Why you and the girls need to try a themed drink night

As I’m sure many of you can relate, I am always looking for creative ways to have fun with a small group of friends during the pandemic. I can confidently say that this pandemic feels everlasting. I know that my days are pretty repetitive, even my weekends. Luckily, I stumbled upon this amazing TikTok trend that I had to share! The premise of this trend is that each person makes their own specialty drink for everyone in the group and you each have a round where you present your drink to your friends. The catch is that each drink goes along with a theme that the group decides for the night! For example, if the theme is Taylor Swift (a pretty amazing theme if you ask me) each person’s drink has to have a title related to Taylor Swift. Obviously, the rules are very loose, and the main goal is to test your creativity and mixology skills with your friends. You can totally play this up as much as you want, and even go as far as dressing like your theme or incorporating snacks and decorations with the theme as well!

Of course, I need to put the disclaimer that this TikTok trend is for people 21+ and I beg of you to be smart and drink responsibly (make sure you have a ride or stay the night!).

Without further ado, here are some suggested themes to get you peak your creativity:

Winter Wonderland Theme:

The holidays may be over, but the below zero temperatures have still been plaguing the Midwest. If you are still experiencing a brutal winter season, these are some cocktails for you to try!

1. Jack Frost Winter Cocktail

• 3 cup ice, for a thicker drink, use 4 cups

• 1 cup pineapple juice

• 1/2 cup vodka or light rum

• 1/2 cup blue curacao

• 1/2 cup cream of coconut

2. White Russian Pudding Shot

• ¾ cup milk

• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

• ¼ cup vodka

• ½ cup coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Kahlua®)

• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®), thawed

3. Sugar Cookie Martini

• 1.5 oz. vanilla vodka

• 1.5 oz. baileys

• 75 oz. amaretto

• 1 tsp. confectioner’s sugar

• 3 tbsp. milk or Half & Half

4. Blue Kamikaze shot

• ½ Fl oz ketel one vodka

• ½ Fl oz blue curacao

• ½ Fl oz lime juice

5. White Rum Hot Chocolate

• 3 cups whole milk

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 8 ounces white chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup rumchata

Rainbow Drink Night:

Each round is a color of the rainbow- can you make it to blue or purple?

1. Red Cocktail: Cranberry Daquiri 

• 2 oz. diplomático reserva exclusiva

• 2 oz. cranberry juice

• 1 oz. lime juice

• 1 oz. simple sugar

2. Orange Cocktail: Creamsicle 

• 1 ½ oz. tito’s vodka

• 1 oz. lemon juice

• 1/2 oz. solerno

• 1/2 oz. orange cordial

• 1/2 oz. egg white

• 1 tsp. aperol

3. Yellow Cocktail: Bon Dimanche 

• 2 1/2-part elit vodka

• 1/2-part ginger syrup

• 1/2 part yellow chartreuse

4. Green Cocktail: Minty Orchard 

• 4 oz. angry orchard crisp apple

• 1 oz. vodka

• 0.5 oz. creme de menthe

• 0.25 oz. lemon juice

5. Blue Cocktail: Aquamarine Martini 

• 2 oz. blue ice american vodka

• ¾ oz. sweet & sour mix

• ½ oz. blue curacao

• ½ oz. pineapple juice

• Garnish: cherry and a slice of pineapple

6. Purple Cocktail: Spooky Purple Elixer 

• 1 1/ 2 parts vodka

• 1-part blue curacao

• 1 part sweet and sour mix

• 1-part grenadine

• 1-part cranberry juice (can also use cran-grape or grape juice) 

Major U.S Holidays Theme:

This title/theme may seem weird, but tell each person to pick their favorite holiday (or assign them a holiday) and they must show up with a drink that represents that holiday. Here are some examples:

1. Valentine’s- Lovebug Cocktail

• 1/ 2 parts vodka

• 1-part blue curacao

• 1 part sweet and sour mix

• 1-part grenadine

• 1-part cranberry juice (can also use cran-grape or grape juice)

2. St. Patty’s Day- Irish Car Bomb

• 1/2-ounce irish whiskey

• 1/2-ounce baileys Irish cream

• guinness beer

3. 4th of July- Raspberry America

• 1 oz raspberry vodka

• ½ oz sweet and sour

• ½ oz grenadine

• ½ oz blue raspberry vodka

• lemon lime soda

• fresh raspberries

4. Halloween- Poison Apple Cocktail

• 1.5 ounces vodka

• 3/4-ounce sour apple schnapp liqueur

• 3/4-ounce sour apple mixer

• Ice for shaking

5. Thanksgiving- Cider Drink Recipe

• 1-part pinnacle pumpkin pie vodka

• 3 parts apple cider

• splash of club soda

• 1 cinnamon stick

6. Christmas- Merry Mistletoe Margaritas

• 1 tbsp salt (for the rim)

• 2 oz orange liqueur (I like Grand Marnier)

• 1/2 oz silver tequila

• 2 oz white or red cranberry juice

• 2 oz lime juice (freshly squeezed)

• 1 oz simple syrup

• lime slices (for garnish)

• fresh or frozen cranberries (for garnish)

• rosemary sprigs (for garnish)

Taylor Swift Theme:

If you are anxiously awaiting April 9th like most swifites, this is the perfect way to pay tribute to the queen herself. Bonus points for dressing up as a different phase of Taylor, ie. Red Taylor, Fearless Taylor, Reputation Taylor, etc.

