Cocktail Thursday: Murray State Edition

Is your favorite college football team on upset watch for the entire season?

Are you worried about more injuries?

Did your team lose to Georgia State last week?

Then you could probably use a drink. I can help you with that.

I’ve published over 150 of these Cocktail Thursday columns over the years, with only a few repeats. They break down broadly into three categories:

There are specific contest-themed drinks, designed for the tone of any particular game.

There are ingredient-specific cocktails, such as those arising from our rule that the Kentucky game always features a bourbon cocktail.

And one of the more common themes, the player-themed cocktail, built around the attributes of a particular player, particularly one who could be a key player in the upcoming game.

Somehow, this week’s cocktail is all three.

Murray State, for the unaware, is located in bucolic Murray, Kentucky. Ergo, there’s going to be bourbon.

And one thing that will be important for the ‘Dawgs to do will be to keep contain on a Murray’s State rushing attack that went for 249 yards in their opening weekend 59-20 win (albeit over NAIA school Pikeville).

And who will be in charge of squeezing down that Murray State attack? Among others, redshirt freshman outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, whose 6 tackles and half a sack against Vandy were a good indication that the preseason whispers about his maturation as a player held a kernel of truth.

So what’s the potable for the when you need Ojulari to put the squeeze on a team from the Bourbon State?

A Squeeze O’Julari

You’ll need:

• 1 and 1/2 ounces of good bourbon. You’re all adults. You know what good bourbon is and isn’t so please use your judgment.

• 1/2 ounce apricot liqueur. There are several decent ones to be found, but I’m not too wedded to any variety.

• 1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 ounce of simple syrup

Shake all the ingredients together over ice then strain into a rocks glass (you can add ice to the glass if you must, but since this one already has syrup and fruit juice you may not want to water it down further). Enjoy. And...

Go ‘Dawgs!!!