MVP Mixology

Baseball is a game of traditions and superstitions, from the seventh-inning stretch to the wave. And heaven help you if you accidentally step on a chalk line on your way to the dugout... 

But this year, it's time to shake things up a bit. We're well aware that the combination of baseball and beer has a long and storied history, but we'd like you to try fixing a cocktail instead of reaching for a brewski just once. (If you're really worried, sip it between innings.) 

While mixed drinks can't boast a legacy like more sudsy beverages, there are a few recipes that can be linked to America's pastime. That includes the tasty gin-and-vermouth Cooperstown Cocktail uncovered by award-winning author and Liquor.com advisory board member David Wondrich.

And author David Embury, in his The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, also lists a couple sporting concoctions. We got New York Distilling Company co-founder Allen Katz, another of our advisory board members, to update the formulas. 

So tonight, when the season opens with the Cardinals playing the Marlins at the brand-new Marlins Park, make the refreshing Grand Slam that calls for fresh lemon juice, Curaçao, grenadine and two types of dark rum. 

Or whip up the Golden Glove (pictured) — a relative of the classic Daiquiri also reportedly served by famed Havana bartender Constante Ribalaigua Vert — which consists of white rum, sugar, fresh lime juice and Cointreau.

No matter what you decide to enjoy during the game, we wish your team the best of luck in 2012. Play ball!

This article was originally published at MVP Mixology. For more stories like this, subscribe to Liquor.com for the best of all things cocktails and spirits.