The Ultimate Guide to College Football Cocktails: 16 SEC Tailgate Recipes
Fall is finally here, and that means it is time to upgrade your tailgate with the absolute best college football cocktails!
Saturdays in the South demand more than just a cooler of light beer. To truly celebrate the harvest season and the thrill of gameday, you need themed drinks that represent your favorite SEC teams. We have curated a massive list of college football cocktails featuring the bold, dual-spirit profiles of Red Eye Louie’s.
Get your shakers ready and let’s dive into the ultimate SEC tailgate lineup!
Alabama Crimson Tide
Roll Tide Cocktail
Ingredients
- ¼ oz Red Eye Louie’s Immoral Vodka
- ¼ oz coconut rum
- ¼ oz Chambord raspberry liqueur
- ¼ oz Maui
- ¼ oz Southern Comfort
- ¼ oz Bacardi 151-proof rum
- ¼ oz cranberry juice
- ¼ oz lemon-lime soda
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the lemon-lime soda to an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
- Shake until well chilled, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Top with lemon-lime soda and serve.
Tasting Notes: Bold, sweet, and fruit-driven, with raspberry and cranberry at the forefront. Coconut and warm spice round out the blend, while lemon-lime soda adds a bright, fizzy finish.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorback
Ingredients
- ½ shot Red Eye Louie’s RumQuila
- ½ shot Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- ½ shot amaretto
- ½ shot Kahlúa
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake until frothy and well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled glass.
Tasting Notes: Rich and dessert-like, with coffee and almond leading the palate. RumQuila and VodQuila add warmth and structure, while vigorous shaking creates a light, frothy texture.
Auburn Tigers
Spiced Eye of the Tiger
Ingredients
- 1 oz Red Eye Louie’s RumQuila
- 1 oz coconut rum
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 1 oz orange juice
- ½ oz Red Eye Louie’s Immoral Spiced Rum
- Orange slice, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the RumQuila, coconut rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, and orange juice to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake until well chilled, then strain into a glass.
- Float the spiced rum on top and garnish with an orange slice, if desired.
Tasting Notes: Juicy orange and bright lemon balance coconut sweetness, with a tropical rum core. The spiced-rum float adds aromatic warmth and a lingering baking-spice finish.
Florida Gators
Gator Sunset
Ingredients
- 1 oz blue curaçao
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s Tequila Plata
- 1 oz Campari
- ½ oz lime juice
- Ice
Instructions
- Pour the blue curaçao into the bottom of a glass and add ice.
- Add the Tequila Plata, Campari, and lime juice to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake well, then strain slowly over the ice to preserve the layered colors.
Tasting Notes: Bittersweet orange and zesty lime frame the tequila, while blue curaçao contributes a candied citrus note. The layered presentation mirrors a finish that moves from bright and sweet to pleasantly bitter.
Mastering College Football Cocktails with VodQuila
Crafting the perfect college football cocktails requires a spirit that can handle bold mixers and massive tailgate crowds. VodQuila is the ultimate game changer for your gameday setup.
We take ultra premium 6x distilled vodka from the USA and thermally blend it with super premium 100% Blue Agave tequila from Jalisco, Mexico
Georgia Bulldogs
Bulldog Bite
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ oz peach schnapps
- 4 oz cola
- Peach wedge, for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Add the VodQuila, vanilla extract, peach schnapps, and cola to an ice-filled glass.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a peach wedge.
Tasting Notes: Sweet peach and vanilla soften the cola’s caramel spice. VodQuila adds a smooth, spirited backbone for a rich, easy-drinking finish.
Kentucky Wildcats
Wildcat Martini
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- ½ oz blue curaçao
- ½ oz lime juice
- 1 oz Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- Lemon peel curl, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice.
- Add the blue curaçao, lime juice, and VodQuila.
- Shake well and strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with a curl of lemon peel.
Tasting Notes: Crisp, citrus-forward, and lightly sweet, with vivid orange notes from blue curaçao and a tart lime edge. VodQuila provides a clean, smooth backbone and a brisk finish.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vandy Mule
Ingredients
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s WhisQuila
- 4–5 oz ginger beer
- ½ lime, plus a wedge for garnish
- Edible gold leaf
- Water, for ice cubes
Instructions
- Add small pieces of edible gold leaf to an ice cube tray, fill with water, and freeze until solid.
- Place a few gold-flecked ice cubes in a rocks glass.
- Pour the WhisQuila over the ice.
- Top with ginger beer and squeeze in the juice from ½ lime.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Tasting Notes: Crisp and lively, with spicy ginger beer and fresh lime balancing WhisQuila’s warm, whiskey-like character. The gold-flecked ice adds visual sparkle without changing the clean, refreshing finish.
LSU Tigers
Spiked Blueberry Lemonade
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1½ cups Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- ¼ tsp violet gel food coloring (optional)
- Ice
- Fresh blueberries, lemon slices, and lemon twists, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the lemon juice, blueberries, sugar, and 1 cup water in a blender.
- Blend until smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher or punch bowl; discard the solids.
- Stir in the remaining 5 cups water, VodQuila, and food coloring, if using.
- Chill until serving time, then serve over ice and garnish as desired.
