Brother Jimmy’s is, historically, as much a nightspot as it is a restaurant, and the popularity of our specialty drinks is a testament to that fact. The range of drinks we offer covers pretty much everything you’ll need or want at any party, be it a Final Four bash or a backyard barbecue.
We’ve got drinks the ladies will love—like Palmetto Punch, Sangria (two ways), and Frozen Margaritas—many of which are so delicious that the lasses will often ask if there’s any booze in there (there is). And we’ve got some manly drinks that can put hair on your chest—such as the Mint Julep (aka Hair of the Dog), Charlotte Tea, and Louisville Lemonade. We’ve even got drinks to wake up with, such as our Battle of Antietam Bloody Mary and our Bloody Beer (a beer-based take on the classic brunch cocktail).
Planning to have a big blowout and don’t want to mess with individual drinks? We’ve got recipes for party-size libations, too. We’re talking fishbowls and huge punch-bowl cocktails, because isn’t everything always a little more festive when the drinks come in gallons? And if you’re looking to go from zero to sixty, we’ve got a fine array of shooters and bombs in store for you. They’re always assured to get the party started. Quickly.
Ironically, many of the Southern towns where barbecue reigns supreme were (and still often are) dry counties, so drinks weren’t always part of the Southern food experience, but that all changes at events like pig pickin’, backyard ’cues, tailgating, and the like, because people always figured out a way to sneak some liquid fun into the mix. But even if you don’t drink booze as a matter of personal choice—not due to state-mandated legislature—we have an array of Southern beverages for you. Whether you’re buying Cheerwine—a cherry-flavored cola—in the store or using our included recipes for the perfect glass of refreshing homemade, never-from-concentrate lemonade, your mouth will thank you.
Last, but certainly not least, we’ve got sweet tea covered. If you’re in the South, you’ll see this beverage on every single menu, and you should pronounce it as any proper Southerner would: sweetea (make sure to include a drawl in there). Don’t be shocked by the amount of sugar in this drink—it’s called sweet tea for a reason. The trick is to add the sugar while the tea is brewing and still hot, so it’s not all granulated at the bottom of your glass. And just as “barbecue” in North Carolina means pulled or chopped pork, “tea” in the South refers specifically to sweet tea. Mix it with lemonade and you get the Arnold Palmer. The Charleston A.P. is the alcohol-bolstered version of that same drink.
Whatever you choose to pour in your cup, just make sure it’s always filled. An empty glass is akin to sacrilege at any Southern bash—a notion we hold near and dear to our heart at Brother Jimmy’s.
Note: When we talk about using a shaker for the mixing of the libations, we’re referring to a 30-ounce metal shaker. These are available at any home goods store.
Nothing beats a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade on a hot, hazy summer afternoon. Be sure to garnish with a lemon wedge.
1 cup room-temperature water
¾ cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
4 cups cold water
Lemon wedges for garnish
MAKES six 8-ounce drinks
1 Combine the 1 cup of room temperature water and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice and cold water in a pitcher. Pour the syrup into the pitcher.
3 Mix and serve over ice, with lemon wedges.
The quintessential Southern drink.
8 cups water
1½ cups sugar
6 regular-size tea bags (about ½ ounce)
Mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
MAKES one 64-ounce pitcher
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Place the tea bags into the hot water-sugar mixture and let steep for about 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a pitcher. Press the tea bags against the side of the pitcher with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid, then remove. Store in the refrigerator and drink within a few days. Serve over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint if you like.
This is what we call our “spiked” lemonade. It’s a vodka- and lemonade-based drink with blue curaçao for that bright color. It’s refreshing and light, perfect for when you’re looking for a sweet and sour drink.
2 ounces vodka
¾ ounce blue curaçao
Lemonade (this page)
Splash of Sprite for topping
Lemon twist for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
In an ice-filled 16-ounce mason jar, combine the vodka and curaçao. Fill three-quarters with lemonade. Add a splash of Sprite, place a shaker on top of the jar, and shake well. Garnish with the lemon twist. By the way, be sure to add just a splash of Sprite. If you put too much in before you shake, it’ll explode.
