A drink for the races, the Belmont Jewel is the #1 drink for toasting the Belmont Stakes. Bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate juice served over crushed ice make for a fruity punch that’s delicious all summer long. 

Tomorrow is the last race in the famed Triple Crown of horse racing.

If California Chrome wins the Belmont Stakes in New York this weekend, then he’ll have won the entire trio. It hasn’t been done since the horse Affirmed did it in 1978, so it will be a big deal if this guy and his horse can pull it off.

For the last two races, I shared recipes for the official drinks of each race. First, in honor of the Kentucky Derby I shared the Basil Julep, a variation on the traditional mint julep.

Then, I shared the cocktail for the Preakness Stakes, the Black-Eyed Susan.

To round out the trifecta, today’s Friday Night Delight is the Belmont Jewel.

Black-Eyed Susan cocktail

The Belmont Stakes has had a plethora of other cocktail recipes over the years, a stark departure from the mint julep’s fame at the Derby.

A drink of vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cream, called the White Carnation, was the official drink until 1998.

Then, in 2012, the Belmont Breeze took the stage with its complicated combination of whiskey, sherry and a host of fruit juices.

The Belmont Jewel seems both simpler and more unique in flavor than its predecessors — small batch whiskey, pomegranate juice and lemonade. I think it was a good move, as neither the White Carnation nor the Belmont Breeze strike my fancy.

Irish Whiskey Honey Mint Julep

All right, and so we’ve come to the finish line. For now, this recipe concludes my horse racing cocktail series.

Which one was your favorite? The Kentucky Derby Mint Julep or Basil Julep, the Preakness Stakes Black-Eyed Susan or the Belmont Jewel?

Though I’ve always been a julep fan, this one totally strikes my fancy! // susannah

Click below to see the Belmont Jewel Recipe! 

Belmont Jewel

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

A cocktail fit to drink during the Belmont Stakes

Print

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces small-batch Kentucky bourbon
• 2 ounces lemonade
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice

Instructions

1. Fill a highball glass with crushed ice and set aside.
2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, vigorously shake together the bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate juice.
3. Pour the cocktail into the ice-filled glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or a lemon twist.