1. Bad Blood-y Mary

• celery salt for the rim of the glass optional

• ice cubes

• 1 ½ ounces vodka

• ·¾ cup spicy vegetable juice cocktail

• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

• pinch of celery salt

• 1 dash tabasco

• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 stalk celery

2. Loving him was RED

• ·1.5 oz cherry vodka

• 1 oz silver tequila

• 1 oz fireball

• 1 tbsp grenadine

• 3 oz pineapple juice

• sanding sugar

• simple syrup

3. Island Breeze and the lights down low

• 1-liter sparkling water or diet lemon-lime soda as a filler

• 1 splash cranberry juice

• 1/2 cup cranberry juice

• 42 oz pineapple juice

• 1 pineapple and a maraschino cherry

• 13 oz vodka

4. Tay-quila Shot

• A shot of your favorite tequila brand:)

5. Getaway Sidecar

• 1 1/2 ounces cognac

• 3/4-ounce orange liqueur (such as cointreau)

• 3/4-ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• garnish: orange twist

• garnish: sugar rim (optional)

6. Champagne Problems

• glass of your favorite champagne

7. New Rumantics

• 1 oz white rum

• 1 oz dark rum

• 1-ounce kahlua

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons orange juice

• lime slice

Gossip Girl Theme:

Want to live like an upper east sider for the night? Maybe this drink menu can help! The Empire Hotel in NYC created their own gossip girl inspired drink menu in 2009 at the peak of the show. I managed to find a copy of the menu (thank you Pinterest) so you can make some of these fancy drinks at home 12 years later (gossip girl fans…. feel old yet?)

1. “S”

• grey goose vodka, honey water, champagne, and fresh lemon juice

2. “B”

• bombay sapphire gin, blood orange puree, splashes of cranberry and orange Juice

3. I am Chuck Bass

• dewar’s scotch, red apple, ginger bites, and apple cider

4. Lonely Boy

• stella artois, woodford reserve and crème de cacao

5. Nate Bait

• bacardi coconut rum, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup

6. Dorota’s Secret

• grey goose le poire, pear nectar, white grape apple champagne

7. XOXO

• white godiva, crème de cacao and little black dress black cherry vodka

Greys Anatomy Theme:

I had to put this on the list because it has become my quarantine obsession. This list I made entirely on my own based on some of the common Grey’s slang I hear on the show, so I really hope my fellow Grey’s Anatomy fans enjoy! 

1. Code Blue

• lime wedge

• coarse sugar or granulated sugar

• ice cubes

• ¼ cup cranberry juice cocktail

• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) citron vodka or vodka

• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) blue curacao

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2. Blood-y Mary

• celery salt for the rim of the glass optional

• ice cubes

• 1 ½ ounces vodka

• ·¾ cup spicy vegetable juice cocktail

• 2 dashes worcestershire sauce

• pinch of celery salt

• 1 dash tabasco

• 2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 stalk celery

3. Mc-dreamsicle

• 3 cups ice cubes

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (no pulp)

• 2 oz whipped cream vodka (Pinnacle is my personal favorite!)

• garnish: whipped cream, orange slices

4. Syringe shots

• Buy some plastic toy syringes from party city or amazon and fill them with the shot of your choice. You could do vodka cran to make it look like blood, or go with Meredith’s favorite- Tequila!

5. Charge to 300

• sweet and sour mix 

• 2 oz of vodka

• 1/2 oz of blue curaco liqeur

• 7-up soda (or sprite)

6. It’s a Beautiful Day to Save Lives

• 6 oz vodka

• 3 oz peach schnapps

• 3 oz blue curacao

• 18 oz sprite

7. Cherry Bomb (in chest cavity)

• 1 oz. (30ml) cherry vodka

• 1/2 pint energy drink

• splash grenadine

Disney Theme:

Feel free to drink these while watching your favorite Disney classics or get a Disney board game to play. You are NEVER too old for Disney.

1. Lost boy

• 1 oz midori

• 1 oz peach snaps

• 1 ½ oz malibu

• 2 oz sprite

2. Moana Rum and Pineapple Punch

• 0.5 toasted coconut simple syrup

• 2.0 ounces appleton estate reserve jamaican rum

• 2.0 ounces coconut lime sparkling soda

• 1.5 ounces mango juice

• 1.5 ounces R.W. knudsen pineapple coconut juice

• ice

• garnish with pineapple and cherries

3. The Belle

• 1/2 oz lemon juice

• 3 oz vodka

• 1 drop rose water

• 1/2-ounce chambord (raspberry liqueur)

• 3 ounces limoncello

4. Yzma’s Hot Pink Potion of Madness

• 1-part coconut rum

• 1-part vodka

• 1-part pineapple juice,

• 4 parts orange juice

• 1-part cranberry juice

• ice cubes

• lime wedges for garnish

5. Maleficent Deep Sleep Sour

• 1 part whisky

• 1-part melon midori

• 2 parts sweet and sour mix

• 6 frozen melon balls

6. Hades Underworld Lagoon Cocktail

• 1-part vodka

• 4 parts lemonade

• 1-part blue curacao

• ice cubes

7. Ursula Sea Witch Brew

• 1-part vodka

• 2-part grape schnapps

• a splash sour mix

• a splash of sprite

8. Snow white and the Poisoned Appletini

• 1-part crown royal

• 1-part cranberry juice

• 1-part sour apple schnapps

• 7 up for fizz

These are only a few themes that I could come up with or that I saw from other people’s TikToks, so if you come up with something even more creative, make sure to take some pics and tag @hercampusiowa ! Or even join the TikTok trend and make your own video as well!

Have fun, stay safe, and DRINK RESPONSIBLY!!

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