Nothing goes with a major sporting event like a stiff drink or two (or three, or five, or…) — but in case you’re bored with your usual beer of choice, why not get thematic? Digg has assembled a whole lot of beverage options for your World Cup drinking pleasure — most boozy, with a few non-alcoholic picks here and there — enabling you to literally drink your way around the entire tournament in increasingly creative ways. The list is long — 32 teams qualified for the World Cup, so with one drink per team… well, that’s a lot of cocktails — so head on over there to check ‘em all out. To make a long story short, though, we’ve assembled what we consider to be the three most intriguing ones. You may or may not be able to get a hold of them in the U.S., but if you’re crafty, you might be able to find the ingredients here and mix ‘em up yourself. And hey, if you and your pals are feeling really creative, just think how many different drinking games you could dream up by combining these beverages with each game's score. The possibilities are endless!
1. Kyoto Sour
Naturally the drink of choice for Japan would be some form of sake. Instead of drinking it straight, though, why not mix up a wacky-sounding cocktail instead? The Kyoto Sour involves sake, a couple of different types of citrus, a little something sweet, and — surprisingly — a kick of Tabasco. I’m pretty sure it does an excellent job of clearing out one’s sinuses.
2. Etzai
Tea is a serious business no matter where you are — none of this “hot water and a tea bag” nonsense — but I think it’s at its most complex in Algeria. Green tea, fresh mint leaves, and a couple tablespoons of sugar come together to make the delicious concoction that is etzai — but it’s only real etzai if you make sure to pour it a couple of times from a height of about 12 inches each time. Want an honest-to-goodness etzai recipe? Here you go.
3. Matango, Akpeteshie, and Bangui
Belonging to Cameroon, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast respectively, these three selections are all variations on a theme. Made from palm sap, they’re sweet, boozy beverages that pair well with stews. Interestingly, the sap immediately becomes fermenting on its own as soon as it’s drawn from the tree; it can reach somewhere in the neighborhood of four percent alcohol content within the space of an hour. My personal favorite by description alone is Akpeteshie, mostly due to the fact that once the sap is fermented, the barrel it’s been sitting in is fitted with a piece of copper tubing and set on fire.
Read the rest over at Digg. Happy drinking!
