Preakness cocktails with a twist [Pictures]

A shot of vodka, a shot of whiskey, sweet-and-sour mix, a couple of ounces of orange juice, and a cherry and an orange slice to top it off. You must recognize it. The Black-eyed Susan has been the Preakness Stakes’ official cocktail since time immemorial (or at least since the ‘50s), estimates Pimlico historian Joe Kelly. The drink has not stayed stale. Its creators have reinvented it several times over the years. The current mix: 3/4 ounce 42 Below Vodka, 1 1/4 ounce Early Times Kentucky Whiskey, 3 ounces sweet-and-sour mix, 2 ounces orange juice, and to garnish, an orange slice, cherry and stirrer. But for as long as it’s been around, people have complained about dear old Susan. We asked five of Baltimore’s best mixologists and bartenders to come up with a new official Preakness drink. Their instructions were simple: Come up with a cocktail that’s refreshing in warm weather, simple to make and inspired by the historic race. Here are the results. -- Erik Maza