The Badgertini is a simple vodka-based cocktail created to celebrate the University of Wisconsin Badgers (the school’s mascot is the badger).
Ingredients (for one serving)
- 1½ oz vodka (Pearl Vodka recommended)
- ½ oz sloe gin
- ½ oz triple sec (or red curaçao for a red tint)
- ¼ oz lime juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a chilled martini (cocktail) glass.
- You can also serve it “on the rocks” in a rocks glass filled with ice.
Flavour profile
It’s a fruity, slightly sweet-tart martini-style drink. The vodka provides a neutral base, sloe gin adds berry-like sweetness and colour, triple sec brings citrusy orange notes, and the lime juice provides balancing acidity. The result is bright, approachable, and easy to sip—perfect for game days or tailgates.
It’s not a widely famous classic like a Martini or Cosmopolitan, but it’s a fun, fan-made creation tied to Wisconsin sports culture. Variations might swap the curaçao for something redder to echo the Badgers’ colours (cardinal red and white). If you’re a Badger fan, it’s a thematic choice alongside other Wisconsin-themed drinks like brandy old fashioners. Enjoy responsibly!
Popularity
It remains a niche, fun drink rather than a mainstream one. You’ll mostly find it on recipe aggregator sites, Wisconsin fan pages, or in college sports drinking contexts. Wisconsin’s official drink culture leans more toward the Brandy Old Fashioned, but the Badgertini serves as a lighter, vodka-based alternative for fans.
In short: The Badgertini is a relatively recent invention (early 2000s) by a cocktail website, created purely for fun and school spirit rather than having deep historical roots. It’s simple, fruity, and perfect for game days!
