Welcome back to the Hilltop, Hoyas! Now that you’ve all (hopefully) settled into classes and adjusted from summer mode, Casual Thursdays are back to give you just what you need to kick off your weekend the right way. Fall is in the air and with its arrival comes lots to be excited about. Football season is in full swing, Homecoming weekend is quickly approaching, and D.C.’s summer humidity has all but disappeared.

As the sweaters and jeans begin to make a slow and steady comeback from the depths of your closets, you may be thinking about switching up the usual summer cocktail for a slightly more seasonal option. Luckily, there are lots of great fall drinks out there, but I’ve decided to go a little sporty this week with some fun football drinks to get us all in the crisp autumn spirit…after all, who says football is just for Sundays?

“The Touchdown”

Everyone likes an Arnold Palmer, right? This refreshing drink incorporates ice tea and lemonade in order to give you just the right amount of sweetness…with a little bourbon thrown into the mix.

• 4 oz bourbon
• 8 oz lemonade
• 8 oz iced tea (unsweetened)

1. Combine bourbon with iced tea in a mixing glass filled with ice.

2. Strain equal parts into two glasses filled with ice.

3. Top with lemonade.

*makes two 12 ounce servings

“The Eagle”

As a Philly girl at heart, the Philadelphia Eagles will always be my go to team, but if you have other favorites there are lots of special drinks out there for you to check out. Still, I’m going with this one. A bit more on the classy side, “The Eagle” incorporates crème de violette and an egg white (a Philly tradition, of course) to give your drink a sophisticated yet delicious flare.

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz creme de violette
• 1 oz lemon
•  1 tsp sugar
• 1 egg white

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a glass.

If you’d prefer to watch some football rather than mix drinks, you might have to wait until the games on Sunday or when our very own Hoyas venture up to Princeton to take on the Tigers. In the meantime though, why not pop in a classic football movie like Invincible? Yes, I know it’s about the Eagles, but you also get to see Mark Wahlberg running around in a sweaty football uniform. (Or, since the NFL is using replacement referees, check out The Replacements). Not too shabby for a Thursday night.

Until next time… stay causal, Hoyas.

Photos: therewillbebourbon.net, Walt Disney Studios