‘Everybody Wants to Party’: Royal Ascot Attendees On Track to Guzzle Record-breaking $25 Million In Booze
Racegoers pose for photos at the Royal Ascot horse race at Ascot Racecourse on Friday in Ascot, England. (AP Photos/Alastair Grant)
The Royal Ascot is on track to break a record this year, and not in a way one might think. Revelers attending the English horse racing event are on track to drink a record-breaking $25 million dollars worth of booze, the Daily Star reported Wednesday.
Sales of champagne, Pimm’s, lager and Guinness skyrocketed as attendees purchased their favorite drinks from the venue’s 114 different restaurants. Over the course of five days, fans were projected to enjoy 300,000 pints of Guinness, 56,000 bottles of champagne, 44,000 bottles of wine and 21,000 jugs of Pimms, running up a $20 million tab. Experts say the bill is on track to surpass that by an additional $5 million.
“Everybody is having so much fun, I can’t remember the last time I saw so many people smiling in the same place. I think it’s a combination of the weather and the Pimm’s” an attendee said to the Daily Star.
The venue made the decision not to raise its prices, which may be the reason why sales are so high this year. Beer cost the U.S. equivalent of $9 at the horse racing event, which was significantly priced below the $11 pricepoint cricket fans had to pay at the First Test at Edgbaston Stadium.
“The organizers deserve maximum credit for keeping the prices down. When you consider it’s one of the world’s biggest sporting events attended by the King and Queen, I think it’s great they don’t take the mickey,” attendee Anniika Boswell, 36, said, per the Daily Star.
Guests are expected to indulge quite a bit on the food front as well and are on track to consume 240,000 tea cakes, 128,500 bottles of mineral water, 120,000 buttermilk scones, 80,000 cups of tea, 60,000 finger sandwiches and 3,500 lobsters.
“It’s a real party. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be,” said another attendee, nursing manager Ashley Pitt.
About the Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot dates back to 1711 and is a horse race similar to the Kentucky Derby. It was started by Queen Anne, who wanted a place for “horses to gallop at full stretch.” The Royal Ascot holds a storied 300-year-old history, and the venue itself underwent a major renovation in 2006 that cost the monarchy a sum of the equivalent of 253 million dollars.
Attendees can catch glimpses of royalty like Princess Kate Midleton and Prince William.
The races are a huge, champagne-soaked event in British social circles — full of royals and celebrities. In addition to horseracing, the event’s strict dress code offers a plethora of people-watching opportunities.
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