With National Cocktail Day coming up on March 24, Butler students share their favorite cocktails and mocktails. Photo courtesy of nationalworldholidays.com.
KATIE FREEMAN | STAFF REPORTER | kmfreema@butler.edu
National Cocktail Day is March 24, making it the perfect day for Dawgs of age to enjoy a refreshing cocktail. But have no fear, underage Bulldogs can also join in on the fun with alcohol-free mocktails.
Whether students choose to sit down at Chatham Tap, brave the ResCo bar or make a drink at home, there are a multitude of drinks to choose from. Butler students share their favorites below.
Mojito
This classic, citrusy Cuban drink combines five ingredients: white rum, sugar, lime juice, mint and soda water. There are several possible theories behind the origin of the mojito’s name, with one being that it was derived from the Spanish word “mojadito,” which translates to “a little wet.”
Charlie Gardner, a junior strategic communication and Spanish major, likes to make mojitos whenever he is at home because they are easier to make with a proper countertop and muddler.
“First, you muddle the mint,” Gardner said. “Then you put in simple syrup and lime juice. The lime juice, sugar and mint all react and release the flavor. Then you pour in rum and you shake that jawn up and serve it with ice, and then you can top it with club soda or you can have [it] straight. I like [it] straight.”
Junior marketing major Eva Ranquist also said that mojitos are her favorite cocktail.
“[It is] just very refreshing,” Ranquist said. “I love the flavors lime and mint. And you can add other stuff to it to make it taste good, like coconut, pineapple juice. It’s very versatile.”
Cosmopolitan
Perhaps the most culturally impactful drink on this list, this cocktail was made popular by Carrie Bradshaw’s character in “Sex and the City.” Cosmopolitans, often referred to as cosmos for short, combine vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime. They are distinctly recognizable by their pink hue and the martini glass they are served in.
Abby Souder, a senior creative media and entertainment major, would often order cosmopolitans when she was abroad.
“I would get it all the time,” Souder said. “I started watching ‘Sex and the City’ over quarantine, and the fact that they all drank it — I was like, ‘okay, perfect.’ So it’s [also] ‘Sex and the City’ themed, that’s why I like it.”
Like mojitos, cosmopolitans are more difficult to make without proper supplies. Souder said she usually ends up ordering them when she is out.
“I’ve tried making it by myself,” Souder said. “It hasn’t gone too well. It just ends up tasting really bad or it’s way too strong, so I can’t finish it.”
Jäger Bomb
Only two ingredients are required to craft this cocktail: Jägermeister and Redbull. The drink is made by dropping a shot of Jägermeister into a glass of Redbull to create a combination that tastes like licorice, but sweeter.
Jack Shirley, a senior strategic communication major, said he prefers to drink Jäger bombs because it provides him with both the black licorice flavor he loves and the energy boost he needs.
“My process typically involves a trip to 21st Amendment,” Shirley said. “They have the Jäger in the freezer there, but I just get it and then put it in the freezer at home myself. I usually go in on a pack of Redbull with my roommate, or I buy the cheaper off-brand Red Thunder from Aldi. Then, I just take a little sip of Red Thunder and a little sip of Jäger, and it’s a portable cocktail.”
Borg
This lesser-known cocktail is sweet and simple, making it a favorite among college students. It requires only three ingredients: water, vodka and a beverage flavoring such as MiO. The mixing process is easy; take an empty gallon container and fill it halfway with water, add vodka and enough MiO to make the taste of vodka disappear.
The cocktail is often referred to as a borg, but the nickname doubles as an acronym that stands for the drink’s full name: black-out rage gallon. Take caution, though — as the name implies, borgs can conceal the taste of alcohol a little too well, making it essential for students to pace themselves.
Coleman Johnson, a junior international business and Spanish double major, said that borgs are his go-to drink.
“It tastes wondrous,” Johnson said. “Obviously, pre-COVID times, it was a great, great way to bring people together. You know, a couple of people sharing a borg. But, it’s continued to be a staple in my favorite cocktail selection, just because it tastes so amazing. And you can’t taste the alcohol in it.”
Mocktails
There are many reasons students might choose not to drink, whether it be that they are underage, do not enjoy the taste of alcohol or simply have no desire to. “Non-alcoholic” is not synonymous with “boring,” and students who do not drink might still want a delicious and fun beverage such as a mocktail.
Mocktails are exactly what the name implies — a mock cocktail. They aim to imitate cocktails without including the alcohol, essentially making them a virgin copycat drink. Often, they look strikingly similar to the real deal. Many restaurants offer mocktails such as the Shirley Temple or virgin strawberry daiquiri.
Caitlin McEvoy, a sophomore international studies and anthropology double major, said her favorite mocktail is a Shirley Temple.
“I’m thinking back to if I go on the beach in Florida with my family,” McEvoy said. “When I used to go, I’d always get virgin Pina Coladas and that sort of thing, or Shirley Temples because it was fun. When I was a kid, I used to get them every single time I went to restaurants because they were so good.”
Butler students of age can celebrate National Cocktail Day by trying out various cocktails, raising a glass and cheering to drinking on a weekday. Students who choose not to imbibe can participate by crafting a makeshift mocktail and waking up hangover-free.