This is the Kentucky take on the famous whiskey-spiked lemonade concoction known as Lynchburg Lemonade, named after the hometown of Jack Daniel’s, which is featured in the original drink.
2 ounces Kentucky bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark
1 ounce triple sec
50/50 mix of store-bought sour mix (we prefer Lemon-X brand) and Sprite
1 lemon wedge for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
In an iced 16-ounce mason jar, combine the bourbon and triple sec. Fill with the sour mix and Sprite. Place a shaker on top of the jar and shake well. Garnish with the lemon wedge.
A Carolina version of a Rum Runner made with spiced rum, coconut rum, fruit juice, and a Myers’s float, this drink is perfect for those looking for a sweet tropical taste with a kick.
2 ounces spiced rum
¾ ounce coconut rum
Splash of pineapple juice
Splash of grenadine
Orange juice for topping
Dark rum, such as Myers’s, for floating on top
1 orange wedge for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
Combine the rums, pineapple juice, and grenadine in an iced 16-ounce mason jar. Top with orange juice. Place a shaker over the jar and shake well. Float the dark rum on top. Garnish with the orange wedge.
This is the Brother Jimmy’s alcoholic version of the Arnold Palmer (A.P.). This cocktail has never met a mouth that didn’t appreciate it.
2 ounces sweet tea vodka
Lemonade (this page)
1 lemon wedge for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
Pour the sweet tea vodka into an ice-filled 16-ounce mason jar. Fill the remainder of the jar with lemonade. Cover the jar with a shaker and shake well. Garnish with the lemon wedge. Top this with Sweet Tea (this page) for a sweeter cocktail.
PARTY CUPS OF CHOICE: Where home parties are concerned, Solo cups have long dominated the alcohol container department. They’re cheap and disposable, come in team colors, and work much better than a pint glass if you’re playing flip cup at halftime during the big game. But there are some other options. I’m a big fan of a trough, but something tells me you guys won’t want to slurp out your booze from one, so how about trying mason jars? They come cheap, and we serve most of our liquids in them at Brother Jimmy’s restaurants. You can pick them up at Walmart or your local hardware store, and it adds a cool aesthetic to the room when all your guests are holding mason jars filled with brightly colored drinks. Plus it’ll cut down on stacks of half-full plastic cups littered around the room at the end of the night.
Our margarita is made with lots of tequila and triple sec, sour mix, a drop of orange juice, and a vigorous shake.
Kosher salt for rimming the glass (optional)
2 ounces silver tequila
1 ounce triple sec
1 ounce Rose’s Lime Juice
2 ounces store-bought sour mix (we prefer Lemon-X brand)
Splash of orange juice
Lime wedge for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
If you’d like a salted rim, rim a 16-ounce mason jar in salt (see below). In another mason jar, add ice and then the tequila, triple sec, and Rose’s Lime Juice. Add the sour mix and orange juice. Place a shaker on top of the jar and shake well. Pour into the rimmed glass, if using, or serve directly from the mason jar, garnished with the lime wedge.
And if you’d like a frozen margarita, just pour it all into a blender along with an extra scoop of ice, and mix to your heart’s content.
HOW TO RIM A GLASS: There’s no reason you can’t look like a bartending pro at your next party. I personally like to watch Cocktail and emulate Tom Cruise’s slick moves during parties at my pen, but you don’t have to juggle flaming bottles to look suave. There are the little things that can make all the difference, such as rimming a glass properly. To start, place the dry rimmer ingredients in a shallow saucer. The next step is to moisten the outside edge of the glass with a sticky substance so that the rimmer will stick to it. You can do this several different ways. If citrus is used in the drink, cut a slit in a wedge of the same type of citrus used in the drink, and slide the wedge around the rim of the glass. Or you can pour one of the sugary ingredients used in the drink, such as triple sec, or 2:1 simple syrup (this page), in a saucer, and moisten the rim by dipping the glass into the sugary liquid. Then hold the glass by its base at a 45-degree angle and allow the rim to rest on the dry rimmer ingredients, rotating the glass until the whole rim is coated.
