How much bourbon is in a Belmont jewel?
When you pour a stronger 50 percent ABV bourbon, the drink is around 15 percent ABV (30 proof). Either way, the Belmont jewel is similar to a glass of wine. The Belmont jewel is a bourbon-spiked pomegranate lemonade cocktail that’s perfect for summer and the official drink of horse racing’s Belmont Stakes.