First Bourbon Tasting Fest Coming To Belmont Park

Bourbon fans, get ready to sip. Because Belmont Park Racetrack will be holding its first-ever bourbon tasting event next month, and tickets go on sale soon.

Bourbon At Belmont will be held on Saturday, May 5 from 3 to 7 p.m., and is hosted in conjunction with the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The event will feature more than 25 bourbons available for tasting, as well as a selection of bourbon barrel-aged craft beers. There will also be a simulcast of the Kentucky Derby, as well as live racing events at Belmont.

Tickets are $95 per person, and are on sale now. There are $12 tickets available for designated drivers, who will not be allowed to taste any of the alcohol. You need to be 21 or older to purchase a ticket.

"Bourbon whiskey and horse racing may be associated with Kentucky, but there's an older tradition of whiskey making and horse racing in New York that goes back all the way to the 1600s,” said Colin Spoelman, co-founder of Kings County Distillery, New York City’s oldest and largest craft distillery. “We think it's fitting to serve New York bourbon at Belmont for the Kentucky Derby as it is a New York spin on a Kentucky tradition. With bourbon popular right now, this event is a great way to try some of the classics and some creative whiskeys from newer, local distilleries, too."

The tasting includes bourbons from such well-known brands as Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Makers Mark and Wild Turkey, plus highly-praised local producers like Kings County Distillery and Widow Jane Distillery.

A special selection of craft beers will also be offered for sampling. The lineup will include special beers from local and national craft brewers, many of which have been aged in bourbon barrels to compliment the day’s offerings. Fitting with the Kentucky Derby theme, Gun Hill Brewing Company from the Bronx will be serving Derby Winner — a play on a Kentucky common ale (aged in Bourbon barrels) and then mixed with ginger and mint to simulate a mint julep.

Representatives from hard cider producer Angry Orchard will be on site to offer samples of their new Rosé Cider, the official cider of the Kentucky Derby, made with rare, red-flesh apples from France. Attendees will also be able to purchase and enjoy cigars from Long Island’s premier cigar purveyor Village Cigar Headquarters, winner of Best Cigar Shop on Long Island for the last three years.

Tickets for Bourbon At Belmont are on sale now and include bourbon and beer sampling, grandstand viewing of the day’s live scheduled races, the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby and a souvenir taster glass. The event will be held in the North Shore Terrace viewing pavilion on the fourth floor of the Belmont Park Racetrack. A limited number of tickets will be sold. No one under 21, including designated drivers, will be admitted and photo ID is required for entry. Parking is $3 per car. You can purchase tickets at the event website.

“This event will be an afternoon filled with extraordinary bourbon and beer tastings, live racing, a simulcast of the running of the Kentucky Derby, and for those feeling lucky, convenient betting windows inside the event footprint,” said Andy Calimano, owner of event producer Starfish Junction. “This Kentucky Derby day celebration will be a truly unforgettable experience for all who attend. It combines the love of bourbon and the love of horse racing, two passions shared by many."

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