Why wait till the Preakness

Let’s toast Mother’s Day. In this month’s Southern Living, there’s a story on Triple Crown drinks with a recipe for a Black-eyed Susan cocktail honoring the flower blanket placed over the winning horse at the Preakness.

But I was thinking it also would be a perfect drink to celebrate the warm weather and Mom’s special day. The orange and pineapple juices mixed with vodka, light rum, and orange liqueur over crushed ice sound refreshing.

I always have to laugh when I see black-eyed Susans at the race. Unless things have changed, the yellow flowers on display are not the real deal. I found this out when I was a reporter for the Sun in the ’90s. My assignment: Write about the imposters.

As it turns out, the Preakness is held too early to get bunches of black-eyed Susans, which bloom from June till October. Hence, the masquerade.

That year, the floral workers at Giant headquarters in Landover were responsible for transforming hundreds of yellow daisies with white centers into our "state flower." They took cotton swabs and dipped them into black shoe polish to doctor the centers of the blooms. I helped, too. It’s not as simple as it might sound.

It’s probably easier, and more enjoyable, to make the Black-eyed Susan drink. Cheers and Happy Mother’s Day!