Drink(s) of the Week: Super Bowl Cocktails

We’re not placing wagers on this weekend’s Super Bowl, but we’re willing to bet that we could all use a good cocktail on game day. So for today’s Drinks of the Week we’ve got dueling drinks from Boston and New York—you can decide which of these comes out on top. Luckily, they’re both a cinch to make so you won’t miss any critical game time.

Patriot Punch
Boston bartender Bob McCoy shows his Patriots pride with this punch that combines white rum and citrus with a splash of spice. The recipe below serves one, so just multiply as needed to quench your entire Super Bowl crew. And so you don’t have to spend a minute of the game mixing drinks, make a big batch ahead of time and pour into a punch bowl over a large block of ice.

1 1/2 oz. white rum (McCoy suggests using one distilled in the New England area, and says a favorite is Bully Boy white rum)
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. cinnamon syrup (see below)
Mount in a mixing glass, add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

For the cinnamon syrup, muddle 3 cinnamon sticks and combine in a small saucepan with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to just under a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool, then strain through a double layer of cheesecloth into a clean glass bottle.

Bob McCoy, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston

Simm's Cup
Longtime Giants fan and Brooklyn bar owner Chris Buckley named his game-day drink after former Giants quarterback Phil Simms. “He was one of their best quarterbacks and led his team to two Super Bowl wins,” says Buckley. “Go G-men!”

1 1/2 oz. applejack
6 drops Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters Black Mission Fig bitters (or substitute Peychaud’s bitters for a different, yet equally delicious drink)
Lemon-lime soda
Ice cubes
Tools: barspoon
Glass: highball

In an ice-filled highball glass, add the applejack and bitters. Top with lemon-lime soda and stir gently to combine.

Chris Buckley, Hanson Dry, Brooklyn

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

A wine chiller doubles as a hibernation den for more than 200 slithering snakes. Chicago Tribune

Two East Coast mayors make a friendly football wager. CBS Pittsburgh

California’s ubiquitous white wine grape marks 100 years of growth in the States. Reuters

Touring the vineyards of South Africa. CNN

Imbibe contributor David Wondrich heads to New Orleans to chat about Cuba’s influence on the cocktail world. Nola.com

Drink of the Week: Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe

Once a staple ingredient in pre-Prohibition cocktails like the Fallen Angel and the Stinger, crème de menthe fell somewhat into obscurity in the years that followed. But recently, the minty liqueur has been re-emerging, and today’s Drink of the Week is a testament to that trend. The crème de menthe from Tempus Fugit Spirits infuses peppermint and spearmint in a base of distilled botanicals and cane sugar for a complex cocktail ingredient that’s packed with pure, fresh mintiness, flavors of fresh herbs and spice, and a silky mouthfeel. Add a splash to a mug of hot cocoa, or try it in any number of cocktails that call for a dose of minty brightness.
$30, klwines.com

What We’re Drinking Now: Wintry Stouts

Snow, pounding rain and gale-force winds—lately we’ve all been pummeled with every type of extreme winter weather imaginable. Thankfully, we’ve got a fridge stocked full of warming, wintry brews geared toward the cold weather—here’s a taste of a few stouts we’ve been sampling at the Imbibe office.

And for more winter weather-ready brews, check out “Oaky Dokey” from our January/February issue.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
10% ABV, Brooklyn, New York
This might just be the ultimate fireside sipper. Each winter we anticipate the arrival of this imperial stout, with its malty body, creamy mouthfeel and bittersweet chocolate notes throughout. Beer and ice cream float in the dead of winter? We think so.

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
9.2% ABV, Petaluma, California
Surprisingly easy-drinking given its high ABV, this coffee-infused stout combines notes of fresh-brewed beans, chocolaty caramel malts and just a touch of tangy fruit.

Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout
10.5% ABV, Fort Collins, Colorado
Whiskey, whiskey and more whiskey! Aged for four months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this is a smooth and spirited stout with notes of caramel, chocolate and vanilla all influenced by its time spent in wood.

Sweetwater Happy Ending
9% ABV, Atlanta, Georgia
Heartily dry-hopped, this imperial stout keeps on giving with lingering notes of coffee, molasses, warming alcohol and a hint of hop bitterness. Definitely a beer that warms to the core.

Quick Sips: Tasty Bits from Around the Web

Meteorite-aged wine? One Chilean vintner gives it a go. Time

Build a better home bar with tips from the Columbia Room’s head bartender, Katie Nelson. Refinery 29

Mourning the sad passing of a GADF great. Denver Westword

A Seattle-area coffee shop built entirely out of shipping containers. Good

Debating cask-finished distillates. Seattle Weekly

Bonnie Prince Billy gets into the coffee biz. Rolling Stone

Drink of the Week: Lageder Beta Delta Lagrein/Merlot 2008

In our January/February issue, writer Katherine Cole delves into the realm of biodynamic winemaking—a holistic approach to viticulture that goes beyond natural and organic farming and into a world of buried animal skulls, herbal soil tinctures and farming by the lunar calendar. And though it might all sound a bit peculiar, the proof is in the bottle, as is the case with today’s Drink of the Week. Fifth-generation Italian winemaker Alois Lageder began experimenting with biodynamic farming in the 1990s, and in 2004 he decided to go biodynamic with all of his vineyards. Lageder’s mix of Lagrein and Merlot finds a delicious balance of ripe, juicy fruit and food-friendly acidity—just the kind of wine that begs to be enjoyed with a bowl of wintry soup. $22, wallywine.com

And for more biodynamic wine-buying tips, click here.