“Aaaaaand They’re Off!” Town & Country Honors the Triple Crown

The months of May and June are known for something other than Mother’s and Father’s Day. They’re known for pomp and pageantry—the ‘sport of kings.’ Henry VIII used tax revenues to maintain his stables, claiming that by breeding winners with winners he could improve the quality of the cavalry. While certainly a landmark philosophy in horse racing, Henry was unable to apply its practice; his Master of the Horse, the title of Henry's racing stable director, was not a professional horseman and recklessly crossbred the entire stable. The stable consisted of a variety of international horses with an even wider mix of genes, so well mixed they earned the moniker "cocktails." It is not known for sure, but this may be the oldest piece of evidence linking horse racing with the smart adult beverage. And so it remains to this day as each of the three jewels in the Triple crown is known for its own beverage—The Kentucky Derby (May 3) has its much loved Mint Julep; the Belmont Stakes (June 7) its Belmont Breeze and The Preakness (May 17), its Black-Eyed Susan.

In honor of each, Town and Country bar at The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel will serve each signature drink ($14.50) all day each respective race day—perfect while watching the races on Town & Country’s large screen TVs. The master mixologists have concocted their very own blend of these classic libations in honor of the biggest races in the annuls of the running of thoroughbreds.

Town & Country bar is located at The Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW. It is open daily from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. For further information, call 202-347-3000.

Triple Crown Drink Recipes

Mint Julep

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

fresh mint

Crushed ice

Kentucky Bourbon

PREPARATION:

Prepare mint syrup by boiling sugar and water together for 5 minutes. After it cools, pour it over 6-8 sprigs of mint (bruised slightly to release the taste) and refrigerate overnight in a covered container.

Belmont Breeze

1 1/2 oz. Whiskey

3/4 oz. Cream Sherry

1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz. Simple Syrup

1 1/2 oz. Fresh Orange juice

1 1/2 oz. Cranberry juice

1 oz. of soda

1 oz. of 7up

fresh strawberry

lemon wedge

(you may substitute 1 oz. of Sweet & Sour mix for the lemon juice and simple syrup although fresh ingredients are best)

PREPARATION:

Shake first 6 ingredients with ice and top with half 7up and half soda, approximately one ounce of each. Garnish with fresh strawberry, a mint sprig, and a lemon wedge

Black Eyed Susan

INGREDIENTS:

1 part Cointreau

1 part Rum

1 part Vodka

Pineapple Juice

Orange Juice

PREPARATION:

Fill a highball glass with shaved ice, add the liquors first, then top off with equal parts of orange and pineapple juice. Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.