The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3 cocktails perfect for tailgating
It’s football season again. Part of the thrill, in addition to the touchdowns and cheering for your team, is the tailgating experience. Whether your gathering is in the backyard, or is an elaborate parking lot bash, game day is best when the host is well prepped and ready.
The ease of popping open a cold beer is not the only game in town. Without playing bartender, you can deliver a spoton cocktail by mixing up a batch in advance.
So, pull out the cornhole and color-coordinated plastic cups, and add to your pregame parking lot ritual with these suggestions from the experts. You even can change the recipe’s name to fit your team.
THE REBBENACK, COURTESY OF WAYNE CURTIS
Wayne Curtis, author of “And a Bottle of Rum,” may be a rum expert, but his game day go-to is a stiffer drink he likes to batch.
“The Rebbenack, created by Chris Hannah, is the perfect fall cocktail, with lots of rich, lingering notes and a touch of citrus. Nothing fussy about it — as solid as a stadium and as dark as an early fall sunset,”he said.“It’s best to break it out in the second half, as the proof is pretty high-caliber.”
10 servings
15 ounces rye whiskey 7½ ounces Averna Italian
liqueur
2½ ounces Creole Shrubb or
other orange liqueur 2½ teaspoons Peychaud’s
bitters
Add all the ingredients to an empty 750-milliliter bottle or other serving vessel. Serve over ice.
RUBY SLIPPER, COURTESY OF JERRY SLATER AT THE EXPAT
Jerry Slater’s Athens restaurant and bar, The Expat, is right in the heart of Georgia Bulldogs country. He suggests a refreshing mixer with citrus and herbal notes that can be made with either vodka or gin. This one comes straight out of “The Southern Foodways Alliance Guide to Cocktails,” which he cowrote with Sara Camp Milam.
16 servings
1 cup sugar
3 rosemary sprigs 1 750-milliliter bottle vodka 4 cups ruby red grapefruit juice 4 cups sparkling water, divided
Make rosemary syrup: Add the sugar and one cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the rosemary sprigs, cover, and let steep 30 minutes. Strain and discard the rosemary. Refrigerate the syrup until cool.
Combine the vodka, grapefruit juice and syrup in a large pitcher. Serve over ice, topping each serving with sparkling water.
The Expat. 1680 Lumpkin St., Athens. 706-521-5041, theexpatathen.com.
HOT TIN ROOF, COURTESY OF ZACH CABLE AT LEON’S FULL SERVICE
Everyone at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur knows bartender Zach Cable as a fantasy football nerd.
As the trees start to bring forth fall colors, he likes to sip warm bourbon. “Having a cocktail to warm me up reminds me of the feeling of running my first laps of football practice as a kid. This variation of a hot toddy is a favorite of mine to pack up in a thermos and take to a tailgate,” he said.
26 servings 1½ cups honey
5½ cups water, divided
5 cups bourbon (such as ASW Fiddler brand) or brandy (such as ASW Armour and Oak brand)
⅔ cup ginger syrup 6¼ teaspoons Angostura
bitters
2½ cups fresh lemon juice Ground cinnamon or nutmeg,
for garnish (optional)
Make honey syrup: In a small bowl, combine the honey and ½ cup water. Stir until the honey is diluted.
To a large saucepan, add the honey syrup, the remaining 5 cups water, bourbon, ginger syrup and bitters. Heat over low heat. Once the mixture has warmed, remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to an insulated thermos to keep the drink warm. Agitate the thermos before pouring into mugs. Garnish each serving with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.