An Equestrian Themed Cocktail Party
/How-to set up a Beautiful Bar on Your Coffee Table
When I’m not out-to sea on Nantucket, I’m at home in Fairfield County, otherwise known as CT horse country, a place where many beautiful equestrian estates with horse-filled barns sit perched on acres of rolling green grass surrounded by gleaming, white split rail fences, many with actual formal riding rings!
It’s not unusual for me to be driving down the road along side horseback riders trotting on a beautiful day.
Horseback riding was very much a part of our lives when our children were young. The Fairfield County Hunt Club, a stunningly beautiful club, set the scene for long lazy summer days of horse trailers rolling in from barns up and down the east coast getting ready for the shows. The scene was and remains exquisite; acres of sprawling polo fields, barns filled with the most beautiful horses that look as though they are staged for a Ralph Lauren photoshoot and the excitement of vibrant Sunday afternoon polo matches. It’s a wonderful time and place to sit with a chilled cocktail in hand and enjoy the beauty of these stunning riders atop these magical beings.
“Barns filled with the most beautiful horses that look as though they are staged for a Ralph Lauren photo shoot”
Speaking of cocktails & horses, we kicked off the start of horse racing season with a small Kentucky Derby cocktail party! So nice to finally have guests over! I kept it intimate and light, serving a classic cheese board with a selection of cheeses to include the traditional Pimento cheese recipe by the Church Hill Downs Executive Chef, and a choice of two cocktails. For my barscape, I chose the stunning black barware from Cambridge’s curated MODERN COLLECTION, “representing high style by its very definition”…and that it certainly did!
Menu (Recipes & Resources below)
Goat Cheese Brie (for non-dairy option)
Pimento Cheese (traditional) on Cucumber Rounds
Delice de Bourgogne French Cheese
“Race for the Roses” Mule
“I’ll Take Manhattan” Martini
A barscape on a coffee table
I often speak of using different surfaces and places to set up a bar or to design a beautiful tablescape. For this day, my priority was to keep it within reach of the TV! I set up a barscape on my 42 inch square two-tiered glass coffee table which sits in the center of the room surrounded by comfortable seating.
And now for design inspiration…
My inspiration for design was gleaned from the the brilliant, cheerful colors of the Jockey Silks! My idea was to juxtapose bright colors against black barware. I began with my centerpiece, a gorgeous jockey and horse sculpture I found at Lattice House in Southport, CT. I bought a bouquet of tiny red roses, cut them to the bud and wired them together with floral wire. To that I added a piece of trailing silk ivy and VOILA! It certainly set the stage for brilliance.
To add a touch of elegance and quiet to the glass top, I used my beautiful, fabulously over-sized, linen napkins (lapkins!) from At Home with Ray and placed them on a diagonal. The bold black and white with neon accents was just the right touch. I also used their cocktail napkins in black and white trimmed with a hot pink neon trailing surge! Achieving different heights was my next priority. I placed my French patisserie on the table which gave me two tiers of height, along with two different cake stands.
I was very excited to have the opportunity to use the stylish and innovative barware and drinkware items from Cambridge I selected items seen here from their curated MODERN collection. I love the clean, fresh “modern” lines, black colour and the unique combination of style and function. The insulated ice bucket blew me away! I filled it with ice topped with their perfectly frozen small ice cubes made with their 15 cube black ice mold, an hour before guests arrived. Three hours later the cubes were still frozen. Talk about insulation! And the best part was no condensation on the table! The hammered black nickel shaker was filled with a partially mixed cocktail ready for guests. At the end of the cocktail party the shaker was still ice cold! A Mule mug is a very comfortable way to serve a chilled cocktail and perhaps my favorite to hold. It just feels good. Our guests were !wowed! by the color of these hammered mugs. The black nickel is unusual and really stands out on a barscape. They are so eye-catching I set them on the tall crystal cake stand to really showcase them as the highlight of my barscape. I styled my new black wood paddle cheese board with a Monstera leaf on which I placed the cheese selection along with the sleek black metal loop handle cheese set.
NOTE: Black really highlights the food!
Resources
Cambridge Modern Collection
3 Piece Black Metal Loop Handle Cheese Set
Wood Paddle Board with Black Finish
2 Pack of 15 Cube Black Ice Mold with Lid
4 Pack Hammered Black Niclel Mule Mug
3 qt Back Insulated Ice Bucket
20 oz Black Nickel Insulated Shaker
At Home with Ray
Linen Lapkins 25X25 “Pretty Birds”
Linen Cocktail Napkins
Food and Cocktail Tags (Place cards)
Lattice House, Southport, CT
Jockey on Horse Sculpture
Ballard Design
Patisserie Stand
Hermes
Blanket
Woodford Reserve
Bourbon
Parker and Company, Southport, CT
Chairs
Menu & Recipes
“Race for the Roses” Mule (Serves 1)
1/2 -1 Whole Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (depending on your taste)
2 Ounces of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon
3 Ounces Fever-Tree Ginger Beer (or fill to the brim)
Sprig of Rosemary for garnish
Lime Slice
Combine Bourbon, Lime juice and Ginget Beer in Martini Shaker
Stir
Pour over Ice-Filled Mule
Garnish with Sprig of Rosemary or Mint and Lime Wedge
And for the less faint of heart…..
“I’ll Take Manhattan” Martini (Stirred not shaken) (Serves 1)
2 Ounces of Woodford Reserve
3/4 Ounces of Sweet Vermouth
3 Dashes of Bitters
3 Ice Cubes
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and stir gently
Strain into Martini glass
Garnish with a Lemon Twist
Whole Foods
Goat Cheese Brie (non-dairy option)
Delice de Bourgogne French Cheese
Sliced Cucumbers
Pimento Cheese on Sliced Cucumbers
Note: Pimento Cheese is a traditional Derby serving.
I used the recipe from Churchill Downs Executive Chef David Danielson! I mean…who else would have a more tasty dish? I served this on cucmber rounds and garnished each with a pimento. The colors were beautiful and the taste, delicious!
Ingredients
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp dried mustard
1 ½ tsp favorite hot sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely diced onion
12 oz jar of diced pimiento
16 oz shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
Pimento for Garnish (my addition)
Preparation
In a medium mixing bowl stir together first 8 ingredients until smooth. Fold in pimientos and cheddar cheese. Cover and chill 6 to 10 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, and stir before serving.