Super Bowl Cocktail Recipes Inspired by Halftime Acts
Raise a glass to historic performances by Prince, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, and more.
The annual Super Bowl halftime performance, always a compendium of incredible artists and mind-blowing acts, garners the attention of even those who hate sports. There have been so many great concerts — more memorable to some than the game itself — that we thought we’d take a ride back in history, toasting each performance with drinks that pair perfectly with them.
1. The Coldplay
Courtesy of Beautiful Booze
Coldplay’s 2016 Super Bowl performance featured the band’s complex sound, which is at once both classic and modern, leaving listeners with a melancholic yet hopeful feeling. This cool and colorful frozen libation matches Coldplay’s name and lively 2016 album cover. Just make sure you have “A Head Full of Dreams” rather than a brain freeze while enjoying it!
Ingredients
2 oz. of rum
3 oz. of pineapple juice
1 tbs. of coconut cream
¼ cup chopped pineapple
1 lime, juiced
2 strawberries, chopped
1 tsp. of agave
1 cup of Ice
Garnish: chopped strawberries
Preparation
Fill a blender with ½ of rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, chopped pineapple, ½ lime juiced, and ½ cup of ice.
Then blend ½ rum, ½ lime, strawberries, agave, and ½ cup ice.
Blend mixtures separately, then layer them in a serving glass, alternating the pineapple mixture with the strawberry mixture.
2. The Wardrobe Malfunction
Courtesy of La Quintinye Vermouth Royal
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s halftime number is one not easily forgotten, as it caused an uproar of debate for months to come. This strong Negroni drink often leads to some post-imbibing discussions as well. Being that Carnival is so close to the Super Bowl, it seems appropriate that a Mardi Gras mask represents the drink of the iconic wardrobe malfunction.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Vermouth Royal Rouge
1 ½ oz. G’Vine Nouaison Gin
1 oz. Campari
Garnish: orange twist
Preparation
Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass and stir.
Garnish with an orange twist.
3. The Left Shark
Courtesy of American Cut
The world of Katy Perry can be best described as a whimsical dreamscape where earth, sky, and ocean collide, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that delight the senses. This salty, citrusy cocktail is both feminine and strong, and embodies Perry’s bold colors. After a few of these, you might start moving around like Perry’s Internet-breaking backup dancer, the Left Shark.
Ingredients
2 oz. Caraway-infused Brugal Especial Blanco Rum*
1 oz. citrus (equal parts fresh lime/lemon juice)
1 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. juice of red bell pepper
Preparation
Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake.
Strain into a Coupe glass garnished with a half rim of Maldon sea salt.
*To make a batch of Caraway-infused Brugal Especial Blanco Rum, add 5 parts rum to 1 part caraway seeds and let sit for at least a week.
4. Rockin’ Country Sunday Margarita
Recipe from the one and only Tanya Tucker
The devil may have actually come down to Georgia for the 1994 Super Bowl. That halftime show was a country fan’s dream come true: The Judds, Travis Tritt, Clint Black, and of course, Tanya Tucker. To commemorate it, Tucker herself has contributed a twist on one of her personal favorites: the margarita. Tanya Tucker’s Rockin’ Country Sunday Margarita is a classic, simple recipe, perfect to sip on while enjoying some laid-back country music.
Ingredients
1 can of margarita mix
7.5 oz Patron Silver
2.5 oz of triple sec
1 tbsp powdered sugar
Ice
Garnish: mint leaf, orange slice
Preparation
Empty the margarita mix can into a blender.
Take the empty can and fill 3/4 with Patron Silver, add to blender.
Take the empty can and fill 1/4 with Triple Sec, add to blender.
Add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar to the blender.
Fill with ice.
Blend till smooth.
Garnish with mint leaf and orange slice.
5. Locked Out of Heaven
Courtesy of Rob Krueger, Extra Fancy for 1800 Tequila
For the 2014 Super Bowl Halftime show, Bruno Mars inspired everyone to get funky, and this tropical drink will get imbibers funked up, too. The coconut and citrus flavors parallel Mars’ Hawaiian roots and smooth rhythm, while the added Ancho Chili Liqueur nods to Mars’ guest performers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If you find yourself locked out of heaven, at least you’ll have this drink waiting for you down on planet earth.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. 1800 Coconut
½ oz. Orange Curaçao
½ oz. Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
½ oz. fresh lime juice
Garnish: sprig of Thai basil
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake with one cube of ice to mix.
Strain into a double rocks or Mai Tai glass and fill with pebble ice, gently swizzling to fully chill the glass.
“Smack” the sprig of Thai basil and garnish.