The ultimate in party drinking, this humongous drink is served in a 2½-gallon glass mason jar and serves about twenty people. It is a rum-based punch and packs just that—a powerful punch. Made with an entire bottle of white rum, Hawaiian Punch, sour mix, and orange juice, the finished concoction is topped off with a floater of Myers’s, Captain Morgan, and Malibu rums. Don’t forget a ladle and some plastic cups for those who don’t wish to sip it out of the jar.
1 (750-ml) bottle white rum
1 (46-ounce) can Hawaiian Punch
3 cups store-bought sour mix (we prefer Lemon-X brand)
1 quart orange juice
1 ounce dark rum, such as Myers’s
1 ounce spiced rum, such as Captain Morgan
1 ounce coconut rum, such as Malibu
MAKES 2½ gallons
Fill a 2½-gallon mason jar with ice. Add the white rum, Hawaiian Punch, sour mix, and orange juice and stir to combine. Float the dark, spiced, and coconut rums over the top of the drink. Add a bunch of festive straws and serve.
This is a traditional red sangria made with apples and oranges. It’s perfect for large groups and great for picnics or at a backyard barbecue.
¾ cup triple sec
½ cup cognac or brandy
½ cup orange juice
1 large apple, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 orange, cut into thin wedges, plus extra for garnish
1 bottle Spanish dry red wine, chilled
MAKES 1 (64-ounce) pitcher
In a pitcher, combine 1 cup of ice, the triple sec, cognac, orange juice, and fruit. Pour in the wine. Stir and serve in ice-filled wine glasses with an orange wedge.
Same deal as the red sangria, only this time we’re using grapes and some peach schnapps.
¾ cup peach schnapps
½ cup brandy
1 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half
2 peaches, cut into thin wedges
About ¾ bottle Sauvignon Blanc, chilled
½ cup Sprite
MAKES 1 (64-ounce) pitcher
In a pitcher, combine the peach schnapps, brandy, fruit, and 1 cup of ice. Fill with wine up to 1 inch from the top of the pitcher. Top with the Sprite and stir. Serve in ice-filled wine glasses.
This is Brother Jimmy’s version of a traditional Long Island Iced Tea; the difference is we add coconut rum to the mix. Watch out because this one is very strong.
½ ounce vodka
½ ounce gin
½ ounce silver tequila
½ ounce coconut rum
½ ounce triple sec
50/50 mix store-bought sour mix (we prefer Lemon-X brand)
Splash of Coke
Lemon wedge for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
In an iced 16-ounce mason jar, combine the vodka, gin, tequila, coconut rum, triple sec, and sour mix. Place a shaker on top of the jar and shake well. Top with a splash of Coke (or add more Coke and cut down on the sour mix for a sweeter drink) and garnish with the lemon wedge.
HOW TO CUT A WEDGE: Let’s talk about cutting fruit for garnishes. If you’re slicing a lemon or lime, the procedure’s pretty much the same. You want to hold the fruit and cut off the tips at both ends. Stand it up on its now-flat bottom. Cut it in half vertically. Place the skin side down and cut a slit lengthwise through most of the fruit. This is the slit that you’ll place on the lip of the glass. Now, flip ’er over and slice through the skin side crosswise to make 4 or 5 individual wedges. For an orange, we’re gonna have to break out some math terms. Start the same way you do with lemons and limes and cut the tips off each end of the orange. Now that you have a flat bottom, cut it in half vertically. Then you want to bisect the halves, then bisect the quarters. Give each of the pieces a crosswise slit and you’re left with 90-degree quarters that’ll hang nicely off the glass.
