Championship Gameday Cocktails
When I started writing my first book "Raising the Bar, Better Drinks Better Entertaining" I had different angles with which I was leaning. One of those was a sports entertaining angle. Indeed, the name was inspired by the sports metaphor of “let’s raise the bar on….!”
I have always been a fan of, and active participant in, watching sports and creating a theme of cooking, imbibing and entertaining around the events. Therefore, this Bartender in The Kitchen article is about today’s NFL Championship Games. I have created 4 drinks representing each of the 4 teams and the cities they represent. On February 3, in advance of Super Bowl Sunday, I will be on Studio 13 Live here in Seattle. On air I will create the cocktail matchup between today’s winners.
Let me know what you think and if you have a favorite of the 4 cocktails. I will be making chili today and will post that recipe and some of my other game day favorites another day. For now, enjoy the games and the cocktails!
Washington Commanders
Command Central
Recipe Notes:
Washington DC is a truly great food city. With its large force of US federal government workers, international ambassadors and their delegations from all over the world, military personnel from all over the US, lobbyists, lawyers, museum personnel, and so on; DC has a very diverse people culture, and with that a diverse and international food scene with not one signature dish like the cheesesteak in Philly. However, Ben's Chili Bowl comes close!
If you haven’t been there, you should! A local institution serving up a killer chili, chili dogs, half smokes (half smoked sausages), chili burgers and of course chili cheese fries. It is beloved by everybody from truckers to senators and everyone in between. So, for this cocktail we take an international twist on the classic Sunday drink, The Bloody Mary. Utilizing Tequila makes it a Bloody Maria and the mini dog and chili powder is a nod to Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Ingredients For 1:
2 ounces of Cazadores Blanco Tequila - Mexico
4 ounces Sacramento tomato juice - California
1 lemon wedge - Florida
1 lime wedge - Florida
3 slices of cucumber - Just about everywhere!
3 dashes Tabasco - Louisiana
½ tsp prepared wasabi - Japan
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce - UK
¼ tsp Fleur de Sel - France
¼ tsp ground Sichuan Peppercorns - China
¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika - Spain
1 tsp Chili Powder (New Mexico) + 1 tsp salt for rimming the glass
Mini hot dog for garnish - Just about everywhere in US
Garnish: Mini hotdog speared like an olive + chili/salt powder rim
Glassware: highball glass
Recipe:
When ready to serve, pour the chili powder + salt onto a small plate. Rub the juicy side of a lemon or lime wedge along the outer edge of the lip of the glass—not along the inside of the rim. Holding each glass at an angle, roll the outer edge of the rim in the salt until it is fully coated. Fill with ice.
In the glass portion of a cocktail shaker squeeze the lemon and lime and drop them in. Add the rest of the ingredients and fill with ice. Pour the drink several times between the glass portion of the shaker and the metal portion of the shaker. Then strain into the prepared glass. Spear the hot dog and garnish!
Philadelphia Eagles
City of Brotherly Loves
Recipe Notes:
Philadelphia has many classic food traditions, from there figure 8 shaped soft pretzels, to Italian heroes, to the Roast Pork and Broccoli Rabe Sammy – my favorite! But it is the Philly Cheesesteak that reigns supreme. So here is my rendition of a Philly cheesesteak in a glass. This is a riff on a dirty martini and further a riff on my classic drink the Dirty Martino. Many classic drinks of yore, such as the bullshot or the bloody bull, included beef broth in their recipes. I opt for richer tasting bone broth but use whatever you have on hand.
Truffle sea salt is widely available at many grocery stores and online and adds an umami richness to the overall drink.
Ingredients:
Olive oil and truffle sea salt for rimming the glass
3 oz Grey Goose Vodka or Bombay Sapphire Gin
½ oz Noily Pratt Dry Vermouth
1 oz Beef Bone Broth
3 dash Scrappy’s Orange Bitters
3 Dry Cured Black Olives
1 tsp Olive Oil for rimming the glass
GLASS: Classic Martini
GARNISH: truffle salt rimmed on glass + 1 cube of soft pretzel and 2 cubed of provolone cheese speared like olives
Recipe:
Dip your finger in the olive oil and rub on the outside lip of the glass, then roll in the truffle salt.
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker add the olives, bitters and vermouth, then muddle thoroughly.
Add the rest of ingredients fill with ice and stir vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Double strain into prepared glass. Garnish with pretzel and cheese speared on a cocktail pick.
Buffalo Bills
Queen City Martini
Recipe Notes:
Buffalo, New York, has several monikers, reflecting its rich history and community spirit. Some of the most well-known nicknames include: The Queen City: referring to Buffalo being the second-largest city in New York State1, The City of Good Neighbors: Highlighting the city’s reputation for hospitality and community support, The City of Light: Stemming from Buffalo being one of the first cities in the U.S. to have widespread electric lighting, thanks to power generated from Niagara Falls.
Buffalo is a great food town. From Beef on a Weck – its signature roast beef sandwich- to sponge candy, spaghetti parm, honeycomb toffee and so many others! But Buffalo Wings reign supreme! The signature food created at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo using franks hot sauce and garnished with blue cheese dip and celery sticks. I am skipping the chicken as garnish thought in favor of another spicier riff on a dirty martini.
Ingredients:
3 oz Grey Goose Vodka or Bombay Sapphire Gin
½ oz Noily Pratt Dry Vermouth
½ oz Olive Brine
2 dashes Franks Red Hot = more for rimming the glass
2 dashes Fee Brothers Orange Bitters
1 tsp each salt and sugar for rimming the glass
GLASS: Classic Martini
GARNISH: Franks Red Hot, salt and sugar rimmed glass + blue cheese olives and carrot pickles.
Mix the salt and sugar on a small plate, then shake some Franks hot sauce on your finger and rub on the outside lip of the glass, then roll in the salt sugar mix.
In a cocktail shaker add all the ingredients, fill with ice and stir vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Double strain into prepared glass. Garnish with blue cheese olives and carrot pickles.
Kansas City
City of Fountains
Recipe Notes: The largest City in the Sunflower State, Kansas City has some killer foods, great jazz, unbelievable steaks, more fountains than most any other city in the USA, and of course toasted ravioli! As a BBQ judge and junkie I love the KC style of Barbecue, so this cocktail is a nod to the killer BBQ style of Kansas City, offering some smoke, some spice, a touch of sweetness and some heat.
Ingredients For 1:
2oz Makers Mark Bourbon
1oz Grand Marnier or Dry Curacao or Cointreau
1oz lemon juice
1oz simple syrup
4 dashes Hella Bitters Smoked Chili Bitters
1 tsp each Smoked salt, sugar and your favorite barbecue rub for rimming the glass
Molasses or Maple Syrup for rimming the glass
Glassware: Rocks Glass
Garnish: Jalapeno Slices
Recipe For 1:
On a small plate mix the salt, sugar and BBQ rub. Dip your finger in the molasses or maple syrup, rub on the outside lip of the glass, then roll into the salt-rub mixture, set aside. In a cocktail shaker add the rest of the ingredients. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared rocks glass filled with ice and garnish.