It’s that time of year again. The leaves are starting to change and the weather is starting to cool down (well, maybe just a little). And the best part about this season? Football — actually more like tailgating!

Down south we love us some football, especially college football, and even more specifically SEC football. Being a native Tennessean, a graduate of Ole Miss and an Alabama resident, I was raised to treat Saturdays in the fall as holy as Sundays. But something even more sacred to me than the game itself is The Tailgate.

Being brought up in a household full of Ole Miss rebels, I've learned a thing or two about how a tailgate should look. Yes, my mother has a chandelier in our tent and yes we bring out some of our finest linens and best platters in spite of jeers from competing teams that quite frankly just don’t get it. Those ruffians simply don’t understand the art of The Tailgate. But I'm here to educate you. As we like to say in Oxford, “We may not win every game… but we ain’t never lost a party.”

No tailgate is complete until it has the proper trimmings and accoutrements for cocktails. So as part of your education, today I will be teaching you how to make bona fide tailgate toddies. And just so we don’t ruffle too many feathers, we are doing some from around the SEC. (Sorry other conferences!) But most important, be sure to serve these tailgating favorites in some of your finest Willow House glassware!




First up the HOTTY TODDY, courtesy of OLE MISS!
Serve in the Harmony Teacups

• 1 oz brandy, whiskey or rum
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tea bag

Coat the bottom of a mug with honey. Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter. On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea. Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.




For you TEXAS A & M fans, welcome to the SEC and enjoy a TEXAS MARGARITA!
Serve in the Tuscan Goblets

• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 ounce silver tequila
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 1 ounce simple syrup, store bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup cold water
• Crushed Ice
• Coarse Kosher Salt

Place some salt on a small flat plate. Fill a shaker half way with ice. Set both aside. Cut lime in half, then slice it down the middle of each half part way. Run the cut part of the lime around the edge of the glass and dip into the salt turning the glass back and forth a bit. Fill the glass with ice. Squeeze as much juice out of lime as you can into the shaker. Add the tequila, Cointreau, simple syrup and cold water. Cover and shake. Strain into prepared glass and serve.





We know those bulldogs over in GEORGIA love a good libation like this BULLDOG COCKTAIL!
Serve in the Salud Goblets

• 1 1/2 oz Stoli Vanilla Vodka

• 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps

• 4 oz Coke

Combine all ingredients into a Collins glass and stir. Garnish with a peach wedge.





And for those gators down in FLORIDA, you’ll enjoy a refreshing SWAMP JUICE!
Serve in the Simone Glassware

• 1/2 oz Sweet N Sour

• 1/2 oz Midori Melon Liqueur

• 1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur

• 1/2 oz Jagermeister Liqueur

Add sweet and sour & Midori to a shaker w/ice, shake and strain. Layer in raspberry liqueur and Jager. Raspberry should go to the bottom and Jager should float on top.

May the best team win every Saturday this fall! Enjoy your tailgating toddies!