A simple mix of spiced rum and Cheerwine. This is always a hit with the ladies.
2 ounces spiced rum
Cheerwine
1 maraschino cherry for garnish
MAKES 1 drink
Pour the rum into an iced 16-ounce mason jar. Fill with Cheerwine. Stir and garnish with the maraschino cherry.
This is a classic New Orleans concoction, so it goes well with any seafood medley or boil. Plus you get to pour it in that nifty Hurricane glass. (If you don’t own a Hurricane glass, any 14- to 20-ounce glass will do.)
1 ounce vodka
¼ ounce grenadine
1 ounce light rum
½ ounce 151-proof rum
1 ounce Amaretto liqueur
1 ounce triple sec
Grapefruit juice Pineapple juice
A couple of chunks of pineapple or grapefruit, with a slice cut into them, to hang from the rim, for garnish (optional)
MAKES 1 drink
Fill a Hurricane glass three-quarters full with ice. Pour in all of the ingredients except the juices and garnishes in the order listed. Fill the balance with equal parts grapefruit and pineapple juice. Stir to combine and garnish with a chunk of grapefruit or pineapple if you like.
Everyone loves a bomb-style drink now and again. Just remember when filling the pint glass to leave plenty of space because you’ll displace a lot of the energy drink when dropping in the shot glass. And you can swap the cherry for any other flavored vodka to keep the flavors fresh.
1 shot glass filled with cherry-flavored vodka
1 pint glass half-filled with any energy drink
MAKES 1 drink
Drop the shot glass into the pint glass and chug as fast as you can.
Our signature drink hasn’t changed in twenty years; it’s what people come to Brother Jimmy’s for. Swamp Water is a vodka and melon liqueur-based punch with pineapple sour mix, juice, and Sprite. We serve it in a 64-ounce fishbowl with an 11-inch rubber alligator filled with bright red grenadine and lots of festive colored straws for sharing. When you serve it, turn the alligator over into the fishbowl; it will look like the alligator is dying and bleeding into the swamp. (Check your local novelty store for the alligators.) This makes 2½ gallons, so it’s perfect for your party, since it’ll serve about twenty people. If you want less of it, just cut the numbers down proportionally.
1 liter vodka
½ liter melon liqueur
½ gallon store-bought sour mix (we prefer Lemon-X)
1½ (46-ounce) cans pineapple juice
1 (32-ounce) bottle Sprite
1 (32-ounce) pitcher water
3¾ ounces grenadine for the plastic gators
MAKES 2½ gallons (or enough for five 64-ounce fishbowls)
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, then pour everything evenly into five 64-ounce fishbowls filled with ice. Place multicolored straws in each fishbowl and pour ¾ ounces of the grenadine in each plastic gator.
Our top shelf “Cadillac” margarita, named after the glorious coastline of North and South Carolina—the Grand Strand. The difference between this margarita and a regular margarita is top-shelf silver tequila, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
Kosher salt for rimming the glass (optional)
8 lime wedges, plus
1 for garnish
2 ounces good-quality silver tequila
¾ ounce Grand Marnier
Splash of simple syrup (see below)
MAKES 1 drink
If you’d like a salted rim, rim a 16-ounce mason jar (see this page). In another mason jar, muddle 8 lime wedges (see this page). Fill with ice and add the tequila, Grand Marnier, and simple syrup. Place a shaker on top of the jar and shake well. Pour into the rimmed glass, if using, or serve directly from the mason jar, garnished with a lime wedge.
There’s nothing easier to make than simple syrup. We use a 2:1 ratio.
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
MAKES 2 cups
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and cool. Store in a clean glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator. It’ll keep for up to 1 month.
ST. PATTY’S DAY DRINKS: I LOVE ST. PATRICK’S DAY. Its the one time of year when everyone acts like a pig, so I fit right in. Whether you’re stuffing your face full of delicious food or downing drinks like they’re going out of style, the name of the game on this day is excess—something we swine know well. Here, you’ll find some of our favorite St. Patty’s cocktails and shooters, as well as how to turn your beer green.
