The Derby ran, and you drank a Mint Julep. The Preakness ran, and well, you probably didn't try the Pimlico Black Eyed Susan.  But, today is the last (and toughest) leg of the Triple Crown, so I thought I'd whip up a batch of Belmont Breezes- the offical drink of the Belmont Stakes. 

In my very sports-centric family, the Belmont Stakes is an event on par with the Superbowl and the World Series.  Every year, we get together, often at the track, and cheer for the newest contender (Big Brown) or spoiler (my personal favorite, Denis of Cork) for the Triple Crown. So, you can imagine my embarrassment when I realized I, the cocktail aficionado of the family, had never tried (or even heard of) the official cocktail of one of my favorite summertime events.  

Turns out, Dale Degroff, in a stroke of infinite wisdom, created the Belmont Breeze to replace the White Carnation as the official drink of the Stakes in 1997. And while I'm sure the White Carnation is a lovely cocktail, whiskey and fresh fruit juice make much more sense than vodka, schnapps, and cream on a NYC summer day.  

Here are the ingredients:

* 1 1/2 oz. Seagrams 7
* 3/4 oz. Harveys Bristol 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

Garnish:
* Fresh Strawberry
* Lemon Wedge
* Mint

You'll also need a jigger to get those measurements right, a juicer to make the fresh juice, a highball glass, crushed or shaved ice, and a shaker. 

First, I made simple syrup by boiling water and slowly adding a quarter cup of superfine sugar, stirring until the sugar had completely dissolved.  Then, I took the syrup off of the stove and chilled it in a glass container. 

Next, I cleaned and cut my fruit for juicing.  I used my trusty metal hand juicer to squeeze the necessary amounts of both the lemon and orange juice and then strained them to get rid of that pesky pulp and even peskier seeds.  I had absolutely no experience juicing cranberries, so I just bought a small bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice.  

I combined all of the juices and liquor in my shaker with ice and shook vigorously.

The only ice in the house was of the refrigerator created variety, so I popped about two dozen cubes into a plastic bag, and smashed them with a meat hammer until the ice was amply crushed.  I placed the ice in a highball glass and strained the cocktail over the crushed ice.  In the tiny bit of extra space at the top of the glass, I added an ounce of both soda and 7UP. 

I tossed in my mint sprig, strawberry, and lemon wedge, and enjoyed. 

As far as whiskey cocktails go, this one was pretty refreshing.  I felt the brandy overpowered the drink just a little, and the next time I make a batch, I will probably cut the brandy to .5 oz.  Otherwise, the Belmont Breeze is another fantastic creation from Dale Degroff. 

You can catch the race (with Belmont Breeze in hand) on ABC tonight at 5 p.m. EST.