Drew Brees and Pro Chef Team Up with Cointreau to Make Game-Day Cocktails

Photo courtesy of Cointreau

As football season heads into the playoffs, fans are gearing up for game day.

Fans serious about tailgating—or just homegating around the television—know that game day calls for two very important things: good food and fine cocktails.

Here, we’re teaming up with Cointreau and legendary quarterback Drew Brees to take a look at a little bit of both. Brees and Cointreau should be familiar to football fans everywhere.

One has thrown for more than 80,000 passing yards and is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer. The other is the iconic orange liqueur that is the go-to ingredient for mixologists and an essential spirit for any home bar since it’s used in hundreds of cocktails, including the sidecar and The Original Margarita. Cointreau is an orange liqueur that you can mix with essentially any type of spirit to craft a better cocktail.

For more than 170 years—since 1849—Cointreau has been a go-to ingredient for mixologists. It’s a full-strength spirit that you can mix with essentially any type of liquor to craft a better cocktail.

Below we’ll check in with Brees and former Top Chef contestant, New Orleans chef Isaac Toups, as they make The Original Margarita, a spicy margarita and a delicious BBQ shrimp recipe perfect for any tailgate or homegate party.

The Original Margarita

The Original Margarita was created when Dallas socialite Margarita Sames mixed her two favorite spirits, Cointreau and tequila, together with lime juice while on vacation in Acapulco in 1948. This original recipe has stood the test of time and essentially remains unchanged. 

Photo courtesy of Cointreau

Ingredients (Serves 8)

1 cup Cointreau

2 cups tequila

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup water

Directions

To a pitcher, add Cointreau, tequila, lime juice and water. Stir ingredients for at least 15 seconds. Serve over ice in a margarita glass, garnished with a lime wheel. If not serving immediately, place the batch in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.

Spicy Margarita

Cointreau is an aromatic and balanced ingredient in classic cocktails ranging from a sidecar to a cosmopolitan. Its fresh, citrus orange flavor will elevate any cocktail.

If you’re looking for real spice in your drink, though, nothing beats a spicy margarita. Here’s a quick and simple single-serving recipe that promises to get your homegate started right.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 ounce Cointreau

2 ounces blanco tequila

0.75 ounce lime juice

2 slices jalapeno

2 slices fresh cilantro

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and serve in a margarita glass over ice. Garnish with a jalapeno slice.

BBQ Shrimp Recipe

This delicious BBQ shrimp recipe from Chef Toups is great for a halftime meal or in-game snacking. It’s quick, has a fun and colorful presentation and is sure to be a hit with guests.

Here’s how Chef Toups does it:

Ingredients

2 dozen peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp. Fresh if possible.

2 teaspoons black pepper toasted and fine ground

2 teaspoons fennel seed toasted and ground fine

Assorted colorful bell peppers, hot peppers and onions

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Kosher salt

Grilling skewers

Sauce Ingredients

2 tablespoons Cointreau

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Tabasco

2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature

Directions

• Cut vegetables into strips the width of the shrimp. Toss shrimp and vegetables with salt, pepper, fennel seed and oil. Assemble skewers by alternating shrimp and vegetables, ensuring skewers match.
• In a thick-bottomed saucepan, heat oil on medium heat. Add garlic and toast to light brown. Add Cointreau and flambe. When fire dies, add cream, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Reduce sauce to double cream consistency. Stir in butter. Keep warm but not over flame.
• To cook the skewers, heat grill to medium-high. Grill skewers for 30-60 seconds on each side. Once shrimp are fully cooked, baste skewers generously with sauce and immediately serve.

There you have it, food and football fans! These recipes are a great addition to any tailgate or homegate on game day. Have fun, drink responsibly, and allow your taste buds to explore the possibilities.

To discover more Cointreau cocktail recipes, visit www.cointreau.com/cocktails or follow Cointreau on Instagram at @Cointreau_US or on Facebook at @cointreauUS. To order Cointreau for delivery, visit Drizly.

Come back to this page on January 24 for another episode of cocktails and games with Brees and Toups.