This staple “bomb”-style drink is infamous, even though it’s not typically consumed in the motherland.
½ ounce Irish cream liqueur, such as Baileys
½ ounce Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
1 pint glass three-quarters filled with Guinness Stout
Combine the Irish cream liqueur and whiskey in a shot glass. Drop the shot into the glass with the Guinness Stout and slam it back.
MAKES 1 drink
Don’t feel like being all violent with an Irish Car Bomb? Give peace a chance with the Dublin Handshake.
½ ounce Irish cream liqueur, such as Baileys
½ ounce Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
¾ ounce sloe gin
Combine the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake well and strain into an iced rocks glass. Remember to hug your neighbor while you enjoy it.
MAKES 1 drink
We serve this up at our Brother Jimmy’s locations on St. Patty’s Day and find our guests love to play beer pong with it. Plus, green beer just looks cool. Added bonus to green beer: Spill it on a green shirt and no one will notice.
Any pale beer
Green food coloring
Simply add three drops of green food coloring per pint of beer and you’re good to go.
This is among the simplest yet tastiest of shots.
1 ounce Irish whiskey
1 ounce pickle juice
Take the shot of whiskey. Then take the shot of pickle juice. Then grin in satisfaction.
MAKES 1 shot
This drink keeps the whiskey flowing and the legs jigging.
1½ ounces Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
¾ ounce Drambuie
¾ ounce lemon juice
Splash of ginger ale
1 lemon twist for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake well, then strain into an iced highball glass. Garnish with the lemon twist and then commence with the dancing. We recommend a jig of some sort.
MAKES 1 drink
If Ireland had a Long Island, this would be its namesake drink. This drink is best served in a collins glass. Any tall, slender glass with a 12-ounce capacity will work.
½ ounce gin
½ ounce light rum
½ ounce vodka
½ ounce peach schnapps
½ ounce blue curaçao
½ ounce triple sec
1 (5-ounce) can Red Bull Energy Drink
Fill a large collins glass with ice, add all the liquors, and stir thoroughly. Last, open and drop in a full can of Red Bull upside-down. The can will float at first, then as the energy drink empties, it will slowly sink, turning your drink green as it does.
MAKES 1 drink
Because you have to start the party early some days.
This is a screwdriver with a twist. It can be served in a mason jar or a fishbowl.
FOR A SINGLE DRINK:
2 ounces vodka
Orange juice
Grenadine for drizzling
Pour the vodka into an iced 16-ounce mason jar and fill with the orange juice. Add a drizzle of grenadine and stir to combine.
FOR A 64-OUNCE FISHBOWL:
8 ounces vodka
Orange juice
Grenadine for drizzling
Fill a fishbowl with ice. Add the vodka, then fill with orange juice. Add a drizzle of grenadine and stir to combine.
This is a peach-and champagne-based drink that goes perfectly with brunch. The fruit will settle on the bottom of the glass, but that’s okay; it will be a surprise treat at the end of the drink.
2 ounces peach puree (either puree peaches in a food processor or mince the fruit by hand)
4 ounces champagne
Put the peach puree in the bottom of a champagne flute. Fill with champagne. Drink with your pinky extended at all times.
MAKES 1 drink
A nice simple mix of Budweiser, tomato juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and fresh lime juice.
Brother Jimmy’s Bloody Mary Rimming Spice for rimming (this page)
2 ounces tomato juice
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 lime wedge
Budweiser beer
Rim a pint glass with the Bloody Mary spice. Add the tomato juice, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass, fill with Budweiser, and stir.
MAKES 1 drink
A classic Mint Julep with Maker’s Mark bourbon and fresh mint, this drink is refreshing any time of the day.
