Gameday Drinks: The Top 5 Alcoholic Beverages to Enjoy this Football Season

You’ve been looking forward to the big game for weeks. You’ve assembled your closest pals. You’re sporting your favorite jersey. Nachos are in the oven. There’s just one thing left to do before kickoff: Fill your glass.

Choosing the right game day beverages is an art, not a science. Is it hot or chilly outside? Are you tailgating outside the stadium, or snuggled up on your living room sofa? How many of you are there? And what do you and your guests feel like drinking?

We’ve got ideas for some great tipples to accompany the big game. But remember: No matter what you land on, Mash & Grape has you covered. You can shop online to get all your favorite spirits, from bourbon to vodka, delivered right to your door. That means less time shopping, and more time for perfecting your signature touchdown dance.

Beer Cocktails

Beer is great. Know what’s even better? Beer cocktails. 

One of the great things about beer cocktails is how refreshing they are. Something as simple as a shandy or radler–classic British pub beverages that mix beer and a citrusy soft drink like orange juice or lemonade–are perfect for a hot day. 

If it’s an early game, skip the bloody Mary and mix up a Michelada instead. Mexican lager, lime juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and a blend of spices result in a spicy, zesty, low-ABV sipper that will get you all the way to halftime.

Punch

Hosting a crew? Make punch. Traditionally mixed in big batches and ladled from a bowl for easy serving, punches are the perfect choice for serving cocktails to a crowd. 

There’s an old saying about how to make a great punch: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. In other words, start with one part something sour, like citrus juice; two parts something sweet, like simple syrup; three parts something strong, like rum; and four parts something weak, like tea, juice, or sparkling wine. Add ice, garnish with orange slices, and voila: you’ve created a true super bowl (see what we did there?)

The riffs, as you imagine, are endless. If you’d like a recipe, this one from the Dead Rabbit in New York is a great place to start. For the whiskey, we’d recommend Writer’s Tears, Roe & Co., or, aptly, The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey.

Highballs

Is any cocktail more elegant than a highball? In its purest form, a highball is nothing more than spirit, club soda, and ice–plus, perhaps, an optional citrus garnish. Japanese bartenders have elevated the highball to high art, but we can all enjoy the refreshing simplicity of this fizzy long drink. 

Because there are so few ingredients in a highball, each one matters. Whisky is a classic choice, although not the only one. We’d suggest a blended whisky with a significant malt presence, like Suntory Toki or Johnnie Walker Black Label. Or, make a gin highball (and go ahead and swap the lemon garnish for lime) with a contemporary gin like Hendrick’s or Monkey 47.

Want to take the drink in a sweeter direction? Use a carbonated soft drink instead of sparkling water. Ginger beer and bourbon is a classic American-style highball (just use a bourbon with some backbone, like Barrell Bourbon Batch 028 or Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon.

Bourbon

If football is America’s sport, bourbon is America’s spirit. Literally, in fact. So it just makes sense to pair the two. 

You could spend your entire life making exclusively bourbon cocktail recipes and probably not run out of new things to drink. But if you need a place to start, try making a from-scratch whiskey sour. It’s an entirely different animal than the kind made with the fluorescent bottled mix. 

To make one, you’ll need bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup. For the bourbon, try Maker’s Mark, Hirsch The Horizon, or Michter’s US*1 Sour Mash. Fill a cocktail tin with ice, then add two ounces of bourbon, ¾ ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ½ ounce of simple syrup. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Margaritas

There’s just something about margaritas that makes a gathering feel like a party. This iconic Mexican cocktail tastes great with all those crunchy, salty, snacky foods we all enjoy on game day. Plus, you can experiment with serving margaritas up, on the rocks, or even as a blender drink for a little extra variety.

We’re partial to a blanco tequila margarita made with a high quality spirit like Tequila Ocho Plata, Hermosa Organic Tequila, or El Luchador Tequila. Here’s a basic recipe: Shake two ounces of blanco tequila, ½ ounce of orange liqueur, one ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice, and ½ ounce of simple syrup or agave syrup with ice in a cocktail tin. Strain into a chilled glass, rocks and salt rim optional.     

Ready to make the next game day the most delicious one yet? Visit Mash & Grape for everything you need to stock up your home bar without leaving the house.