Tailgate With Turkey: Happy Hour

What are the hallmarks of happy hour? Is it good drinks, or maybe a vibe? We here at Team Turkey will unsurprisingly tell you, it’s the food. Sometimes a few light, flavorful bites will turn a happy hour into an unforgettable evening. To get in the tailgate spirit, Turkey Smoke hosted a Virtual Happy Hour with our friends Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe and Chef David Guas for an evening of drinks, recipes and big flavors.

Be sure to check out our recipe links below the video and don’t wait to sign up for a chance to win the Ultimate Tailgate Package from recteq at www.tailgatewithturkey.com.

Drinks

Chef David Guas poured up a smoky homage to his southern roots. The Country Boy On the Rocks is a refreshing bourbon drink with herbal notes from the mint and tea contrasted by bright, lemony acidity.

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. (1 qt.) unsweetened brewed black tea (such as Luzianne or Lipton)
• 32 oz. (1 qt.) lemonade
• 20 ounces (2 1/2 c) bourbon
• 1 bunch (or 1 [4 oz.] pkg.) fresh mint sprigs
• 2 lemons, sliced into rounds

Batch:

Stir together tea and lemonade in a pitcher, and chill until very cold, about 1 hour. To assemble each drink, fill a 16-ounce glass two-thirds full with ice. Add 2 ounces bourbon, and fill glass with tea mixture. Place 3 or 4 fresh mint leaves and 2 or 3 lemon slices in a cocktail shaker. Pour contents of glass into shaker; cover and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour cocktail into same glass. Repeat process to make 9 cocktails.

Food

We know it’s all about the food, so let’s get to it. Our hosts brought out four recipes that are guaranteed to get any gameday or happy hour spread up to speed. Chef David delivered an entrée in the form of his Feathered Fez Turkey Burgers while Dr. BBQ held down the appetizers with his Candied Maple Bourbon Turkey Bacon, Sweet and Smoky Turkey Bites and last but not least, his Atomic Buffalo Turkey Dip. These dishes were just as fun to eat as they were to prepare, we are happy to report.

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Loving these tailgate eats? Be sure to check out the recipes and if you try them tag #TailgateWithTurkey and #TurkeySmoke. Need more tailgate inspiration? Look no further than Tailgate With Turkey.