Celebrating Kentucky Oaks Day and the delicious Lily!
What’s the most famous Kentucky Derby cocktail? The Mint Julep of course. Well, step aside Mr. Julep for the day before the Derby is Kentucky Oaks Day, a race reserved just for the fillies. What better way to celebrate the fillies than with their own race, their own garland of lilies and of course, their own drink.
The Oaks Lily has been the official drink of the Kentucky Oaks since 2006, it’s a variation on the Cosmopolitan because of its hot pink colors. In 2009, Churchill Downs conducted its first PINK OUT and teamed up with the local breast cancer initiative, Horses and Hope, to donate $1 from every Oaks Lily sold on Kentucky Oaks Day. To date, Churchill Downs has donated $90,000 to Horses and Hope to aid in their outreach program in Kentucky’s horse racing industry
I was lucky enough to attend Oaks Day in 2009 and I can honestly say the Lily was delicious. I have since made this drink one of my summer standards – it really is so good. So how do you make a Lily … here you go….
Recipe: Original Oaks Lily
Ingredients
- 1 ounces vodka
- 1 ounces sweet and sour mix or lemonade
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- Splash of triple sec
- 3 blackberries
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until cold, strain into a tall glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with blackberries on a skewer.
- Add sipping straws and enjoy.
