Cookies, Coffee and Cream cocktail featuring a rim of crushed Benne wafers

Michael Hepworth

OPEN SESAME: THOROUGHBRED CLUB BARTENDERS

ADD CHARLESTON’S BELOVED BENNE WAFERS TO NEW COCKTAIL

Charleston, SC – (Spiritsman)10/22/14/–– Coating the rim of a glass with sugar or salt can add an additional depth to a cocktail’s flavor. While salt is classic for margaritas and sugar for hot toddies, the mixologists at the Thoroughbred Club at Belmond Charleston Place hotel are introducing a cherished Lowcountry classic to their repertoire: a new Cookies, Coffee and Cream cocktail featuring a rim of crushed Benne wafers.

Benne wafers – sweet, buttery cookies loaded with sesame seeds – are a favorite of Charlestonians and date back to Colonial times. Benne (Bantu for “sesame seeds”) were brought from East Africa and planted extensively through the South. The classic benne wafer recipe includes toasted sesame seeds, butter, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder and eggs. The delicate, crisp texture of these thin cookies, combined with their nutty butter flavor, is ideal for accenting the rim of the new Cookies, Coffee and Cream cocktail.

Cookies, Coffee and Cream Cocktail Recipe:

Use a light simple syrup around the rim of the martini glass, then gently rim the glass with crushed benne wafers and set aside.

1.5 oz Wild Turkey American Honey liqueur, add one cinnamon stick and one vanilla bean. Allow at least 24 hours for infusion.

Add 1.5 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

Add 2.0 oz half and half, chilled

Shake over ice, then strain into a glass carefully so as not to upset the rim.

The Thoroughbred Club at Belmond Charleston Place hotel pays homage to the oldest Jockey Club in America, which was founded in 1792. Although the track closed in 1882, The Thoroughbred Club recaptures some of its spirit with a lounge that exudes the casual sophistication of a social club where horseracing aficionados and betting men would gather for a day at the derby. Cocktails, tapas/appetizers and desserts are served from 4:00pm to 11:00pm daily. Live entertainment is enjoyed 4:00pm to 11:00pm Monday to Saturday and 5:00pm to 10:00pm on Sunday.

About Belmond Charleston Place

Consistently ranked among the best hotels in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines, Belmond Charleston Place evokes the feeling of a grand, 17th century residence, from its lush personal suites to the Italian marble lobby with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier. The staff of the hotel is dedicated to indulging its guests with the finest in Southern hospitality, and has become the choice of celebrities, princes and politicians. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s award winning restaurants, full service European-style spa and horizon-edge swimming pool with retractable glass roof. The hotel is centrally located in Charleston, South Carolina’s historic district and is surrounded by antebellum architecture, and within strolling distance of the Charleston’s many boutiques, galleries and restaurants. For more information visit www.Belmond.com/CharlestonPlace.com or call 1-888-635-2350.

Michael Hepworth

287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211