A drink for the races, the Belmont Jewel cocktail 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.

(Update: California Chrome did not win the Triple Crown this time!)

Did you know there’s an official cocktail for each leg of the Triple Crown?

For all of the races, I thought it would be fun to share recipes for the official drinks of each, and today’s the final leg in this relay.

First, in honor of the Kentucky Derby I shared the Basil Julep, a variation on the traditional mint julep with fresh mint, sugar and sweet Kentucky bourbon.

If you like juleps, you should also check out the Irish Whiskey Honey Mint Julep, the Chocolate Mint Julep and the Blackberry Mint Julep. 

Then, I shared the cocktail for the Preakness Stakes, the Black-Eyed Susan. This one is a vodka drink with elderflower liqueur and pineapple, lime and orange juices. 

To round out the trifecta, today’s Friday Night Delight is the Belmont Jewel cocktail , but it wasn’t the first of the official Belmont Stakes cocktails. 

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 cocktail seems both simpler and more unique in flavor than its predecessors — small batch bourbon, pomegranate juice and lemonade.

I think it was a good move, as neither the White Carnation nor the Belmont Breeze strike my fancy. And it’s a much cuter name! 

Bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate all go so well together. The lemonade brings a touch of sour and the pomegranate brings the sweetness, and it’s a well-balanced drink. 

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 cocktail? The Kentucky Derby mint 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!

I’ll totally be enjoying one of these Belmont Stakes cocktails all summer long, whether it’s horse-racing season or not. // susannah

Belmont Jewel Cocktail

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

A cocktail fit to drink during the Belmont Stakes, or all summer long.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
• 2 ounces lemonade
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• 1 lemon twist, for garnish (optional)
• 1 marashino cherry, for garnish (optional)

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.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 7mg Carbohydrates: 20g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 13g Protein: 1g