By A Nose

I found this Saratoga Race Track glass at an antique mall while on vacation in Virginia Beach.  Its colorful blocks gave me some 60s/70s vibes immediately pulling me in and I had to take it home with me.   Originally, with my limited knowledge of horse racing, I assumed I would go with a version of a Mint Julep.  I quickly found that each horse race has its own drink and mint and whiskey seemed reserved for the Kentucky Derby so I pushed it aside.  In my research of the Saratoga Racetrack, it seems in recent years their drink was a play on a tequila sunrise, with vodka in place of tequila.  I also began to look more closely at their annual race The Travers which usually takes place mid August.  But my research didn't end there. In 1962, the Travers race was one for the decades.  Two amazing horses at the top of their games, Jaipur and Ridan, were set to battle it out.  They both had saucey backstories and I started to get swept up in the drama.  The race was a nailbiter.  The two horses raced side by side the entire track and the race was so close they needed to check the photo to determine the winner.  In the end, it was Jaipur by a nose!  I never thought I was interested in horse racing but I spent a good deal of time reading about these horses while preparing this drink.  So it turns out, I may be a horse girl.  But back to the drink.  I decided to use an Indian gin for the base of my cocktail (Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan)  and I also wanted to play a little with the flavors of the “Saratoga Sunset”.   And since the Travers takes place during August, I wanted a refreshing summer sipper you could enjoy all day at the track but not be too drunk while you’re watching the greatest horse race of all time.    So I used some Saratoga Springs Sparkling Water to top it all off and keep you hydrated.  And seriously, if anyone wants to go to Parx Racing sometime to watch horses, I’m totally down.