Tailgate season is finally upon us! The end of the summer is swiftly approaching, and the beautiful joys of fall are coming back around. Tailgating is a tradition shared by many, especially the crew here at TGS. My goal for the next handful of weeks is to bring a little extra spice to your gameday adventures. Each week will feature a few different drinks (some themed, some not) and a Tailgate Beer of the Week! So without further ado, let’s get started with Week 1!
Bloody Mary
The football hangover is coming to an end, so the obvious choice for the first Saturday morning of football is a good old-fashioned Bloody Mary! A Bloody Mary is a tricky beverage because there’s so many different variables to the concoction, so I’ll just give my own personal recipe for success.
What you need: Vodka (I don’t use Absolut but I don’t use Hawkeye, find a good middle ground), Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic salt, Bloody Mary mix (Zing Zang is a solid choice)
Fill a pint glass with ice and assemble your mixing station! Give a couple good shakes of seasoned salt, a dash of garlic salt, a pinch of pepper, 2-3 Tabasco shakes and about 3 shakes of Worcestershire (this is all approximation, feel free to find a perfect mix of your own). Next, pour in about 2 1/2 oz vodka then top off with Bloody Mary mix. Pour into a shaker and give it a few shakes to get everything nice and mixed. Pour back into your pint glass and you’re all set! (Feel free to rim the pint glass with the seasoned salt before you fill it back up.)
At this point, you’re all ready to go but half the fun of a Bloody Mary is the outrageous amount of toppings to go with it. Pickles, olives, celery, bacon, cheese, beef sticks (the ones that double as a straw are money), peppers, pepperoni and shrimp are just a start of the things to throw in.
Orange Cream Soda
For a solid afternoon beverage that’s easy to sip on as your afternoon games of bags, Polish horseshoes or ladder golf are happening, try this little gem. Not overly sweet but carries a nice little kick.
What you need: Crown Royal Vanilla, Orange soda
Fill your glass with ice and simply pour in a shot (1-1 1/2 oz) of Crown Royal Vanilla and top off with Orange soda.
Angry Sunset
The primetime game in week 1 is a doozy! Alabama and Florida State show down in Atlanta which has huge national title implications right out of the gate. This drink will help fuel the excitement and also give you a glimpse of a sunset in the South in a glass.
What you need: Angry Orchard Apple Cider, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry juice
This works best in a pint glass, but any glass will do. Fill your desired cup with ice and then pour in a shot (1-1 1/2 oz) of Peach schnapps. Fill the rest of the glass with Angry Orchard, making sure to leave a small amount of room empty at the top. Finish it off with a splash of cranberry juice to fill the glass completely.
Tailgate Beer of the Week!
For week 1, we’ll keep it simple and throwback to the beer that was a staple for 18 year old Shawntez. Everyone has their reasons to dislike Keystone Light, but most of the reasons are lies. It’s cheap and super easy to drink, which makes it ideal for an hours long tailgate party.
Remember to keep water handy and to say hydrated! This is a wrap for week 1. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to try a few of the drinks and check back in next week for new ideas! Here’s to all of our favorite teams coming away with a victory.
