Entertaining Ideas

An Equestrian Themed Cocktail Party with @lyonslifestyle

Penny Lyons is an entertainer, party planner, food stylist, and table designer who splits her time between her homes in Westport, CT and Nantucket Island. She is the creative force behind Lyonslifestyle, a go-to blog and website where she shares her passion for celebrating the art-of-the-home.

We kicked off the start of horse racing season with Penny during a small Kentucky Derby cocktail party! The intimate cocktail party featured a classic cheese board with the traditional Pimento cheese recipe by the Church Hill Downs Executive Chef, and a choice of two cocktails. Penny styled her table with Cambridge’s new MODERN COLLECTION of barware. 

Penny's inspiration for design was gleaned from the brilliant, cheerful colors of the Jockey Silks! Her idea was to juxtapose bright colors against the black barware. She began with a centerpiece of a jockey and horse sculpture with tiny red roses.

"I love the clean, fresh modern lines, black color 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 a 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."

Drink 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

  1. Combine Bourbon, Lime juice and Ginget Beer in Martini Shaker

  2. Stir

  3. Pour over Ice-Filled Mule

  4. Garnish with Sprig of Rosemary or Mint and Lime Wedge

“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

  1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and stir gently

  2. Strain into Martini glass

  3. Garnish with a Lemon Twist

Read the full blog post at Lyonslifestyle.com