Drinks

Man O’ War Cocktail

May 6, 2022 by Jennifer

There’s so much happening this weekend. Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, Mother’s Day is Sunday and tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby! Now, I know for most of us the Run for the Roses is not a holiday, but for sports fans and horse race aficionados, this is their Super Bowl. “The fastest two minutes in sports” is set to take place in Churchill Downs tomorrow, and just like Super Bowl, it’s turned into the event of the season.

Growing up in northern California, (so nowhere near horses) I never knew anything about the Derby. But then a few years ago I visited Kentucky and suddenly knew everything! If you want to know about Kentucky you need to know about two things: bourbon and horses. Bourbon because that’s where all the best (and most well known) bourbons are created. Horses because two big horse races occur there, the 147 year-old Derby and the 86 year-old Keeneland. While Keeneland is less well known across the country, the Derby is world renowned. People come from all over just to get a glimpse of those brown shining coats and to taste one of the best southern cocktails around, the Mint Julep.

But if you’re not into mint or ice, there’s another drink that would be perfect for Derby. It’s called the Man O’ War. While this drink is made with bourbon, it has several other ingredients making it a delightful tipple that’s just as strong. Full of citrus thanks to the fresh lemon juice and Curaçao, this drink is the color of autumn as the sun sets on the track. While any bourbon will do, I used Broken Barrel’s newest limited edition Maple Mizunara. Infused with Mizunara whiskey barrels staves, Seth Benhaim (the man behind Barrel) then decided to take the flavor even further and added maple syrup barrel staves to the mixture. The finished product is a sweeter Japanese-type whiskey, full of fall flavors that meld really well with the citrus.

Created in the mid-20th century, perhaps as a nod to the Kentucky Derby, the Man O’ War is actually named after a one of the most famous race horses ever. Man O’ War won 20 out of the 21 races he ran. Although he did not win the Kentucky Derby, he did win the other two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, in 1920. But those aren’t the only feats this horse has accomplished. He’s also the grandfather of another famous race horse: Seabiscuit. So, why not name a drink after him? I mean, with a resume like that, this drink is the perfect choice for Derby Day.