This sponsored article is brought to you by Atlantic City Bottle Company.
Just because your team may not have made it to the big dance doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be a party. In fact, nine out of 10 Americans will watch the Super Bowl at a house party, where they will consume 1.23 billion chicken wings, and 11.2 million pounds of potato chips. Sixty-two percent of those homes will fire up the grill, too.
Clearly, we’re all going to need something to drink.
A fun way to celebrate the Super Bowl is to imbibe the local culture of the teams that will compete for gridiron greatness on Sunday afternoon. This year, that means we’re talking about the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Let’s see what each of their great American cities have to offer.
From the early Timber Town days to the Gold Rush, and then to the presence of Boeing and Microsoft, Seattle has had its ups and downs. Right now, it’s growing at a fast pace and has a thriving craft cocktail culture. New twists on classic cocktails are hot there at the moment and, given their penchant for coffee houses, the Coffee Old Fashioned might best represent the American Northwest. For an extra authentic touch, how about using bourbon from Seattle’s own microdistillery, Oola?
Make Your Own…
Coffee Old Fashioned
1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
1/2 ounce dark creme de cacao
1 1/2 ounces water
1 ounce espresso, chilled
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
Finely ground coffee or coffee beans for garnish
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
1. Shake well.
2. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with coffee beans or grounds.
Now, on to the Mile-High City! Denver’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains makes it a mecca for outdoor oriented folks. Indeed, Colorado’s signature cocktail, the Tree Line, is the very essence of the fresh-air lifestyle. In 2011, in order to celebrate the state’s centennial, the Colorado Distillers Guild and the Colorado Bartenders Guild held a contest and bartender Marnie Ward won it with the Tree Line. The original recipe is made with Denver distiller Leopold Bros. small batch whiskey, which might be hard to find in New Jersey. So if you need a substitute, we suggest Breckenridge Distillery bourbon which has a high-rye mash bill.
Make Your Own…
Tree Line:
2 bing cherries
2 oz batch whiskey
.5 oz Leopold Three Pins Alpine Herbal Liqueur
.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
1. Muddle cherries, lemon juice and simple syrup.
2. Add whiskey and Three Pins.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Garnish with round slice of lemon peel (to replicate the Colorado sun).
Alright, so you don’t have time to hunt down a bunch of ingredients and you just want to take a couple of six packs to your friend’s house. Easy. Rogue Ales is a standard in the Pacific Northwest and they’ve been doing the craft beer thing since 1988. Brown ales will partner up with almost any food you will encounter on Super Bowl Sunday, and if pulled pork is on the menu, so much the better. Leave it up to Rogue to add hazelnut to their brown ale. Look for Hazelnut Brown Nectar in 22-oz bottles. Colorado is no slouch when it comes to great beer and while there are many to choose from, Twisted Pine Coffee Stout will open some eyes. If you think coffee stouts are just for dessert, how about putting it next to some mac and cheese? Winner!
So, mix a cocktail or crack open a beer, grab a chicken wing and get ready for some football!
Sources:
http://cocktails.about.com/od/whiskeyrecipes/r/Coffee-Old-Fashioned-Recipe.htm
http://ooladistillery.com/home#sales
http://www.breckenridgedistillery.com/
http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com/big-shot-espresso-stout/
Paul Tonacci is Managing Partner of the Atlantic City Bottle Company, a seasonal menu small plate restaurant helmed by Chef Kevin Cronin, and packaged goods store specializing in wine, whiskey, craft beer, Specialty Spirits Store – Taste In or Take Home. Voted Atlantic City’s Best Restaurant by Trip Advisor. Check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
