And they're off.....

I've never really had an affinity for horse racing, but there's something about the pomp and circumstance, the history, and the tradition of the Derby that makes me want to experience it in person. Of course the Derby cocktails, the pin stripe suites and the Fascinators add to the pull of the experience. But, there is nothing quite like the excitement as the horses enter the gates, the start of the race and the thrumming of their hooves on the track and they site of them as they push for the finish line. Writing that has gotten me eve more excited for those moments on Saturday.

Every year when the Derby line-up gets announced I look at the horse names and the odds and most years I inevitably pick the long shot to win. This goes back to when my husband and I were in our 20’s. We didn’t have enough money to take a real vacation so we stayed at my husband's friend's parents' house in Newport where they rented a room to vacationers. We watched Wimbledon with them, went to the beach and experienced the Newport scene. One night when we were having dinner at a Pub we heard the bartender talking about the Kentucky Derby and noticed the Televisions were all tuned to the race. We didn’t really have the money to bet, and it was too close to the race to bet at that point. But, we talked about how great it would be if we could bet $100 on the long shot and it would win. Sure enough the Long shot won. Needless to say we were pretty upset that we lost out on the chance for those winnings and we talked about it for the rest of that night. This was the beginning of the tradition of picking the Long Shot. Since I am not a fan of the Mint Julep, a Derby tradition, I decided to make a Bourbon cocktail with a tropical vibe. This cocktail is dedicated to this years long shot, Reincarnate. Cheers to this years Derby winner! I hope it is the Long Shot!

Ingredients:

2 oz Maker’s Mark

3/4 oz Pineapple juice

1/2 oz Allspice Simple Syrup

1-2 drops of Angostura Bitters ( I used my tropical bitters but Angostura bitters have a spicy flavor and they will work just as well)

Garnish with a pineapple slice or a Luxardo Cherry

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker or a mixing glass. Stir until well combined. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube and garnish.