6. The Moonwalk
Courtesy of Crystal Head Vodka
California. 1993. Dallas versus … who cares?! Michael Jackson was performing! An inspiration to all pop artists, MJ’s contribution to music can’t be overstated. His Super Bowl performance boasted beautiful melodies and a strong message of harmony. This sleek, smooth, bubbly, and somewhat dark cocktail by Crystal Head Vodka perfectly captures the lightness and darkness of his music. Champagne, a celebratory drink likened to drinking the stars, is a perfect way to commemorate one who shone so bright.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Crystal Head Vodka
1 oz. St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
3 oz. champagne
¼ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Garnish: thin slice of lime
Preparation
In a shaker filled with ice, add Crystal Head, St-Germain, and lime juice.
Shake well, then strain into a martini glass.
Slowly top with champagne.
Garnish with a thin slice of lime.
7. The Bey Hive
Courtesy of ONEHOPE Wine
All hail, Queen Bey! When Beyoncé graces the stage, she is greeted with laud and loud applause. Being the Queen of her hive, an elegant, strong, and of course honey-based cocktail is the supreme choice for this modern diva. Her songs are the perfect party-starting soundtrack, and this batched drink is ideal to serve the queen’s countless fans.
Ingredients
1 cup honey
1 cup water
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup fig puree (2 cups fresh figs, 4 tbs. water blended in a food processor)
4 oz. chilled vodka
Juice from 2 lemons (peel for garnish)
4 oz. rosemary simple syrup
1 bottle ONEHOPE Sparkling Brut
Ice
Preparation
Combine honey, water, and fresh rosemary into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced by half.
Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Transfer to a jar and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
While the simple syrup is chilling, remove stems from figs and place all but two figs in a food processor.
Pulse to puree until consistency resembles that of apple sauce and set aside.
Using a citrus peeler, peel your lemons (4 ribbons, one for each cocktail).
Juice both lemons and set the juice aside.
Once your simple syrup has chilled completely, combine the syrup, fig puree, chilled vodka, lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
Fill two glasses with ice and pour the cocktail mixture into each glass.
Top with ONEHOPE Sparkling Brut and garnish with lemon peel, fresh rosemary, and one-half fig each.
8. The Boss
Courtesy of Bartender Eric Blair of Village Pourhouse
It’s Super Bowl halftime in 2009, and you’re engorging yourself on wings, dips, chicken fingers, and all sorts of yummy appetizers. Then, suddenly, you hear it: A high-octane rendition of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” starts thumping, your heart starts pumping, and soon, you’re jumping up and down as if your team scored a touchdown because Bruce Springsteen songs make even the losing players feel like they won. In honor of his high-energy introduction that urged viewers to “step back from the guacamole dip, put the chicken fingers down and turn [their] television[s] all the way up,” we bring you a hearty beverage that’ll fill you right up and make you feel like you, too, were “Born To Run.”
Ingredients
2 oz. of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
2 slices of char-broiled peaches (muddled)
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
¼ oz. of maple syrup
Garnish: slice of maple-infused bacon
Preparation
Shake whiskey with Angostura bitters, finish with maple syrup, and serve over ice.
Garnish with peaches and bacon.
9. The Purple One
Courtesy of Cocktail Bandits
In 2007, Prince fought off the Miami rain and painted the sky at Dolphins Stadium purple with his regal performance. When he sang “Purple Rain,” wielding his signature purple guitar, the crowd went crazy. This funky purple drink will likely get you just as jazzed while watching this year’s performance.
Ingredients
½ oz. of Red Cabbage Syrup
1 oz. of Tequila Avion Silver
½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Tonic Water
Preparation
Add syrup, tequila, and fresh juice to a mixing tin.
Shake passionately.
Strain into a glass.
Gently add tonic.
Garnish with red cabbage leaf.
10. Pop, Rock and Roll
Courtesy of Los Chingones Chef/Owner Troy Guard
The halftime show at the 2001 Super Bowl was poppin’ AND rockin’ with pop stars and rock bands in attendance. *NSYNC joined Aerosmith to make, as Ben Stiller called it in the intro, “Aero-Sync,” and blasted in with an awesome rendition of “Walk This Way” featuring guest appearances from Britney Spears, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige. It’s only fitting to find a drink that also pops and rocks.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Cabrito Blanco Tequila
1 ½ oz. margarita mix
Mexican Coke floater
Garnish: Strawberry Pop Rocks candy
Preparation
Add tequila and margarita base to a shaker.
Shake and strain into a glass.
Top with Mexican Coke and garnish with Strawberry Pop Rocks.
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