Belmont Stakes Cocktails

By Adam Rains

Giddy up cocktail lovers! As the 146th annual Belmont Stakes event draws near, the most necessary tool is missing from your saddle: a blazing cocktail. Some of you will be rooting for the best horse to win, but we can bet that any of these “southern” cocktail recipes will be first to cross the finish line.

Brought to you by Andrea Correale, celebrity caterer and Founder of Elegant Affairs and KTCHN Restaurant located at West 42nd street, both bring you delicious recipes to create and enjoy as you tune in and engage in the races.

Giving the normal cocktail a southern twist, Andrea presents to you a few cocktails recipes including the “Citrus-Basil Spiked Sweet Tea,” the “Grapefruit Collins,” and the “Georgia Peach and Basil Bourbon Slushie.” Andrea has catered for some of the biggest stars in the biz including Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey, Kevin Spacey and Liam Neeson, so you know you will have some winning cocktails.

For those craving bourbon, check out KTCHN’s “Southern Style” cocktail recipe. A tantalizing concoction of bourbon, lemon juice, triple sec and various fruits, KTCHN brings to you their favorite southern style beverage.

Southern Style from KTCHN Restaurant

KTCHN Restaurant ktchnnyc.com

Ingredients:

1/3 fresh peach (muddled)
2 fresh cherry pitted (muddled)
1/2 orange slice (muddled)
2 oz. Lexington Bourbon
0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
0.75 oz. Simple Syrup
0.25 oz. Triple Sec

Directions:
Shake, strain and serve over fresh ice. Garnish with a peach wedge. Glass: rocks.

Citrus-Basil Spiked Sweet Tea

Andrea Correale & Elegant Affairs elegantaffairscaterers.com

Ingredients:

8 cups water
7 black tea bags
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice from 2 lemons
Juice from 2 oranges
1 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
Lots of fresh basil leaves, left intact

Directions:
Bring half of the water to boil and add your tea bags. Steep them for about 5 minutes, and remove. Add the sugar and stir the tea until it’s dissolved. Transfer the tea to a pitcher and stir in your lemon and orange juice and the rum. Add some fresh basil leaves and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve in a tall glass over ice with fresh orange and lemon wedges with fresh basil leaves.

Grapefruit Collins

Andrea Correale & Elegant Affairs elegantaffairscaterers.com

Ingredients:

2 Ounces Tanqueray Gin
1/2 Ounce Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 Ounce Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
1 Ounce Simple Syrup
3 Ounces of Pellegrino Sparkling Water
Grapefruit Zest
Mint Leaves

Directions:
Rim glass with grapefruit wedge and dip into salt and grapefruit zest mixture. Add Gin, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and simple syrup to a martini shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into glass. Add Pellegrino sparkling water and stir. Garnish with grapefruit zest and mint leaves.

Georgia Peach and Basil Bourbon Slushies

Andrea Correale & Elegant Affairs elegantaffairscaterers.com

Ingredients:

12 mint leaves
3 fresh Georgia peaches, sliced and frozen overnight
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup Simple Syrup
1 cup Black Tea Bourbon

Directions:
Slice peaches and freeze overnight (can use packaged frozen peaches for easy preparation. In a food processor, add frozen peach slices, mint leaves, lemon juice, simple syrup and bourbon and blend, adding ice until a slushy consistency forms. Scoop slush into glasses and garnish with basil and peaches. Serve immediately.

Southern Charm

Celebrity caterer and founder of Cornelia Guest Events www.corneliaguest.com

Ingredients:

2 fresh peach slices
2 oz. Bulleit Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
Ice
Mint sprig for garnish

Directions:
Place peach slices in a shaker and lightly muddle. Add the whiskey, lemon juice and orange juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake. Add fresh ice to a rocks glass and strain mixture into the glass through a fine-mesh sieve. Garnish with mint sprig.

This year, the 2014 Belmont Stakes will be one of the biggest days in racing history. It has been a long awaited 36 years since we’ve seen a Triple Crown winner and this race will have you on the edge of your seats. On Saturday, June 7th, Surf City (1 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, NJ) will be offering the long-standing Belmont cocktail favorite, the Belmont Jewel, but with a twist. Enjoy a frozen Belmont Jewel ($10) that will keep you cool as you sweat in anticipation while watching the race to see if California Chrome will make history.