Receta Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail from The Preakness
Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail from The Preakness
May 15, 2015 by Creative Culinary 13 Comments
Everyone associates mint juleps and the Kentucky Derby, but with the Preakness race coming up this weekend I thought it was time to also share ‘the’ signature cocktail for these stakes too, the Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail.
The Black-Eyed Susan is billed as the “Official Drink of the Preakness.” It does seem that the term ‘official’ is pretty loose; this is not like the mint julep in that some components are absolutely necessary and have remained constant throughout the years. With the Black-Eyed Susan it seems that over time the recipe has gone through a fair share of revisions.
The Baltimore Sun’s Rob Kasper has said, “like a racehorse that keeps changing jockeys, the Susan has changed recipes.” I found variations that included orange liqueur, rum, bourbon and a variety of juices. So I stuck with the version on the official Preakness website but this lively cocktail is certainly open to interpretation. It doesn’t seem to matter to attendees; numbers sold a few years back at Pimlico indicate approximately 25,000 were sold on the Friday and Saturday of the race. That’s a whole lotta cocktails!
Seriously loved this cocktail. Pineapple, orange and lime juice are combined with St. Germain liqueur and vodka for a thoroughly citrus affair. Finlandia is a Preakness sponsor so the website cites that particular vodka but you can sub in any vodka you prefer. St. Germain liqueur is a less well known liqueur but becoming more widely available. The company’s website indicates that it is “the world’s first liqueur created in the artisanal French manner from freshly hand-picked elderflower blossoms.” It has a very distinctive taste that is hard to put a finger on but I’ve always thought it had a bit of a grapefruit edge. I used fresh squeezed juices for the citrus but admit, not for the pineapple juice. How do you squeeze a pineapple anyhow? I found juice in the refrigerator section of my grocery but canned would be fine too.
So refreshing and worth making. Going to the races? You can enjoy one in the $10+ range. Or come on over…I’ll be hosting a party. We gather on Saturday for 15 minutes, a cocktail and a race. Quickest party in the world but luckily a cocktail that would be good any time of day. Now off to the races!!
The Preakness 'Black-Eyed Susan' Cocktail Author: Barb Serves: 1 cocktail Ingredients
- 1.25 oz vodka ½ oz St. Germain liqueur 2 oz Pineapple juice ¼ oz lime juice ¾ oz Orange juice For Garnish:
- Orange slices Maraschino cherries Preparation
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. 3.3.3070
I was provided with the Metrokane ‘Rabbit’ Adjustable Jigger but all commentary is my own.