This weekend could be a historic one. Saturday at approximately 6:50 pm the horses will line up for the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. There is a lot of buzz around this. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since 1978 and American Pharaoh is poised to be the next. Can he do it?
Living in Maryland, the Preakness is a very exciting event. We look forward to the parties, the hats and the festivities associated with the spring season. The Belmont Stakes is our last official chance to celebrate the horseracing season in style. Unfortunately, I will be out of town for the weekend or we would host a party, like we did for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. We love the excuse to have the girlfriends come over dressed in sundresses and big hats. It is such fun!
For the Kentucky Derby we served the traditional Mint Julep and the Preakness’s official during in the Black Eyed Susan.
In researching the signature drink for the Belmont stakes we found that the Belmont Jewel is featured on the official website:
The Belmont Jewel
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz Bourbon
- 2 oz lemonaide
- 1 oz Pomegranate Juice
Shake vigorously with ice. Serve in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a red cherry, lemon twist or both.
Some other options for traditional horse race cocktails include Bellini, Long Island Iced Tea or a sparkling glass of champagne. Set up a bar with all the fixings for each drink, ice cubes, glasses and cocktail napkins. It’s nice to have Iced Tea and Lemonade for guests who don’t want alcohol.
To round out the cocktail party, welcome additions to the buffet table include: grilled steak, fried chicken, grilled sausage Waldorf Salad, a crab dip, shrimp cocktail and an assortment of fresh fruit. Suggested desserts are New York Cheese Cake and Bourbon Balls.
Whatever your pleasure I’m sure it will be an exciting event. I know I’ll be rooting for a Triple Crown winner, even if I can’t host a party!
Steve’s Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Mayonnaise (do not use the low calorie!)
- 2 oz capers
- 2T horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay
- Tabasco sauce to taste
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 lb crab meat (jumbo lump is the best here but backfin can be substituted)
Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the Crab Meat in a bowl large enough to toss everything with your hands. Fold in the crab as gently as possible, taking care not to break up the lumps. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake at 350 until slightly browned & bubbly.
Note: This recipe doubles or triples well for large groups.
