15 Cocktails for Game Day

From Micheladas to Ranch Water

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 06/12/21
Red Beer Mixed Drink

The Spruce 

Cocktails and beer can turn an average game day into a spectacular one—even if your team doesn't bring home the victory. Add these recipes to your line-up and your friends are sure to enjoy the party. None of them are too fancy, so they're great with Super Bowl snacks, for tailgating, or a summer cookout. You'll find a variety of flavors—from savory spice to sweet and tart—and they're all easy to mix up.

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Watch Now: 3 Easy Game-Day Beer Cocktails

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  • 01 of 15

    Ranch Water

    Ranch Water Tequila Topo Chico Cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Colleen Graham

    Ranch water is an effortless tequila mixed drink, and it's incredibly refreshing. This low-sugar drink mixes up in a minute and requires just three ingredients. Ranch water's fizzy tart lime flavor ensures that it's the ideal party cocktail and an excellent pairing for spicy Tex-Mex food and tailgating fare.

  • 02 of 15

    Michelada

    How to Create Your Personal Michelada Recipe

    The Spruce 

    The michelada is a game day classic. This spiced up beer cocktail is filled with savory ingredients, including soy, Worcestershire, and hot chili sauces. For the best drink, be sure to pour a dark Mexican beer that's ice-cold.

  • 03 of 15

    Spicy Pineapple Shandy

    Spicy Pineapple Shandy
    S&C Design Studios

    This shandy recipe starts out with tequila, spiced up with homemade jalapeño simple syrup and sweet, fresh pineapple juice. All you have to do is top it with your favorite beer. Pale ale works wonderfully with the fruit, but most lighter beers work just fine. It's not an overly spicy drink, either, but if you fear the heat just leave out the jalapeno.

  • 04 of 15

    Mexican Michelada Bloody Mary

    Mexican Michelada Bloody Mary

    Leah Maroney 

    As you might expect, the Mexican michelada bloody Mary has everything that's great about those two classic drinks. It combines tomato and lime juices, includes a long shot of tequila, a tall pour of beer, and a spicy kick. Better yet, it serves two, so that's less mixing for you.

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  • 05 of 15

    Red Beer

    Red Beer Mixed Drink

    The Spruce 

    For a morning game on a cold day, few drinks can beat red beer. It's the bloody Mary for beer drinkers, but so much easier to prep. All you need is your favorite beer and a couple ounces of tomato juice. Finish it off with a pinch of salt and enjoy.

  • 06 of 15

    Black and Tan

    Black and tan beer

    The Spruce

     

    Can't decide which style of beer to enjoy? The beauty of the black and tan is that you don't have to decide—you can enjoy two completely different brews in the same glass. This is the layered beer drink that you see in bars across the United States, and it's very easy to make at home. 

  • 07 of 15

    Pickleback Shot

    Pickleback Shot

    The Spruce

    The pickleback is a very interesting whiskey shot and a drink you have to experience for yourself. Even if you're not a fan of pickles, it's a drink you'll want to try because it delivers a rich, umami flavor that you will not find in any other drink. 

  • 08 of 15

    Kombucha Mule With Tequila

    Tequila Kombucha Mule Cocktail

    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

    Kombucha (or "booch" as it's popularly called) is an excellent cocktail mixer. With its slightly acidic taste and gentle fizz, kombucha can easily replace soda in mixed drinks. In this tequila kombucha mule recipe, ginger-flavored kombucha replaces the Moscow mule's ginger beer to create a lively drink that's both familiar and intriguingly different.

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  • 09 of 15

    Vodka Tonic

    Serve with lime

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    The vodka tonic is an easy-to-make, refreshing mixed drink that you can enjoy throughout game day. Whereas a gin and tonic relies on the flavor of gin's botanicals, this vodka cocktail is very clean, which allows the taste of the tonic water to really shine against the tart snap of lime. Compared to other soda cocktails, the lack of sweetness is one of the most appealing aspects of this drink. 

  • 10 of 15

    Greyhound Drink

    Greyhound cocktail

    The Spruce / Emily Baker

    Refreshingly tart and quick to make, the beauty of the greyhound cocktail lies in its simplicity. The popular mixed drink requires nothing more than vodka or gin and grapefruit juice. You can enjoy with either vodka or gin, and add your own tailgate spin on it.

  • 11 of 15

    Twist and Shout

    Hard Rock Cafe's Twist and Shout Cocktail in a glass

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    There may be times when you want to go all out on the beer cocktails and get your chocolate fix simultaneously. That's when you'll want to try the Hard Rock Cafe's Twist and Shout. A type of chocolate Guinness and spiced rum milkshake with a salted caramel twist, this cocktail is utterly delicious!

  • 12 of 15

    The Best Bloody Mary

    Bloody Mary Cocktail

    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

    Is it really a football party without a Bloody Mary? Quick to make, the bloody mary is a simple drink when you break it down: a shot of vodka over ice topped with tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces, and a few common kitchen spices. You can even switch it up with a Bloody Caesar.

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  • 13 of 15

    Spicy Paloma Cocktail

    The Paloma Cocktail

    The Spruce 

    Building on the paloma's foundation of tequila and grapefruit, this recipe adds the spice of Thai chile pepper through an infusion. The spirit that is infused is Aperol, a bitter orange-flavored liqueur that has seen increased attention in recent years. Adjust the spice level on this drink to meet you and your guests' needs.

  • 14 of 15

    Beergaritas

    Beergarita

    The Spruce

    There's no need to choose between a margarita and beer with this recipe. Beergaritas are a ton of fun and a great excuse to fire up the blender during the commercial breaks. Just grab your favorite tequila and Mexican beer, add some limeade and ice, and give it a whirl!

  • 15 of 15

    The Woo Woo Cocktail

    Woo Woo cocktail

    The Spruce 

    This cocktail is for when your team gets that touchdown or scores an extra point as it's name suggests what you'll be saying. Just by saying "woo woo," you can taste the playfulness of this fruity mix. Another reason to get on the woo woo train is its simplicity: vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice. Think of it as a mix between the popular cosmopolitan and hairy navel cocktails.