The 2019 NCAA Tournament reaches its conclusion on Monday, April 8, with the No. 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers taking on the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in the national championship game at U.S. Bank Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Texas Tech punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament Final after knocking off No. 2 Michigan State in the Final Four. They had earned their Final Four bid after a run through the West Region which included wins over No. 14 Northern Kentucky, No. 6 Buffalo, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 1 Gonzaga.
Virginia, meanwhile, knocked off No. 16 Gardner-Webb, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 12 Oregon, and No. 3 Purdue in the South Region before taking down the surprising No. 5 Auburn Tigers in the Final Four.
Now, it’s time for the biggest game of all.
And, as we all know, sporting events are always better with a good mix of alcohol, so here are some tasty cocktails you can whip up at your viewing party to impress your guests.
Four Roses Bourbon Swoosh Cocktail
Four Roses Bourbon
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon
- 6 oz. Blood Orange Beer
- ¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz. demerara syrup (or simple syrup)
Directions: Pour the beer into a chilled collins glass. In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lemon juice, and demerara syrup with ice, and shake vigorously. Strain the bourbon mixture into the beer and garnish with an orange twist.
Corsair
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Ingredients:
- 2 ounces limoncello
- 2 ounces blanco tequila
- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce preserved lemon syrup
- 10 drops Bittermen’s Hellfire Shrub
- 2 hearty pinches of salt
- Garnish: Miller High Life
Directions: Add ice to a coupe glass and swirl; set aside to chill. Pour 2 ounces of limoncello into an empty cocktail shaker; add 2 ounces of blanco tequila and ¾ of an ounce of fresh lime juice.
The Slam Dunk
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Ingredients:
- 13 ounces The Famous Grouse
- 6.5 ounces The Famous Mint Tea
- 1 bottle Bordeaux red wine
- 3.25 ounces St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
- 3 naval or blood oranges
- 13 whole star anise pods
Directions: Using a microplane grater, remove the zest from 2 of the oranges over a pot or slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. As soon as it begins to simmer, lower the heat to the low setting. After 5 minutes, serve into punch or tea cups.
The Alley-oop
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Ingredients:
- 1.3 ounces George Dickel Rye® Whisky
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- ¼ ounce ginger syrup
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
- ¾ ounce sparkling water
- Raspberries
- Mint leaves
Directions: Muddle, shake, and double-strain into a punch glass or coupe.
The Knight King’s Sour
HBO/Johnny Walker
Ingredients:
- 1 oz White Walker by Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky
- 0.5 oz Blue Curacao
- 0.5 oz Lemon juice
- 0.5 oz white grape juice
- 0.5 vanilla syrup
- 1 Egg white
Directions (via JohnnyWalker.com): 1.) Add 1 oz White Walker by Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, 0.5 oz Blue Curacao, 0.5 oz lemon juice, 0.5 oz white grape juice, 0.5 vanilla syrup, and 1 egg white into a shaker. 2.) Add ice and shake vigorously. 3.) Strain into a rocks glass 4. Garnish as desired
All of the information you need to catch Monday night’s national championship game can be seen below.
Virginia vs. Texas Tech Viewing Info & Details
Event: NCAA Tournament Final – Virginia vs. Texas Tech
Date: Monday, April 8, 2019
Time: 9:20 p.m. EST, 6:20 p.m. PST
Channel: CBS
Live Stream: March Madness Live / CBS All Access
Betting Line: Virginia -1.5
Points Total: 118
2019 NCAA Tournament Final Announcers
Monday, April 8
No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders
9:20 PM, CBS
Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery, Tracy Wolfson