Game Day Grazing: Fan-Favorite Cocktails and Apps Pair Up for the Win

Fall goes hand in hand with football season and everyone knows that come game day, there’s a lot more to it than throwing on your favorite jersey, inviting friends over and cheering on your home team. A proper football fête requires great drinks and good food. Want a winning game plan but don’t know where to begin? Take a knee — we are here to help. 

Easy Sipping With Game Day Cocktail Bundles

Step up your hosting with the Game Day Cocktail Bundles. Choose between the Tequila Touchdown Cocktail Bundle and the Whiskey Kick Cocktail Bundle — or both to offer some variety to your fellow fans. Each bundle serves up to 16 cocktails and comes packed with everything needed to create three different cocktails fully curated for you — right down to the coasters.

But what’s football without food? We paired these six premium cocktails with classic bites that are all in good taste. Very good taste.

Tequila Touchdown Pairings

Classic Margarita + Sheet Pan Nachos with Shredded Chicken

This sweet and citrusy drink staple meets a spicy and savory snack in the perfect marriage of Mexican flavors. Customize with your favorite toppings — then drink up and dig in. 

Classic Margarita Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces Casamigos BlancoTequila or Don Julio Blanco Tequila
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 0.75 ounce orange liqueur
• 0.5 ounce honey syrup*
• Lime wedge garnish

Instructions

1. Combine tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Serves 1

*Honey Syrup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoons hot water

Instructions

1. Pour honey and water into a mixing glass.
2. Stir continuously for 60 seconds until the honey is dissolved. Store in a cool, dark place.

Spicy Paloma + Buffalo Chicken Wings

This fizzy, grapefruit-forward concoction — also the national cocktail of Mexico — gets its kick from the addition of jalapeño. Its citrus sweetness blends well with the tang and spice of this classic gamed day dish.

Spicy Paloma Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces Casamigos BlancoTequila or Don Julio Blanco Tequila
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice
• 0.5 ounce lime juice
• 0.5 ounce rich jalapeno syrup*
• Sparkling water
• Lime wedge garnish
• Grapefruit slice garnish

Instructions

1. Combine tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and rich jalapeño syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a highball glass with fresh ice.
3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a lime wedge or a grapefruit slice.

Serves 1

*Rich Jalapeno Syrup

Ingredients

• 3 jalapeños 
• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups water

Instructions

1. Dice jalapeños and place in a quart-sized container with water.
2. Let the mixture infuse for 15 minutes, then strain jalapeños out.
3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Keep refrigerated. Good for 3 months.

Mole Margarita + Jalapeño Poppers

This Margarita riff has a complex smoky undertone that complements any cheesy Mexican recipe. But our Hail Mary is a platter of satisfying baked cheese-stuffed jalapeño bites to pair.

Mole Margarita Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces Casamigos BlancoTequila or Don Julio Blanco Tequila
• 0.75 ounce lime juice
• 0.25 ounce spiced Demerara syrup*
• 2 dashes mole bitters
• Lime wheel garnish
• Cinnamon stick garnish

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel and a cinnamon stick.

Serves 1

*Rich Spiced Demerara Syrup

Ingredients

• 35 cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon green cardamom
• 1 teaspoon star anise, toasted
• 3 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups water

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, heat cinnamon sticks, black peppercorn, green cardamom, and star anise until toasted, about 5 minutes.
2. Add sugar and water, allowing the mixture to heat for 10-15 minutes until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally to prevent caking.
3. Remove from heat and let infuse for 90 minutes.
4. Strain spices.
5. Transfer syrup to a quart-sized container. Keep refrigerated. Good for 3 months.

Whiskey Kick Pairings

Chai Whiskey Sour + Baked Brie

The richness and depth of chai spice capture the flavors of fall in this seasonal spin on the classic Whiskey Sour. A standout on its own, the cocktail matches easily with the mild, earthy taste of a creamy round of baked brie. 

Chai Whiskey Sour Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces Bulleit Bourbon or Crown Royal Deluxe Whisky
• 0.5 ounce pear juice
• 0.5 ounce lime juice
• 0.5 ounce rich chai syrup*
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Pear slice garnish

Instructions

1. Combine whiskey, pear juice, lime juice, rich chai syrup, and aromatic bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
3. Garnish with a pear slice.

Serves 1

*Rich Chai Syrup

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• 4 chai tea bags

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, heat sugar, water and chai tea bags for 15 minutes until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally to prevent caking.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for 90 minutes.
3. Remove your tea bags and transfer to a quart-sized container. Keep refrigerated. Good for 3 months.

Pear Highball + Bacon-Wrapped Dates 

Delicately fruity with a hint of smoke, this cocktail finds its match in irresistibly sweet and salty bacon-wrapped dates. They’re ridiculously simple to make, but a total touchdown for the taste buds.  

Pear Highball Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces whiskey 
• 0.5 ounce lemon juice
• 0.5 ounce pear juice
• 2 ounces sparkling water
• 2 dashes walnut bitters
• Pear slice garnish

Instructions

1. Combine whiskey, lemon juice, pear juice, and walnut bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a highball glass with fresh ice.
3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a pear slice.

Serves 1

Maple Old Fashioned + Spiced Pecans

As the weather gets colder, you may be dreaming of roasted chestnuts. But they have nothing on spiced pecans. The native Southern nut draws out bourbon’s complex flavors, while the spicy-sweet seasoning complements the citrus notes. Not to mention they’re hassle-free — pick up a bag at the store and throw them in a bowl for an easy crowd-pleasing snack. 

Maple Old Fashioned Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces whiskey
• 0.5 ounce maple syrup
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Orange twist garnish
• Cherry garnish

Instructions

1. Combine whiskey, maple syrup, and aromatic bitters in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir and strain into a rocks glass with a single large ice cube.
3. Garnish with an orange twist and a cherry.

Serves 1

Get All These Ingredients Delivered Right to Your Door

Check out these great cocktail kits that will get your party guests cheering from the stands. 

This article is sponsored by The Bar.