Super Bowl 2015: Beer Cocktails for the Big Game Day

If you can’t bring yourself to drink another Keystone Light during the Super Bowl, fear not: Shaken, stirred, sometimes just poured—these beer cocktails are exactly the choice you need to make at halftime. For more Super Bowl recipes, check out our Super Bowl headquarters!
Header image and recipe for Gridiron Punch from CHOW

1. Hound Dog Hooch

Bring summer back with this refreshing pink lemonade–based cocktail that’s topped with the wheat beer of your choice. Gin, Cointreau, and pink lemonade are combined with a layering effect that looks beautiful in a pint glass. The National beer hall in Calgary serves the Hound Dog Hooch in a Mason jar, and you can easily scale up the recipe for a batch of boozy lemonade.
Photo and recipe from Calgary Herald

2. Steamroller

This San Francisco treat is made with a bottle of Anchor Steam beer that's used to top off a shaken cocktail composed of St-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, rye whiskey, and Heering Cherry Liqueur. This cocktail is slightly sweet and complements the malty notes in the beer. If you don’t like the strong cherry flavor you can substitute another liqueur—even some peach schnapps will do.
Photo and recipe from CHOW

3. Black Velvet

This cocktail is so simple you can hardly call it a cocktail. Snag a Guinness from your football buddies and pour it into a tall glass (or a champagne flute, if you’re feeling fancy); top it off with some champagne and call it an afternoon.
Photo and recipe from CHOW

4. Coupe de Ville

Fresh-squeezed orange juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and 12 ounces of Mexican beer (like Dos Equis or if you must, Corona) blend easily into a big-batch cocktail that you can serve to the whole gang on game day.
Photo and recipe from CHOW

5. French Monaco

A classic among French teenagers, the French Monaco is a delectable combo of lemonade, pomegranate syrup, and a pale lager (like Stella Artois) shaken together in a cocktail shaker with ice and strained into a tall glass.
Photo and recipe from Saveur

6. Raspberry Beer Cocktail

Fresh raspberries make this a really special drink, and it's easy to whip up while watching the game. Combine fresh raspberries, Corona, pink lemonade, and vodka for a fantastic alternative to just another brew.
Photo and recipe from Pretty Plain Janes

7. Spicy Beer Cocktail

An excellent pairing with wings, this spicy beer cocktail consists of only beer, lime, and powdered spicy pico de gallo. Shake it up in a cocktail shaker to make it frothy and delicious.
Photo and recipe from Celebrations

8. Sidewalker

Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, applejack, maple syrup, club soda, and hefeweizen beer are mixed together in large quantities to make a very special batch of game-time beer cocktails. Garnish with sliced apples, and adjust the amount of maple syrup to control the sweetness.
Photo and recipe from Bon Appétit

9. Lot 49

Pumpkin ale forms the basis for this delicious drink. Mix together bourbon, applejack, vanilla pumpkin syrup, cinnamon, and three ounces of pumpkin beer for a perfect wintry brew.
Photo and recipe from Home Speakeasy

Caitlin M. O'Shaughnessy is a New York City–based food writer and editor at Penguin who has worked on and recipe-tested several cookbooks. She is currently in search of NYC's best ramen, and is one of the few people who admit to disliking brunch.