I grew up not far from the legendary Saratoga Race Course. One of the oldest operating sports venues in the country, Saratoga has an annual thoroughbred horseracing meet in July. The course itself has been in operation since 1863, and features a 40 day meet. In addition to the horse racing, the town itself is charming, full of small businesses, and quaint streets loaded with shops and restaurants. The overall experience is nothing short of magical, and unsurprisingly, many cocktails have grown up with the race track. Among them is the Saratoga Cocktail.
Among Saratoga’s biggest events of the year is the Traver’s Stakes. Held toward the end of the meet, the grade 1 race brings thousand of people to upstate New York. The winner of the race wins a Man O’ War cup (designed by Tiffany), their colors painted on the canoe in the lake of the course, and the Traver’s Blanket draped over their horse (and elaborate floral blanket). The weekend is usually the busiest of the meet, and an amazing experience of the culture of both Saratoga Race Course and the town.
Saratoga Cocktail
The Saratoga Cocktail is complex, brooding, and exciting. The nose is loaded with spice and bleeds out heavy notes of caramel, oak, preserved fruit, and fermenting grape. The bright citrus oils expressed give it a lively nature, and it feels right at home with the heavy hardwoods of the club like atmosphere of Saratoga.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
This cocktail is a variation of a Manhattan and the possible inspiration for the Vieux Carre Cocktail. Similar to a Manhattan, the base spirits you choose are going to make a large difference. There’s some variation in recipe here between the use of rye or bourbon. We’ve included both, but recommend rye first, or high rye bourbon.
- Rye – We used Wild Turkey 101 Rye here for it’s strong herbal and spice notes, as well as the body. Most variations of this recipe will call for 100 proof bourbon or rye to add body. Other good choices to compliment the cognac would be Rittenhouse Rye or Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon.
- Cognac – As there are few ingredients in this cocktail, you’ll want to aim at quality to work of the spicy rye foil. We used H by Hine here, but Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac would great as well. If you’re looking for to drop down in cost, consider Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva.
- Sweet Vermouth – With the strength of some of the ingredients, the Saratoga Cocktail is able to take a stronger vermouth, like Carpano Antica. Feel free to use your favorite though.
- Angostura Bitters – These are the classic bitters for most cocktails, and we recommend you keep a bottle on hand
That’s about the best advice I can offer. I’d love to say there’s some reason to make this, but some classics are forgotten for a reason. Got a reason you love this drink or a tweak you think makes it perfect? Let us know in the comments!