South Dakota Stands Alone With Official Cocktail Among Neighboring States

Pop quiz time!

Q: What does South Dakota have that none of its six neighboring states have?

A: Unlike Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, the Mount Rushmore State has a cocktail that bears its state's name.

The 'South Dakota Martini' was recently featured on Vinepair's list of 'All of the Cocktails Named After U.S. States', featuring the 27 states in America with a namesake drink.

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Not surprisingly, the 'South Dakota Martini' isn't a martini at all. Not even close.

It's essentially a red beer with some pickle juice.

Ingredients

• Light lager: 8 ounces (Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bud Light, or Miller Lite), preferably on draft
• Tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix: 3 to 4 ounces (chilled)
• Pickle juice or brine: 1 ounce (dill pickle juice)
• Garnish: 1 dill pickle spear and/or 4 to 6 green olives

Instructions

• Prep the glass: Grab a cold glass, pint glass, or mason jar—no cocktail shaker required.
• Pour the beer: Fill the glass mostly with 8 ounces of your cold light domestic lager.
• Add the mix: Pour in 3 to 4 ounces of chilled tomato juice and 1 ounce of dill pickle brine.
• Garnish: Drop a dill pickle spear, a few pickle slices, or a handful of green olives straight into the glass. Give it a quick stir.

And while the drink is pretty basic, it does have a bit of a cult following, with its own page on the state's official Travel South Dakota website.

It's even been featured on YouTube alongside some of the state's best-known food items, like kolaches, kuchen, chislic, and fry bread. (Start at 3:15)

The 'South Martini' joins the ranks of drinks from some other states that share their names with where they hail from:

• Alabama Slammer
• Blue Hawaii
• Colorado Bulldog
• Texas Tea

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