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Football lovers are looking forward to the Big Game come Feb. 3 between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Get a jump on Super Bowl viewing plans by considering some tasty beverages sure to delight your guests and get the party started.
If football is not your jam, these cocktails are also ideal for a weekend brunch built around Super Bowl commercials and hot wings.
A STELLAR Bloody Mary is a must for any brunch menu. With purposeful prep, you can wow your guests with a delicious “Bloody” and the best darn garnish station they’ve ever seen. This recipe serves 10 and can be mixed beforehand, then thrown into a couple of carafes so your guests can serve themselves. The garnishes can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like, but the more the merrier.
THE ULTIMATE (EASY) BLOODY MARY
By Chandra Lucariello
- 15 ounces vodka or gin (like Grey Goose, Ketel One, Aviation or Plymouth)
- 5 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 2 ounces grated horseradish (not cream)
- 10 ounces Clamato juice (if shellfish allergies are an issue, place in separate pitcher)
- 30 ounces Bloody Mary mix (like Preservation, found at Foodland and Fujioka’s Wine Times)
Mix all ingredients and pour into a carafe. Set out with bucket of ice, assorted salts, lemon wedges, assorted local hot sauces, glassware and bamboo skewers or cocktail picks for garnishes. Makes 1/2 gallon (about 10 servings).
Garnish options:
>> Classic: celery stalks, poached shrimp, bacon, grape tomatoes, basil, thinly sliced radish, high-quality olives (like Castelvetrano), pepperoncini
>> Local-kine: pipikaula, smoked marlin, cucumber kim chee, oysters on the half shell, crab poke, shiso leaves, sea asparagus, cilantro
>> Fancy: crab legs, prosciutto crisps, Parmesan crisps, truffle oil, endive, thinly sliced watermelon radish, artichoke hearts, rosemary sprigs
THE MIMOSA BAR
Putting a mimosa bar together is super simple. I like to offer not only sparkling wine, but a refreshing beer option to stir things up a bit.
My go-to style of beer is a Belgium witbier, like Blanche de Bruxelles or Hitachino Nest White Ale, both fantastic with or without fruit juice. Pilsner or lager beers also work well.
>> Carafes of assorted fresh juices (such as orange, passion-orange-guava or guava, like Govinda’s)
>> Dry sparkling wine (cava, prosecco, domestic sparkling, Champagne if you’re feeling bougie)
>> Refreshing, lighter beers (like Blanche de Bruxelles, or a pilsner/lager type)
Set drinks out with a bucket of ice and glasses; let your guests mix their own.
Cold brew is a mainstay and so easy to find at pretty much any grocery store. Here is a version of an Irish coffee made with cold brew that is a quick pick-me-up with benefits.
SPIKED IRISH COFFEE
By Chandra Lucariello
- 4 ounces cold brew coffee (unsweetened)
- 1/2 ounce brown sugar syrup (2 parts brown sugar dissolved in 1 part water)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1-1/2 ounces Irish whiskey (like Jameson Black Barrel)
Combine ingredients in mixing glass. Pour over ice.
Garnish: dollop of fresh whipped cream, grated cinnamon, Valrhona chocolate pieces.
THIS NEXT drink is a take on one of my favorite brunch cocktails of all time, the Ramos gin fizz. A real Ramos requires making a combo of egg whites and half-and-half, and shaking it with everything you’ve got for at least a minute.
If someone hands you a proper Ramos, done right, you know you can consider them a friend. But to expedite the process I’ve taken the general flavor profile of the original and made the drink incredibly easy to execute, with a slightly more refreshing spin.
ALMOST RAMOS
By Chandra Lucariello
- 1/2 ounce Aperol Aperitivo
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce vanilla syrup
- 3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 1-1/2 ounces citrus-forward gin (like Aviation, Plymouth or Tanqueray No. 10)
- 2 drops orange flower water
- Coconut-flavored sparkling water (such as La Croix)
Drizzle Aperol in bottom of highball glass and fill with ice. Combine other ingredients in shaker with ice; shake briefly and strain over Aperol. Top with sparking water.
Garnish: Tailored orange peel perched on rim.
Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits. Ingredient note: The liquors and liqueurs used in these recipes are widely available from Oahu liquor stores and some supermarkets.
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