Cocktail Column – Fruit Vodka Sodas inspired by Devil Goat Day

By EMILIA MICHALKIEWICZ

Staff Photographer

This week’s recipe is simple but super fun. It’s an easy cocktail that can be customized to any fruit flavors. The versions in the recipe are cherry and lime, since they go with the red and green theme of Devil Goat Day. Although Devil Goat Day is usually in April, the red and green theme of these drinks is perfect for the upcoming holiday season, especially if you are someone who does not like eggnog or spiced wine and cider very much. 

Devil Goat Day is one of UMW’s most popular spring traditions. Even-numbered graduation years are “goats” and their color is green, while odd-numbered years are “devils” and their color is red. The day is usually filled with competitive activities and free treats, shirts and other goodies for students. Many students participate and even those that do not still enjoy the tradition. Senior historic preservation major Ella Green said, “though I’ve never participated in Devil Goat day, I think it’s an interesting and fun UMW tradition.”

Devil Goat Day started back in 1926, according to an article on the school’s website from April 2020 by Lisa Chinn Marvashti. The junior class that year claimed a goat as their mascot. Of course the seniors had to choose a mascot as well so they chose a devil, not predicting nearly a century of friendly rivalry that would continue at UMW. The tradition started as a rivalry between classes and developed into a day-long affair that brings together both students and faculty to celebrate the strong school spirit they all share for UMW.

One of the best parts of Devil Goat Day, and college in general, is the free gifts. What college student does not love the word free? Some of the various freebies over the past few years have been camp chairs, tee shirts, bandanas, color changing cups, popcorn and snow cones. The games and activities are the main focus of the day, with both competitive games and ones to play for fun, placed on Ball Circle. 

Unfortunately, COVID-19 caused some changes to Devil Goat Day plans last spring, but it did not stop it from happening. The activities moved online with hashtag based challenges on Instagram rather than in person games. According to the article by Lisa Marvashti, “Monday’s ‘spread the spirit’ challenge, for example, asked students to catch an object from one side of the screen and toss it off on the other. Polls, playlists and questions have participants naming their favorite clubs, sports and spots to hang out.” Even though Devil Goat Day 2021 will likely be online as well, it will be just as fun since UMW and its students have such a strong school spirit.

Recipe:

This recipe is extremely easy. You can make the drinks separately or mix the flavors together for a cherry limeade vodka soda. To make these drinks you will need cherry and lime hard seltzer of your choice, cherry vodka, a citrus or lime vodka and red and green food dye. 

When I say this cocktail is easy, I mean it! Find some fun glasses (bonus points if you have the color changing cups from 2019!). Pour the hard seltzer, the vodka (I’d recommend around a half ounce to one ounce), and add a few drops of food dye. Stir it together and you are done.

You can even mix the two flavors together to make a cherry limeade cocktail, but I would recommend doing so without the food dye, or add a different color once the flavors are mixed since red and green will not mix well. You could also make these extra fun and throw in a bit of the edible glitter you might have left over from the Big Ash Bonfire Sangria.