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| Photo: Distillerytrail.com |
Tomorrow is a big day around the world for television celebrations with family and friends to watch King Charles III's Coronation starting at 5 am in the USA followed by The Kentucky Derby in the evening at 6:30 pm -- both eastern standard time. Depending on where you are on the globe, you'll be getting up very early or staying up very late to watch one or the other.
At the Kentucky Derby many people want to try the traditional Derby drink, a mint julep, but often discover they don't like the taste of bourbon, its main ingredient. If you are one of them, here's another traditional and refreshing Derby drink you'll see people sipping at Churchill Downs between the races. It's a festive and suitable drink to serve at either a Derby or Coronation party. BTW: The Kentucky Derby will be race #12 - the last race of the day.
Let's discuss the origin of the cocktail. The Kentucky Oats is America's "premier and most lucrative" race for 3-year-old female horses i.e., fillies which runs yearly one day before the Derby. The winner is awarded $1.2 million dollars and a garland of lilies. At Churchill Downs in the winner's circle, you might hear the phrase, "lilies for fillies," and now you know how the drink got its name. Below is the recipe:
Kentucky Oats Lily Cocktail
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| Photo: Caitlin Bensel/Southern Living |
3 ounces (1/3 cup) cranberry juice
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lime juice (some people use sour mix)
1/5 ounce (1 1/4 teaspoon) Triple Sec
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) FINLANDIA vodka
Crushed ice
Optional: fresh smashed berries for garnish
If making a pitcher full add: 3 parts cranberry juice; 1 part lime juice or sour mix; 1/4 part Triple Sec; 1 part FINLANDIA vodka, and crushed ice
Directions:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker or pitcher, shake or stir, and pour into a tall glass over crushed ice. Add a few smashed berries if you wish.
Enjoy tomorrow's celebrations, my lovlies!👑🌹🥳🎉
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Well- this looks like a yummy drink. Being on USA time-zone, I will sip on some coffee for the Coronation, but around evening time, for watching the Derby, this recipe, or something very similar (might try some Bols Blue Curacao instead of the Triple Sec) might just do the trick. I am a very big fan of flavoured vodkas, so this looks delicious and probably a little sweeter.
ReplyDeleteOh, upscale Triple Sec. Fancy Barry. :)
DeleteThere is a Derby party at beach club near where I live. I am going to print out the Kentucky Oats Lily recipe and bring it with me, and request one. New York style bartenders unlikely to be familiar with it. But prior to Derby party- might do some pre-gaming at home and try it with both the Triple Sec and the Blue Curacao.
ReplyDeleteI can report- the bartender knew the drink, but no cranberry juice or Triple Sec on hand (not the case pre-gaming where I had all the ingredients, and made it- absolutely delish) so at the Kentucky Derby event, went w Makers- ginger beer, ie Kentucky Mule. More importantly, the winning horse came in 15 -1, so my buddy, Rick, who won, bought drinks for all with his big winnings. All good!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a hard drinker and far for an expect, but what kind of a bar doesn't stock Triple Sec??? How do they run a business that required selling people mixed drinks? Not everybody is mainly a red wine drinker like me. I suppose you could substitute another flavor of liqueur … raspberry. I wonder if the bar had Chambord (French raspberry liqueur)?
DeleteI would cut the bar a little break- it was set up in a private room- sort of "service bar" kind of thing. But the BIG news is that the day after the Kentucky Derby, I made the Kentucky Oaks Lily and it was fabulous (guests that I had agreed with me on that). There was Chopin vodka in the closet so I used that rather than Finlandia (somehow tied to Woodford Reserve- though I am not positive about that). Have some more social events coming up and will be making a BIG batch! (think pitcher size). Thanks again for great recipe. The lime juice cuts the sweetness a bit- same impact as "bitters" which appears in so many recipes. And lime juice actually agrees with me, more so than bitters, so that's another great plus about this drink. Keep those recipes coming!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Barry! :)
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