For This Year’s Super Bowl, Make Cocktails the Winner

Beer might at first seem like the right libation for a Super Bowl bash. But if you’re committed to a theme—say, choosing a drinks menu inspired by the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs—then cocktails give you way more to work with.

There are several different drink-planning approaches at your disposal: You could serve sippers that hail from the final teams’ hometowns, both of which are top-notch drinking destinations. You could opt for drinks decked out in the teams’ colors—which, in the case of this year’s match-up, is extra simple since both sides will hit the field in red and white. And yellow (the Chiefs) and gold (the 49ers), which, let’s be honest, are pretty similar. When in doubt, never shy away from a good football pun. (Prepare yourself for several drinks with “snap” in their names. Sorry, not sorry.)

Don’t worry about doing the research—we’ve done it for you. Feel free to steal our rationales for the following drinks, pass them off as your own and be the hero of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11. We won’t tell.

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Bloody Mary

It’s deep red in color, can be piled high with party-appropriate garnishes and delivers a nose-clearing zing thanks to a heaping teaspoon of horseradish. What’s better to keep you up and alert for the big game?

Get the recipe: Bloody Mary Hibiscus