Updating the beverage menu at your golf club can be a great way to attract members and provide them with a unique and flavorful experience. Here are ten golf cocktails that we at 2Gringos recommend that will lift the mood and make members enjoy their time on the course even more.
Azalea
The name of this cocktail is inspired by the beautiful pink flowers that bloom every April at the Augusta National Golf Club. Azalea has become the unofficial drink of the Masters Tournament. Try offering Azalea as a member special next year during the Masters. (Insider tip: Azalea goes surprisingly well with pimento cheese sandwiches.)
Recipe: Pour 6 cl of vodka, 6 cl of pineapple juice, 3 cl of lemon juice and a spoonful of grenadine into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Transfusion
Transfusion is the trendy golf cocktail right now. Its origins are unknown, but rumor has it that Dwight D. Eisenhower drank transfusions regularly at his club in Palm Desert, California, after his time as president. If it's good enough to grease the general's golf swing, it's probably good enough for your members, too.
Recipe: Mix 9 cl vodka, 4.5 cl grape juice and 0.75 cl lime juice. Pour over ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish if necessary.
Whiskey Sour
Few cocktails hold up as well over time as the classic whiskey sour, especially on the golf course. Its three ingredients - whiskey, lemon and sugar - perfectly balance sweet and sour notes, making it a permanent club favourite.
Recipe: Mix 6 cl whiskey, 2.25 cl lemon juice and 3.75 cl syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a thickly sliced lemon peel and a cherry.
John Daly
Also known as a "spiked Arnold Palmer", John Daly is a refreshing combination of lemonade, iced tea and vodka. It became popular at Whiskey Creek Golf Course in Fort Myers, Florida. Add it to your menu and encourage members to "grab it and sip it" before they "grab it and rip it".
Recipe: Fill a large highball glass with ice. Add 4.5 cl vodka, 6 cl iced tea and 6 cl lemonade. Stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Moscow Mule
This seaworthy cocktail is refreshingly simple and can be tweaked in an infinite number of ways. For your next membership invitation, you can have a Moscow Mule Bar with classic Moscow Mules, Blood Orange Mules, Peach Mules, Mule Infusions, Fall Mules, Blackberry Mules, Pear Mules, Tropical Mules - and any other variation you can dream up.
Recipe: Fill a copper mug or similar glass with ice. Pour in 6 cl vodka and 1.5 cl lime juice. Fill the glass with 12 cl of ginger beer and gently stir with a spoon to mix. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Sweet "Tee" Mule
Sweet iced vodka mixed with ginger beer and garnished with candied blackberries is the latest addition to golf cocktails. Although it hasn't been around as long as other cocktails, its popularity has spread far beyond the golf course and is just as delicious on the poolside cocktail menu as it is in the drinks basket.
Recipe: Quickly dip each blackberry in syrup and then in sugar, roll the berry over the sugar so it is evenly coated. Thread the blackberries onto a cocktail stick and set aside. Mix 6 cl of sweet iced vodka with 6 cl of ginger beer in a copper mug. Add crushed ice, two squeezed lime wedges and stir. Garnish with the candied blackberries.
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary is the ultimate musty cocktail. It's popular on the 19th hole, for brunch and from drink baskets too. The taste and appearance vary depending on the garnishes, but the best Bloody Marys are built with quality ingredients and finished with plenty of flair.
Recipe: Mix 6 cl vodka, 12 cl tomato juice, 0.75 cl lemon juice, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 3 dashes Tabasco sauce, 1 tsp horseradish, a pinch of celery salt and a pinch of black pepper in a mixing pitcher with ice, pour back and forth in another mixing jug three times. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with celery stalk, lime wedge and cocktail olives on a skewer.
Bourbon Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is the perfect post-round drink. Strong and sophisticated, this cocktail is ready to be served to thirsty golfers looking at the pre-dinner menu (or counting the money they won on that last long putt on the 18th hole).
Recipe: Mix 1/2 teaspoon sugar with 3 splashes of Angostura bitters in a rocks glass. Add 1 teaspoon of water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Fill the glass with large ice cubes, pour in 6 cl of bourbon and stir gently. Express the oil from an orange peel over the glass and then put it down as a decoration.
Glenmorangie
The link between Glenmorangie, golf and the Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Sutherland, Scotland cannot be overlooked. The distillery is close to the golf course and golf historians have unofficially given Glenmorangie the title of "The Spirit of the Open Championship".
Serve plain or on ice.
Mother-of-Pearl Gin and Tonic
This classic gin and tonic is enhanced with fresh and aromatic flavors of celery in three different ways: in a salt rim, in the bitter drops and in the garnish. Like Azalea, Mother-of-Pearl is popular during the Masters Tournament - and beyond.
Recipe: Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon celery salt on a plate. Dip the rim of an old-fashioned glass in water and then in the salt mixture. Add ice, 1.5 cl of gin and 2 drops of celery bitters. Top with 9 cl tonic. Garnish with celery stalk and fennel sprig.
By adding these exciting and tasty golf cocktails to your club's drink menu, you can give members a wonderful taste experience and at the same time raise the club offering to a new level. Try offering different cocktail themes and see how members will enjoy their golf rounds even more and bring a luxurious country club feel to your golf course.
If you want to take the drink with you on the course, we can recommend it 