THE tailgate cocktail: bourbon and ginger

before we get started, a little confession: i’m really, truly, honestly not into college football. at all. not even a little bit.

now, i love a tailgate, and i love high school football (LOVE IT. there’s just something about cold weather, local pride, and a marching band that just tugs at my heartstrings) but i went to D3 schools for undergrad and grad school, and my folks just never were that crazy about it, so I just don’t really get the obsessive, soul-consuming passion so many southerners have about the college version. sorry, y’all.

really, i’ve tried to love it. boone is crazy about his alma mater’s team (the Demon Deacons) and my best friend katie sat next to me at an Ole Miss game a few years ago and talked me through every single play by play, thinking that if I knew what was going on, i’d enjoy it a little more…but nope. Now, I can sit still for 3 hours and cheer when I’m supposed to, but really I only want to watch games that I go to in person, and really only want to go to a game once or twice a year. oops. i hope this doesn’t ruin our relationship, y’all. even if I’m not crazy about the game, my love of social gatherings and reasons to cook and share food means i really, really love a tailgate. and who doesn’t have a delicious drink or two at a tailgate, am i right? it turns out that my favorite autumn and winter cocktail is a balance of warm bourbon and sweet, fizzy, spicy ginger ale. i’d been looking for a way to “fancy” it up a little bit this tailgate season (mostly for when i try to be supportive and watch wake forest on ESPN or the computer) when i found this garden & gun recipe for a homemade version of ginger ale and edited it a bit for my tastes. see if it hits your spot this football season.

Makes approximately 15 drinks worth.

 2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 lb ginger root about 1/2 of one big piece you get from the store, peeled

1 tsp green or black peppercorns

ice

bourbon

club soda

lemon

after you’ve peeled the ginger, grate it using a cheese grater or microplaner. bring the sugar, water, and ginger to a boil in a small sauce pot. once it comes to a boil, and let it cook down until it is a little thicker (you’ll know if when you put a spoon into the pot if the liquid slides off slowly and leaves a residue, but you’re not looking for the consistency of glue or anything) this takes somewhere 5-10 minutes. remove the pot from the heat, add the peppercorns, and let the ginger steep and cool for about 30 minutes to an hour (if you’re in a rush, throw it into the fridge for a little bit.) strain the syrup and throw away the ginger, and store the syrup in an airtight container up to 4 weeks.

once you’re ready to enjoy your creation, fill a glass with ice and pour 2-3 tablespoons of the syrup with 1-2 oz bourbon. top with the club soda and a lemon or lime wedge and enjoy. you’ll find that this is significantly less sweet than a regular bourbon & ginger, and that the spiciness and flavor of the ginger comes through pretty clearly. it can also be served over ice cream or with pears, peaches, or apples. yeaaaah.