8 to 12 fresh mint leaves
1 ounce Simple Syrup (this page)
2 ounces Kentucky bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark
Soda water
Mint sprig for garnish
Place the mint leaves and simple syrup in a 16-ounce mason jar. Muddle the mint (see above). Fill with ice and add the bourbon. Securely fit a metal shaker over the top of the mason jar and shake well. Top with soda water and garnish with the mint sprig.
MAKES 1 drink
HOW TO MUDDLE: When I was a tiny piglet (and wore boots!), I used to excel in muddling—because my sty was always full of mud. But when I grew up, I found out that muddling is actually used to extract and combine flavors. Who knew? Sometimes ingredients are muddled with sugar, which acts as an abrasive. Ingredients are placed in the bottom of a mixing glass, heavy-bottomed serving glass, or cocktail shaker and are firmly pressed with the flat end of the muddler until all of the juices are extracted and the sugar is dissolved. Herbs will become transparent when sufficiently muddled. And what, exactly, is a muddler? It’s a long pestle, from about 8 to 12 inches in length, made of wood, metal, or plastic. If you don’t have muddler, in a pinch you can use a wooden spoon handle.
A classic Bloody Mary made from scratch with tomato juice, horseradish, celery salt, black pepper, hot sauce, and Worchester sauce. Then we add the vodka, our special “rimming spice”—celery seed, kosher salt, and Old Bay—and a festive array of garnishes. For those looking for some extra heat, you can pick up our Blazin’ Jalapeño Stuffed Olives from our website; they go great in here.
Brother Jimmy’s Bloody Mary Rimming Spice (recipe follows)
2 ounces vodka
Brother Jimmy’s Bloody Mary Mix (recipe follows)
1 lemon wedge
FOR GARNISH:
3 Pickled Chipotle String Beans (this page)
3 green olives
1 (6-inch-long) celery stalk
1 lemon wedge
MAKES 1 drink
Rim a 16-ounce mason jar with the Bloody Mary Rimming Spice. Fill another mason jar or a shaker with ice, add the vodka, and squeeze in one lemon wedge. Fill with Bloody Mary Mix and shake well. Pour into the rimmed glass and garnish with the Pickled Chipotle String Beans, olives, celery stalk, and lemon wedge.
2 tablespoons Old Bay
1 tablespoon celery salt
4 teaspoons kosher salt
Combine all the ingredients in a shallow dish and mix well. Store in a covered container in a cool, dry place.
MAKES just over ¼ cup
1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice
¼ cup prepared white horseradish
1¾ teaspoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1¾ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1¾ teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher or jar. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
MAKES about 6 cups
Because sometimes, good things come in (powerfully) small packages. All of our shots are served in a 1-ounce shot glass.
½ ounce Jack Daniel’s
¼ ounce melon liqueur
¼ ounce cranberry juice
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake to combine and strain into a shot glass.
Fill a shot glass halfway with Wild Turkey American Honey. Fill the remaining half with orange juice.
Fill a shot glass halfway with Red Stag (a black cherry-infused bourbon created by Jim Beam). Fill the remaining half with cinnamon liqueur.
Fill a shot glass with any type of tequila. Add a dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce to the top. Your mouth will literally be on fire.
This shot is always a hit because it tastes just like a Jolly Rancher apple candy.
⅓ ounce bourbon
⅓ ounce DeKuyper Sour Apple
Pucker Schnapps
⅓ ounce cranberry juice
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake to combine and strain into a shot glass.
⅓ ounce Southern Comfort
⅓ ounce Amaretto liqueur
⅓ ounce pineapple juice
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake to combine and strain into a shot glass.
⅓ ounce gin
⅓ ounce Sprite
⅓ ounce Wildberry Pucker
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake to combine and strain into a shot glass.
Fill a shot glass halfway with any orange-flavored rum. Fill the remaining half with Red Bull.
½ ounce vodka
¼ ounce triple sec
Splash of cranberry juice
Juice from 2 lime wedges
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker. Shake to combine and strain into a shot glass.
