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 then with their own race, their own garland of lilies and of course, their own drink.

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How to Make the 2018 Kentucky Oaks Lily Cocktail
How to Make the 2016 Kentucky Oaks Lily Cocktail

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 Grey Goose® 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.

Here are two versions of the recipe, the one from this year and the original version.

1. Recipe: Grey Goose Oaks Lily

Ingredients

  • 1 part Grey Goose Vodka
  • 1/2 part fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 part simple syrup
  • 3 parts cranberry juice
  • Splash of orange liquor

Instructions

  • Fill glass slightly above rim with cubed ice.
  • Pour ingredients in order listed to 1/2 inch from top of glass.
  • Stir slowly and garnish with a blackberry and lemon.

2019 Kentucky Oaks Lily Cocktail - 145th Running of the Kentucky Derby, Cover
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2. 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.

Source: Tim Laird

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The Oaks Day Garland of Lilies
Oaks Day Garland of Lillies
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Even the Tractors are Pink on Oaks Day
Pink Tractor
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The making of the Garland of Oaks is a Kentucky Derby week tradition.

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