Gatoritas - The Official Cocktail of Game Days

When it comes to game watching parties, beer is the obvious drink of choice. Whether it’s the Super Bowl or Final Four, nothing goes better with wings.

However, if you’re looking to impress your friends with some new mixology talents, we’ve got the perfect sports themed drink – Gatoritas. They’re super easy to make, and if you don’t trust Cousin Jimmy with fancy glassware, you can even serve them in salt-rimmed Gatorade cups.

As you’ve probably guessed, Gatoritas are based on margaritas. And according to the International Bartenders Association, classic margaritas are made with 3 simple ingredients: tequila, Cointreau and lime juice.

Now you may be wondering about the second ingredient, Cointreau. Since you’re on your way to becoming a semi-pro mixologist, you should first know that it’s pronounced kwahn-troh. Simply put, Cointreau is a fancy triple sec or citrus flavored liqueur. Although these types of liqueurs do impart some flavor, they’re mainly added to mixed drinks for their sweetness. In fact, they’re often substituted with simple syrup (a 1:1 mixture of sugar and water) to save money.

For our Gatoritas, Gatorade concentrate will provide both the sweetness found in the Cointreau and the tartness found in the lime juice. Therefore, we’ll only be using 2 ingredients - tequila and Gatorade powder mix.

Oh, and we’ll also be adding ice, since technically we’re making frozen margaritas. Although purists prefer their drinks on the rocks, those of us who grew up hanging out at 7-Elevens favor the Slurpee version.

At this point, you’re probably wondering if you can just use a bottle of ready-to-drink Gatorade instead of the concentrate. The short answer is “no.” The longer answer is “no, because I said so.” (At least that’s what my mom always said.)

Seriously though, using ready-to-drink Gatorade would result in a watered-down mixture since you’ll be blending in a good amount of ice.

Fortunately, Gatorade powder mix is easy to find and it’s rather inexpensive. (Hint: our name is Powder Mix Direct.)

Although Gatorade comes in many flavors, Lemon-Lime is the obvious choice for Gatoritas. And if you need some help choosing a tequila, we cover that a little further down.

With all that said, here’s the recipe to make four 8 oz servings of Gatoritas.

Ingredients

6 fl oz tequila

1-quart pouch lemon-lime Gatorade powder mix (This amount is equal to a little more than 1/4 cup (63cc) or 60g by weight. Gatorade measuring scoops are also available if measuring from 1-gallon, 2.5 gallon or 6-gallon pouches.)

1/2 cup water

4 cups ice

1 sliced lime and kosher salt for garnish (optional)

Step 1

Combine the Gatorade powder mix and water to make a lemon-lime flavored syrup.

Step 2

Add the ice, tequila and Gatorade syrup from step one to a blender, and blend until smooth.

Step 3

Serve in salt rimmed glasses or Gatorade cups and garnish with a slice of lime. (To add salt, moisten the rims with a lime wedge and then press into kosher salt spread on a plate.)

What’s the Best Tequila for Gatoritas?

If you’re confused about which tequila to choose, it’s usually best to go with a blanco or silver. These clear tequilas tend to be less bold in flavor, and therefore work well in mixed drinks. Although the darker versions are usually enjoyed straight up, the choice is obviously yours. Here’s a link to a great article on selecting the best tequila for margaritas.

While we’re at it, there’s another class of tequila that bears mentioning – celebrity tequilas. Here’s a partial list of some of the more popular brands listed alphabetically (so as not to offend anyone, especially “The Rock”).