Best Drinks to Have During the Preakness
Are we allowed to say “Get your
For those of you who aren't into horse racing, the Preakness Stakes is the second largest equestrian race event in the US, and it’s been going on for almost 150 years. So, brush up on what the length of a furlong is and other horse racing terms like grade while holding a drink that captures the majesty of this magnificent event.
Black-Eyed Susan
Although it sounds like something you would see in an Alabama trailer park, the Black-Eyed Susan cocktail is almost the perfect drink for the Preakness. The winner gets a blanket of black-eyed Susan’s placed upon them, and it’s Maryland’s state flower. Plus, it’s easy to make and good.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup orange juice 1
- /2 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons vodka
- 3 tablespoons light rum
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- Crushed ice
- Garnishes: lime slices, fresh cherries
Directions
Stir the first five ingredients together. Fill a 12 oz. cup with crushed ice. Pour in the mix, and garnish.
The Palomino Martini
Palomino’s aren’t thoroughbreds, so they aren’t going to be in the Preakness, but they are notable as horses go. Roy Roger’s horse, Trigger, was a Palomino as was Mr. Ed. This cocktail makes it in by a nose.
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
- 1 dash grenadine
- 1 lime, wheel (to garnish)
Directions
Fill a shaker full of ice, then add the tequila and juice. Now shake it. Strain it into a martini glass. Add grenadine and garnish.
Whiskey Ginger Blossom
This is a variant of the regular ginger blossom cocktail. I suppose that the regular one would work well enough, but there is just something that feels right using whiskey in a drink for a horse race.
Ingredients
- 4 oz of your Favorite Craft Whiskey
- 2 oz Ginger Beer
- 1⁄2 oz St. Germain
- 1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
- A Squeeze of Lime
Directions
Mix everything together and stir.
The Baltimore Blossom
Baltimore is where the Preakness happens, so a cocktail named after the host city is fitting.
Ingredients
- 4 Raspberries
- 5 Rolled Basil Leaves
- 1 1/2 oz. Vodka 1 1/2 oz.
- Cranberry Juice
- A Dash of Grapefruit Bitters
Directions
Muddle the raspberries and basil leaves in the bottom of the glass. Muddle means
The Bitter Secretariat
This is the absolute perfect cocktail for the Preakness because it is named after the fastest horse ever to run the race. He ran the track in 1 minute, 53 seconds and change. An error made by one of the speed clockers had it marked as 1:55, but that was corrected in 2012.
Ingredients
- 4 Torn Mint Leaves
- 1 1/2 oz. Craft Bourbon
- 1/4 oz Amaro
- 2 oz Thomaso's
- Sour Ginger Beer
Directions
Muddle the mint in the bottom of a glass. Add Amaro, bourbon, and sour mix. Stir and strain into a highball filled with crushed ice. And top it off with ginger beer.
