Surefire Cocktails For The Sweet Sixteen!

The NCAA March Madness is well underway and your friends here at Southern Spirits want to help you celebrate! It’s Sweet Sixteen time and as you anxiously anticipate who will make it to the Elite Eight, we have some surefire cocktails to make any party memorable! Don’t forget that no matter what your team’s colors are, we have all the party supplies you will need at the BEST prices in town! Be sure to check out our huge selection when you are stocking up for your weekend of parties!

The Tipsy Wildcat – University of Kentucky Wildcats

 1 oz. Kentucky bourbon

1 oz. Southern Comfort

2 oz sour mix

Splash of blue curacao

2 oz. lemon-lime soda

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Pour into a glass, over ice. Top with lemon-lime soda and stir.
Mountaineer Lemonade – West Virginia University Mountaineers

2 oz. blueberry schnapps

6 oz. freshly squeezed lemonade

Stir together and pour over ice
Fighting Irish Car Bomb – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

1 half pint Guinness

1 shot Irish whiskey

Drop the shot of Irish whiskey into the half pint of Guinness and drink immediately
Cranky Badger – Wisconsin Badgers

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. cranberry juice

4-5 dashes of Tapatio

4 oz. lemonade

Combine all ingredients with ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour into your glass filled with ice. Add lemon slice for garnish.
Apple Bourbon Shocker – Witchita State Shockers

1 ½ oz. bourbon

1 ¼ oz. apple juice

¾ oz. triple sec

¼ oz. lemon

2 dashes orange bitters

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass over ice.
Tar Heel and Tonic – University of North Carolina Tar Heels

2 oz. Cardinal Gin

2 oz. Cheerwine

4 oz. tonic

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well strain, and pour over ice.
Three Musketeers – Xavier Musketeers

¼ oz. coffee liqueur

¼ oz. dark crème de cacao

¼ oz. cream

Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass.
The Red Wildcat – Arizona Wildcats

4 oz. cranberry juice

2 oz. pineapple juice

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. rum

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, strain and pour over ice into a tall glass.
Spartan Sangria – Michigan State Spartans

1 bottle red table wine

1 bottle of citrus Italian soda

1 bag of assorted frozen fruit

Pour red wine and Italian soda into a pitcher. Stir in fruit to chill.
Rum Runnin’ Utes – Utah Runnin’ Utes

1 ½ oz. Malibu Rum

1 oz. blackberry brandy

Splash of orange juice

Splash of pineapple juice

Splash of cranberry juice

Add the liquid ingredients in sequence, pouring them over the ice into a hurricane glass. Gently mix the ingredients to combine.
Howling Wolfpack – North Carolina State Wolfpack

2 oz. vodka

2 oz. Southern Comfort peach liqueur

6 oz. Sunny Delight orange juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, strain and pour over ice into a tall glass.
Blueberry Bird – Louisville Cardinals

2 lemons, sliced into rounds

2 limes, sliced into rounds

1 cup fresh blueberries

½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves. Leave one sprig for garnish.

½ cups of vodka

¾ cup St. Germain

Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, coarsely mash lemon and lime slices, blueberries, and mint leaves in a large pitcher. Stir in vodka, St-Germain, and 2 cups of ice cubes. Divide drink among coupe or highball glasses; top with more ice cubes. Garnish each drink with a mint.
Sooner Sour – Oklahoma Sooners

1 ½ oz. amaretto

¾ oz. cask-proof bourbon

1 oz. lemon juice

1 tsp. rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water)

Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake to combine. Add fresh ice to the shaker and shake again until chilled. Strain over fresh ice into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon peel and brandied cherries, if desired.
Blue Devil Martini – Duke Blue Devils

Crumbled blue cheese

1 
teaspoon dry vermouth

1 
oz. vodka

2 
Spanish olives (Queen sized with juice reserved)

1⁄2 cup ice

Pour ice into shaker. Pour a dash of the vermouth over the ice. Briskly shake in shaker for a few seconds then discard vermouth. Pour the vodka into the shaker with about a spoonful of olive juice (more/less to taste). Shake for a few more seconds then pour into a chilled martini glass. Stuff the olives with blue cheese and add the stuffed olives to the martini.
The Bruiser – Gonzaga Bulldogs

½ oz. pomegranate juice, plus more for rimming the glass

Pinch of salt, plus more for rimming the glass

3 oz. blanco tequila

1 oz. lime juice

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

½ oz. pomegranate liqueur (like PAMA)

¼ oz. pomegranate concentrate (optional)

Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Fill each glass with crushed ice. Combine all ingredients in a strainer filled with ice. Shake thoroughly, and strain into the salt-rimmed, ice-filled glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Bruin Breeze – UCLA Bruins

½ large peach, sliced

6 small basil leaves, plus more for garnish

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

1 ½ oz. gin

1 oz. Lillet

½ oz simple syrup

Club soda

In a tall glass, muddle the peach with the 6 basil leaves and the lemon juice. Add the gin, Lillet and simple syrup. Add ice cubes and top with club soda. Garnish with basil.