Preakness Part 1

This week is the second leg of the Triple Crown. After last year, when American Pharoah became the first horse since 1978 to win the storied event, there has been a new enthusiasm towards the spectacular event. Maybe Nyquist can make it happen again this year.

To celebrate in our own tailgating kind of way, we will provide a special recipe over the next three days that fits into any Preakness tailgate event you may have.

First up is the events namesake drink:

 

The Preakness Cocktail

Thanks to our friends at A History Of Drinking for this recipe. Also make sure to check out their new book, Forgotten Maryland Cocktails: A History Of Drinking In The Free State.

The following recipe is a simplified version but still very similar to traditional recipe recorded in most cocktail books. By all accounts, it’s simply a Manhattan variant.

Recipe adapted from David Wondrich

 

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces straight rye whiskey
• 1 ounce Martini & Rossi red vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters (though some early versions substitute
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Bénédictine

Directions:

1. Stir with cracked ice.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and twist a swatch of thin-cut lemon peel over the top.