A Girl Named Sue

Well, I hardly know where to start. The Dirty Sue Pickle Juice, the cocktail, the sandwich, the barrel-pick rye, or the name attributed to the song made famous by Johnny Cash (and written by the enigmatic wordsmith Shel Silverstein). There is so much going on here, but it should be fun to dig into this one. Let’s get started!

This all began with the very handy Dirty Sue pickle juice, an unusual ingredient outside of a Bloody Mary or obviously, a Pickle Back. As a pickle fan myself, I am happy to utilize this juice. I found my mind wandering to food items, specifically a Cubano sandwich. Then I was hungry, but I needed to make a cocktail, of course, and couldn’t help creating a complimentary recipe for this fantastic sandwich. A Girl Named Sue is basically a Cubano in a glass without the pork. This cocktail will make you hungry for a Cubano, but totally satisfy the craving if you can’t get your hands on one. It’s savory, refreshing, and will make your mouth water. Since this cocktail was all about my personal preferences, I decided to use my Women Who Whiskey, Long Beach California chapter, Rittenhouse Rye barrel pick. It’s a very reliable rye whiskey to partner with this pickle juice. I added light citrus flavors, honey, and mustard to honor the sandwich. Delicious!

Immediately, A Girl (Boy) Named Sue crossed my mind for the title, but I can’t say that I really know the song. A quick Google search resulted in two names, Johnny Cash and Shel Silverstein. I often forget that Mr. Silverstein was also a song writer, or perhaps his poems became songs. Either way, the lyrics are totally iconic Shel Silverstein writings, with the same pace that we all remember from his classic books of poems. Yes, this is how nerdy I am. And if you are too, make yourself A Girl Named Sue, and sip it while reading the lyrics to A Boy Named Sue. Enjoy!