We are full-on into horse racing season, also known as Bourbon Season….or just Drinking More Bourbon Than Usual Season. And, of course the Mint Julep holds a special importance this time of year because of the Kentucky Derby. But, we’re just getting started!

The Kentucky Derby may be the first but it is just one out of the three races known as the Triple Crown, which also includes Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, that determine the best of the best three-year-old Thoroughbred horses in the game. Every race deserves their own signature cocktail, right?! I personally think a signature cocktail should be created for nearly any occasion, so I might be biased. But did you know that the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, Preakness Stakes, also has an official drink? It’s the Black-Eyed Susan, a cocktail named after Maryland’s state flower and the official Preakness flowers that are used to make a blanket that drapes over the winning horse at the end of the race.

Traditionally, the Black-Eyed Susan has orange and pineapple juice, and a combo of rum, vodka and orange liqueur. My good friends over at Maker’s Mark, however, have challenged me to create a riff off of this using their iconic bourbon. All for a chance to be crowned champion of the Preakness’ Black-Eyed Susan as part of their #TrifectaChallenge on Instagram. So, naturally I was like…where do I saddle up?!

First, I decided it needed a new name. Fun fact: because Black-Eyed Susans are NOT in season during the time of Preakness, the blanket that they create for the winning horse is actually made out of over 80 bunches of Viking Daisies. The center of the daisies are then painted with black lacquer to recreate the appearance of a Black-Eyed Susan. Voila! Because of that little historic footnote, a Daisy cocktail emerged and the Viking Daisy was born!

As I’ve noted before on this blog, a Daisy cocktail is more or less a sour, using nearly any base spirit, with a little soda water added. Often served in a julep cup with crushed ice, with orange liqueur and grenadine serving as common ingredients, I figured the Black-Eyed Susan seemed like it could easily be adapted to a Daisy. And a delicious one at that!

The Viking Daisy
2 ounces Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 ounce mandarin juice
1/2 ounce pineapple juice
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1 tsp grenadine
1 ounce seltzer
Garnish: brandied cherry

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker add everything except the seltzer and shake over ice until well chilled. Add seltzer to tin and stir well. Strain into a cracked ice filled julep cup. Garnish with brandied cherry.

This post was made possible by Maker’s Mark. As always, opinions are all my own.

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