5 Best Tailgating Drinks That Don't Come Out Of A Keg
What better way to show team pride than by hosting a blow-out, take-no-prisoners tailgate on game day? Anybody can hit up Hoboken Beer & Soda for a keg of Bud Light and call it a tailgate party. We think that's a great start, but die-hard Jets fans know that true team spirit deserves a little bit more imagination folded into the mix. Here are some great make-ahead alcoholic treats, complete with hometown flair. Whether our guys win or lose, don't forget to wear those Jerseys with pride and to drink responsibly.
Beer Jell-O Shots
With only five minutes of prep time required, this adaptation of a food.com favorite is good for 12 shots.
- One 6-ounce package lime Jell-O gelatin dessert
- 12 ounces water
- 12 ounces beer
Mix Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water until fully dissolved. Add your favorite beer and pour into paper cups. Chill and transport on game day.
Black Licorice #2
This soda-inspired drink created by John Cirame may be what Jets' starting quarterback Mark Sanchez's new (maybe) main (maybe) squeeze and Pepsi Next spokesperson, Eva Longoria, is drinking with him after the game. Don't mix this one up ahead of time. Instead craft it drink by luscious drink.
- 2 ounces Sambuca
- 4 ounces Pepsi
Stir over ice and enjoy. This recipe serves one.
Hail Bloody Mary Punch
Your chances for success with this classic Bloody Mary recipe are anything but desperate. Mix up a batch on game-day morning, keep cold and you're good to go. Ten minutes of prep time yields 2 quarts of the spicy libation.
- 46 ounces tomato or vegetable juice
- 2 cups vodka
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons horseradish
- Hefty pinch black pepper
- Hot sauce to taste
- 1 liter sparkling water
Combine all ingredients, keep cold and stir well. Add Jets-inspired touches of green with celery stalks and blue-cheese-stuffed olives as garnishes, and keep the hot sauce handy.
Margarita Punch
For the tailgate that goes all night, this tangy sweet, dessert-like CDKitchen recipe is great both before and after the game and serves up around 30 glasses of dangerously tasty punch.
- 1 liter tequila
- 1 liter triple sec
- 4 quarts sour mix
- 1 quart ginger ale
- Half-gallon lime sherbet
Combine all ingredients ahead of time except for the sherbet. When you're ready to serve, float sherbet on top.
Great Pumpkin Punch
This tasty fall punch from 101drinks is a crowd pleaser, sure to warm your bones when the air starts to get crisp outside the stadium. Serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin, but get it to the game in easily-transportable tupperware. This recipe makes around 15 servings.
- 1 bottle rum
- 2 bottles ginger ale
- 1 bottle apple cider
- 1 pumpkin, hollowed out but not carved
Mix all ingredients together and serve.
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