Spicing Up Your Gameday Drinks
As the season pushes deeper into fall, your college football cocktails need to transition from summer coolers to rich, warming autumnal drinks. This is exactly where RumQuila and our Immoral Spiced Rum come into play! RumQuila bridges the seasons flawlessly by bringing tropical island warmth mixed with earthy agave. When the temperature really drops at the stadium, swapping in Immoral Spiced Rum adds incredible layers of baking spice, burnt sugar, and cinnamon to your tailgate punches.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi Punch Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Red Eye Louie’s RumQuila
- 1 oz Red Eye Louie’s WhisQuila
- 1 oz brandy
- ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass.
Tasting Notes: Full-bodied and spirit-forward, with rounded rum, whiskey, and brandy notes. Fresh lemon and bitters provide lift, while a touch of sugar smooths the warm, complex finish.
Missouri Tigers
Tiger’s Claw
Ingredients
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s Tequila Plata
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¾ oz cinnamon syrup
- ½ oz coffee liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Orange half-slice and mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the garnishes to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a Collins glass.
- Garnish with an orange half-slice and mint sprig.
Tasting Notes: Tropical pineapple and lime meet warming cinnamon, roasted coffee, and orange spice. The result is layered and aromatic, with a bright opening and a deep, bittersweet finish.
Oklahoma Sooners
Boomer Sooner
Ingredients
- 1 part Red Eye Louie’s Tequila Plata
- 2 parts blood orange juice
- 1 splash agave
- 1 chili pepper, for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Combine the tequila, blood orange juice, and agave over ice.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a chili pepper.
Tasting Notes: Juicy blood orange leads with sweet-tart citrus, balanced by earthy agave and clean tequila. The chili garnish adds a fresh pepper aroma and an optional touch of heat.
Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Hot Toddy
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Red Eye Louie’s WhisQuila
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ oz lemon juice
- 1 cup hot water
- Lemon wedge, cinnamon stick, and star anise, for garnish (optional)
- Ground cinnamon, for the rim (optional)
Instructions
- For an optional cinnamon rim, run a lemon wedge around the rim of a toddy glass and dip it in ground cinnamon.
- Add the WhisQuila, honey, lemon juice, and hot water to the glass.
- Stir until the honey dissolves.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge, cinnamon stick, and star anise, if desired.
Tasting Notes: Warm and soothing, with mellow honey, fresh lemon, and a rich whiskey-like base. Cinnamon and star anise add fragrant spice to the softly sweet finish.
Dark Spirit College Football Cocktail Ideas
Building the perfect roster of college football cocktails means having a heavy hitter ready for the post-game celebration. WhisQuila is the ultimate MVP for your fall tailgate menu. It brings the deep, oaky complexity of whiskey and fuses it with the spirited soul of premium tequila. It pairs incredibly well with the ginger beers, apple ciders, and coffee liqueurs that dominate autumn gamedays!
Now is the perfect time to stock your home bar and get ready for kickoff! Grab your favorite bottles of Red Eye Louie’s, mix up your team’s signature drink, and snap a picture of your tailgate setup. Tag us on social media using #RELSips so we can see your epic creations in action! Shop our full collection online and have your gameday spirits delivered right to your door. Please Drink Responsibly.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Cocky Kamikaze
Ingredients
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- 2 oz triple sec
- 2 oz lime juice
- ½ oz grenadine
- Ice
- Cherry, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the garnish to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a cherry, if desired.
Tasting Notes: Zesty and punchy, with lime and orange liqueur creating a bright citrus profile. Grenadine adds berry sweetness and color, while VodQuila keeps the finish smooth and spirited.
Tennessee Volunteers
Big Orange Buzz
Ingredients
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s VodQuila
- 1 oz triple sec
- 2 oz orange juice
- 2 oz lemon-lime soda
- Ice cubes
- Orange slice, for garnish
- Sugar, for the rim (optional)
Instructions
- Rim a glass with sugar, if desired.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the VodQuila, triple sec, and orange juice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish with an orange slice and serve immediately.
Tasting Notes: Sunny orange and orange liqueur give this highball a juicy, citrus-sweet core. Lemon-lime soda adds sparkle, and the optional sugar rim makes the finish even more festive.
Texas Longhorns
Burnt Orange Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz Red Eye Louie’s Tequila Plata
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 oz orange juice
- 1 tbsp burnt-sugar syrup
- Coarse salt, for the rim
- Lime wedge, for the rim and garnish
- Ice
Burnt-Sugar Syrup (1 cup sugar + 1 cup water)
Instructions
- To make the syrup, caramelize the sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until deep amber.
- Carefully add the water and stir until the caramelized sugar dissolves. Cool before using.
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a margarita glass and dip it in coarse salt.
- Fill the glass with ice, then add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, orange juice, and burnt-sugar syrup.
- Stir to combine, or blend with ice for a frozen variation.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Texas A&M Aggies
Aggie Punch
Ingredients
- 2 shots Red Eye Louie’s Tequila Plata
- 1 splash lime juice
- 6 oz cranberry-apple juice
- Ice
- Mint sprig, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Add the Tequila Plata, lime juice, and cranberry-apple juice.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a mint sprig, if desired.
Tasting Notes: Juicy cranberry and apple create a bright sweet-tart base, lifted by fresh lime. Tequila adds earthy agave warmth, while mint brings a cool, aromatic finish.
