Drink Your Way Through the 2014 World Cup: Day 2

I've got a big night of drinking planned for Friday because I have to work all day until 7 PM, but then come home to watch three straight World Cup matches while drinking profusely through each one of them. It's not going to be easy.

Let's take a look at the schedule:

Friday - June 13th

Mexico vs. Cameroon

I have no idea what to pair with the Cameroon side of this card alcoholically-speaking, so I'm just going to begin the night with a Paloma (as pictured above) -- a big glass full of tequila and grapefruit soda with ice to represent the Mexican side of the match. The Paloma is one of my favorite cocktails in general, and seeing that I'm married into a large Mexican family, I'll be rooting heavily for El Tri in this game. I might need two Palomas, however, to get that excitement up to the proper level; three Palomas if Cameroon pulls out the win.

What tequila will I use? Probably the Pura Sangre Blanco $25.99 because I'm currently smitten with its unique agave flavor, although it's tough to beat the value on Enrique Fonseca's other brand, Cimarron. That one's only $15 a liter and it's plenty good enough for cocktails.

It's gonna be tough to pace myself for the next game with so much action expected in this first bout.

Spain vs. Netherlands

There's a lot of room for fun with this match-up (and for serious intoxication). Spain obviously runs the full gambit of wine, beer, and spirits, while Holland pretty much has Jenever--the Dutch version of gin. If I'm feeling spry after the Mexico game, I might do a Bols Genever martini (or you could use Anchor's Genevieve, but that's not really from the Netherlands now, is it?) with Valdespino "Inocente" Fino Sherry instead of vermouth. If you've never used dry sherry as the wine component of your cocktail, you might want to give it a shot. It's so much nuttier, saltier, and more expressive than a number of aperitif-style wines like Lillet and its the same basic ingredient: fortified white wine.

If I'm too drunk, however, I might just sip the sherry from a small glass and skip the Genever. With Australia vs. Chile still to go, I'm definitely going to be opening a bottle of wine at some point and I'll need the stomach space for that sucker.

Chile vs. Australia

A battle between two wine-focused regions! Chile has a number of fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon wines, some lovely Carmenere selections, and a few Malbecs here and there. Australia has as much diversity as the United States. The choices are endless. What to do?

I'm sticking with white wine as this is the last match of the night and I have to work in the morning. After a few Palomas and the possibility of a heavy Genever-based martini, I'm going to have to keep it lean and mean.

I'm going with our outstanding Oakridge Local Vineyard Series "Barkala Ridge" Chardonnay $24.99 as it's one of the best K&L imports we carry from any country. The volcanic soils of the "ridge" give this wine a crisp and mineral-driven backbone with all the acidity I'll need to stay awake for a third match.

Hopefully, I can make it through all this hooch in the matter of a few hours, fast-forwarding the commercials on my DVR!

-David Driscoll