The Super Bowl is more than just a game—it’s an event filled with food, friends, and festivities. For bourbon lovers, it’s the perfect opportunity to craft pairings that match the intensity of the competition. Whether you’re rooting for a specific team or just enjoying the spectacle, here’s how to bring bourbon into your Super Bowl celebrations.
Pair Bourbon with Your Super Bowl Table Spread
Bourbon’s rich and versatile flavors make it an excellent companion to classic game-day foods. Here are some winning combinations:
- Spicy Buffalo Wings: Pair with a high-rye, spicy/savory bourbon to complement the heat and add a peppery finish.
- Loaded Nachos: Choose a rye whiskey to balance the richness of melted cheese and savory toppings.
- Barbecue Ribs: Opt for an oak-forward bourbon to echo the flavors of slow-cooked meat.
- Dark Chocolate Desserts: A bourbon with pronounced caramel and vanilla notes will harmonize beautifully with chocolatey treats.
Theme Your Team Cocktails
Create a bourbon slushie in team colors. Here’s an easy recipe to use. While natural flavors would be preferred, you can use a drop or two of food coloring to get your slushie to match the team.
Or create a whiskey cocktail for each team that uses flavors associated with the city/region. Texas teams might lean towards a bourbon-based Margarita cocktail while Michigan teams might prefer a strong cherry element in their drinks.
Creating drinks in team colors can be fun, but for whiskey nerds, hiding the color of the whiskey isn’t always preferred. Some team colors are easy to get with colorful fruit syrups and others might mean an addition of color to the batch. Instead, you could choose garnishes that echoed the colors or flavors of the team and go with classic old fashioneds or Manhattans batched and ready to go in the freezer or fridge.
Pick Bourbons Representing Teams or Players
Add a playful twist to your Super Bowl party by selecting bourbons that reflect the teams or players:
- Team States: Serve bourbons from the competing states (e.g., Kentucky bourbon for a Kentucky-based team).
- Name Similarities: Match bourbon brands or labels to player names for a fun thematic touch.
Create a Bourbon Bracket
Make the game even more interactive by setting up a bourbon bracket for your guests. Here’s how:
- Choose 8-16 Bourbons: Select a mix of popular and unique options.
- Blind Tasting: Arrange blind taste tests and have guests vote for their favorites.
- Crown a Winner: Continue elimination rounds until one bourbon emerges as the champion. Tracking it on a large poster board or sign as guests vote make it even more exciting!)
The Super Bowl is about more than football—it’s about the camaraderie and creativity that bring people together. Incorporating bourbon into your festivities adds a touch of sophistication and fun that everyone will enjoy. Cheers to a winning combination of bourbon and football!