As the country’s eyes are on jockey Calvin Borel in preparation for the Belmont Stakes this Saturday, June 6, Woodford Reserve bourbon will toast the final leg of horse racing’s legendary Triple Crown with the Belmont Breeze, the official cocktail of Belmont Park and the Belmont Stakes in New York. Whether you’re watching the race from Belmont Park (where the cocktail will be offered) or enjoying a party anywhere around the country, enjoy the Belmont’s official cocktail and toast to the final leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing. Try out the official cocktail or some of the bourbon-based appetizers listed below as a Belmont Stakes special this Saturday, June 6.
BELMONT BREEZE
Official Cocktail of the Belmont Stakes and Belmont Park
1 ½ oz. Woodford Reserve
2 oz. lemonade
1 oz. pomegranate juice
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Woodford Reserve Bacon Toast
¼ pound bacon
3 slices wheat bread
½ cup mango chutney
1 tablespoon Woodford Reserve bourbon
Preheat broiler to high. Cook bacon until crisp, chop into fine pieces and place on a small plate. Using a biscuit cutter or the top of a jar, stamp out 1½ inch bread rounds. In a small bowl mix the chutney and bourbon, heating slightly in the microwave to mix thoroughly. Spread a generous amount of the chutney mixture on the bread round then dip it in the bacon pieces so they stick to the bread. Repeat the steps for each bread round. Just before serving heat under the broiler to further crisp the bacon. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 toasts
Note: The toasts can be made one day ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to broil and serve.
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Woodford Reserve-Soaked Dates
24 pitted dates
½ cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
24 pecan halves
Granulated sugar
Soak dates in bourbon overnight. Drain and put pecan in center of each date. Roll in sugar. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container.
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Woodford Reserve and Pecan Brie
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
1 small (8-ounce) wheel brie
1 baguette, sliced
Combine syrup, pecans and bourbon in a small pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Pierce the brie with a fork and pour the sauce over the top. Serve with baguette slices.
Serves 6.
Woodford Reserve Mustard Wraps
3 sandwich wraps
9 slices thinly-sliced turkey
9 slices smoky provolone cheese
Roasted red peppers to taste
Shredded lettuce
¼ cup stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon Woodford Reserve bourbon
Layer three slices of turkey over the bourbon mustard. Add three slices of cheese, roasted red peppers and shredded lettuce. Mix bourbon and mustard together and top with bourbon mustard. Slice wrap in half.
Serves 6.