NYRA Photo

Taste NY Pavilion at Saratoga Race Course to feature diverse selection of New York craft beverages and foods

by McKenna, Bardack

Venue will feature New York craft brews, cider, wines, spirits and food offerings

Fans at Saratoga Race Course this summer will have the opportunity to enjoy a host of New York craft beers, hard cider, wines, spirits and foods at the Taste NY Pavilion each Thursday through Sunday beginning Opening Day, Thursday, July 14. 

Located inside Gate A, at the Top of the Stretch, the Taste NY Pavilion will feature samples and sales of homegrown craft beverages from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks, Saratoga to Cooperstown as a showcase of the state’s robust food and beverages industry. The Pavilion will be open from noon until 5 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays.

“New York is home to so many fantastic food and beverage producers who take great pride in crafting unique, local offerings while supporting New York agriculture,” said State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “Thanks to this partnership with Saratoga Race Course, dozens of our craft beverage and food businesses will have the opportunity to showcase their products in the Taste NY Pavilion and throughout the track, gaining major exposure for their brand and bringing the very best of New York to the more than one million fans who visit the track every season.”

In a veritable tour of products produced across the Empire State, the Taste NY Pavilion will feature offerings of Brooklyn Brewery, Great Jones Distilling Co. and Brotherhood Winery from New York City and the Hudson Valley; Frog Alley Brewing Co. and Nine Pin Cider Works from the Capital Region; Druthers Brewing Company, Pick Six Vodka and Old Tavern Farm Winery from Saratoga County; Bolton Landing Brewing Company, Common Roots Brewing Company, Northway Brewing Co. and Paradox Brewery from the North Country and Adirondacks; and Cooperstown Distillery from historic Cooperstown in Central New York.

“Brotherhood Winery, America's oldest continuously operating winery, is proud to participate at the Saratoga Race Course, the oldest continuously operating sports venue in North America, and be part of this year's racing season,” said Brotherhood Winery Vice President Philip Dunsmore. “It is a great honor for Brotherhood Winery to be presented with this partnership with Saratoga Race Course, and also is a great opportunity for locals and tourists to taste Brotherhood's highly awarded and prestigious Riesling, produced with the best grapes grown in New York State.”

Brotherhood Winery will offer samples of its Riesling in addition to its I LOVE NY Red, which is the only wine licensed in New York State to feature the iconic I LOVE NY logo. Select participating partners, including Cooperstown Distillery and Pick Six Vodka, will offer complimentary samples each weekend (Friday-Sunday).

“This is a great opportunity for small businesses to play in an arena with the big brands,” said Saratoga Courage Distillery Owner and CEO Holly Shishik. “This is a great opportunity for us and other New York craft producers to share our handmade spirits with locals and visitors. Our flagship product Pick Six Vodka’s name and label were inspired by the legendary historic racecourse so there’s no better venue for us to be in.”

Pick Six Vodka is also the title sponsor of the Pick Six Vodka Picnic Paddock this summer where fans can reserve picnic tables that each accommodate up to six guests. The Pick Six Picnic Paddock is located in the backyard adjacent to the Saratoga paddock. Reserved tables may be purchased at NYRA.com.

In addition to the Taste NY Pavilion, Cooperstown Distillery will be featured at the Cooperstown Clubhouse Bar located on the second floor of Saratoga Race Course. Fans can try a number of Cooperstown cocktails including the Cooperstown Select Bourbon Old Fashioned, Cooperstown Select Rye Manhattan, Saratoga Revolutionary Rum Runner, Saratoga Victory Vodka Lemonade, Saratoga Victory Vodka Bloody Mary and Fenimore Gin Fizz.

“As one of a select number of New York craft manufacturers, Cooperstown Distillery is extremely proud to extend its reach this summer at Saratoga Race Course,” said Cooperstown Distillery founder Gene Marra. “Cooperstown and the Cooperstown Distillery have a long tradition of authenticity, honoring excellence and sports history. As a producer of artisanal craft spirits locally sourced from New York state grains, and given our recently opened Saratoga storefront, we welcome the opportunity to partner with Saratoga Race Course and other regional producers to highlight our nationally award-winning spirits to sports enthusiasts throughout the Capital Region.”

Adjacent to the Cooperstown Clubhouse Bar is the all-new Drink Upstate Craft Beer Bar which will feature craft beer from Schenectady’s Frog Alley Brewing Co., Common Roots Brewing Company in Glens Falls, Bolton Landing Brewing Company in Bolton Landing, North Hudson’s Paradox Brewery and Northway Brewing Co. in Queensbury.

Druthers Brewing Company and Nine Pin Cider Works will each be featured nearby the Saratoga Walk of Fame.

“Nine Pin Cider is thrilled to be among the world class New York State farm sector beverages served at the Saratoga Race Course this summer,” said Nine Pin Co-Founder and General Manager Sonya del Peral. “Nine Pin Cider bears the NYS Grown & Certified Seal and cider enthusiasts at the track now have the opportunity to support New York agriculture, knowing that Nine Pin’s bright, crisp, refreshing, premium craft cider is proudly made in Albany from local New York apples.”

In addition to the Taste NY Pavilion, Great Jones will be featured at the historic Jim Dandy Bar. Great Jones Straight Bourbon, crafted from ingredients grown in the legendary Black Dirt region of Warwick Valley, NY, operates the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition. Fans at Saratoga will be able to enjoy a variety of cocktails at the Jim Dandy Bar, including Great Jones Lemonade, Great Jones Old Fashioned and Great Jones Manhattan Mule.

Finally, fans can also enjoy Saratoga County-based Old Tavern Farm Winery and its signature Rosé which will be available in most restaurants and dining locations on track.

“Old Tavern Farm Winery is thrilled and honored to have our Rosé featured on the dining menu at one of the world’s greatest sporting venues,” said Old Tavern Farm Winery owner Nicole Borisenok. “We are appreciative for the opportunity as a small business to showcase our local product to a national audience. We look forward to having locals and tourists enjoy a product that is made on our farm in Saratoga County, less than five miles from the front doors of Saratoga Race Course.”

In addition to beverages, the Taste NY Pavilion will also present a variety of New York-made foods. Saratoga Chocolate Co. can be found at the Pavilion every Thursday through Sunday of the meet, and Saratoga Olive Oil Co. and Caliva Cookie Co., based in Saratoga County, can be found at the Pavilion every Thursday.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will feature 77 stakes worth $22.6 million in total purses highlighted by the 153rd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 27 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 6, as the anchors of two of the most prestigious racing days in North America.

Following the four-day Runhappy Opening Weekend from Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

For additional information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.