Georgia and Florida converge on Jacksonville this week for the annual World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. While the name may have evolved, the essence of this game transcends mere rivalry; it’s a celebration of camaraderie for both sides. To prepare you for the game this week, we’re serving up a selection of top-notch cocktails, looking at future locations, and finally previewing the football game. Grab your glass and join our pre-game festivities as we preview Georgia-Florida (don’t let a Gator try to turn that around).
Bottoms Up: NIL Cocktails
Classic City Collective, the Georgia NIL collective, has forged a notable collaboration with ASW Distillery. A collection of Georiga Grads founded ASW and announced they were producing Hunker Vodka bottles earlier this month. A portion of each bottle sold goes to support Georgia student-athletes.
Introducing Hunker Vodka 🐶
Classic City Collective is proud to introduce a new way to support the Dawgs thanks to our friends at @ASWDistillery.
A portion of each bottle sold goes to support Georgia student athletes. Find Hunker Vodka in a bottle shop or tailgate near you. pic.twitter.com/tjBoZsROps
— Classic City Collective (@ClassicCityCLTV) October 2, 2023
On its website, Hunker is promoted as the ideal companion to your next tailgate. “Seven-times distilled, we make it right here in our home state of Georgia at our Battery Atlanta location. Distilled from corn, it’s 100% gluten-free and primed for your next tailgate, game-watching party, or celebration of any stripe.” The bottles can be purchased in Georgia or shipped to Bulldog fans nationwide. In the spirit of journalistic integrity, this reporter purchased a bottle of his own. Here are a few favorite Tailgate Cocktail recipes to prepare you for the game.
World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Menu
Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 3 oz tomato juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of hot sauce (adjust to taste)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Celery salt (for rimming the glass)
- Ice cubes
- Garnishes: Celery, lemon wedge, olives, pickles, gator bites
Instructions:
- Wet the glass rim with a lemon wedge and dip it in celery salt.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- In a shaker, mix vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Shake well and pour it into the glass over the ice.
- Garnish with celery, lemon, olives, pickles, or gator bites.
- Optionally, add more hot sauce or seasonings to taste.
- Stir gently and enjoy your Bloody Mary!
Spiked Arnold Palmer
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 4 oz iced tea (black tea works well)
- 4 oz lemonade
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices (for garnish)
- Mint leaves (optional for garnish)
Instructions:
- In a glass filled with ice, pour the vodka.
- Add iced tea to the glass, leaving room at the top.
- Top off the glass with lemonade.
- Stir gently to mix the ingredients.
- Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves if desired.
- Optional: Adjust the proportions to suit your taste preference.
- Enjoy your refreshing Vodka Arnold Palmer!
Gator Bite Punch
- 1.13 oz. kool aid (cherry or tropical punch, packet)
- 1 cup sugar
- 8 cups water
- 48 gummies (alligators)
- 2 liters of Sprite (or Squirt)
- 1 oz. vodka per drink
Instructions:
- In a picture, mix the kool-aid, sugar, and water
- Add the gummies
- Add vodka to each glass
Give us The Swamp or Between the Hedges
The Georgia-Flordia game has occurred in Jacksonville every year but two since 1933. The two teams agreed in the off-season to continue the series in Jacksonville through the 2025 season. While it looks nice to see the EverBank Field divided between red and blue on TV, one has to wonder about the value of continuing the game in Jacksonville. Kirby Smart has been outspoken in the past about moving the game from a neutral site to each school’s respective home field. He didn’t fall for the bait this time when asked about it during his weekly Monday press conference. “We are where we are. That really has not even crossed my mind besides the offseason when I get asked about it. A lot more concerned with how we play than where we play.”
The opportunity to make a change presents itself during the 2026 and 2027 seasons when the stadium will undergo renovations. Let’s hope that fans will be entertained and get used to the idea of playing its biggest rival on their home field rather than traveling to a stale NFL stadium. Looking at Georiga’s 2023 schedule, they are missing a marquee home game outside of Ole Miss. Those will surely grow as the league welcomes Texas and Oklahoma next year and as the league likely expands to a nine-game conference schedule. Adding a home-and-home with Florida only makes sense and further bolsters the home slate.
World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Preview
📍EverBank Stadium
⏰ 3:30 p.m.
📺 CBS
💰 UGA -16.5
Both teams come into the Cocktail Party refreshed after having bye weeks last week. For Georgia, the question remains whether this team can truly overcome complacency and play up to the standard it showed a few weeks ago against Kentucky. Smart preached in the off-season that the team’s motto would be “Better Never Rests,” and the team would find intrinsic motivation to rise above complacency. Georgia fans are still waiting for the team to show up consistently.
Two weeks ago, the team got tough news when they learned that Brock Bowers would be out for at least the regular season after undergoing tightrope surgery on his ankle. What the team lacks in a formidable running game, they make up in a deep and talented wide receiver room. Look for Ladd McConckey and Dominic Lovett to help take the pressure off Carson Beck.
Lots of questions surround Bill Napier and the Gators. Their lone quality win is against Tennessee at home, and the Gators have struggled mightily under Napier on the road or in these neutral-site contests. Look for Georgia to bring lots of pressure against Graham Mertz and try to disrupt his timing with Ricky Pearsall.
Prediction: Georgia 41 Florida 17
Grab a cocktail and enjoy the game! #GoDawgs 🍸
