The Best March Madness Drinks

March Madness is a time for watching way too much college basketball, but it’s also a time for finger foods and superb drinks. Which drinks, you ask? Well, pretty much every watch party is going to have a cooler stocked with some canned domestic light beer or another. You’ve been looking forward to this tournament all year, my dude—why not get a little more creative? We’ve rounded up some fruity, spicy, and bubbly alcoholic bevs that will keep you and your buds on your collective toes, just like a shooting guard going up for a three pointer. You can do better than Bud Light and White Claw (although we do love a good White Claw). Let us help with this list of the best March Madness drinks. (Oh, and if you’re looking for NA options, we have you covered there, too.)

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Spindrift Spiked

Believe it or not, White Claw isn’t the be-all and end-all of the hard seltzer world. We know, we know, hard to believe, but as Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling discovered when she taste tested more than 60 hard seltzer brands and flavors, Spindrift is making hard seltzer that’s a slam dunk (sorry). “Just like the original Spindrifts, these alcoholic versions are made with real fruit juice and no added sugar, so all you taste is that vibrant hit of real fruit flavor,” she wrote. Regular Spindrift sparkling water is already elite—thanks to, and we repeat, real fruit juice—so alcohol just adds a little fun to the mix. This is a great bev option for people who like to sip a drink with a lower alcohol content (4% ABV) during the game, and the variety pack ensures there’s a flavor for everyone.

Cazadores Spicy Margarita

In Justine’s ranking of the best canned cocktails, she put us onto the Cazadores Spicy Margarita. It’s a spicy marg with a fruity-yet-spicy hint of jalapeño. “There’s just something about a cocktail with a touch of heat that keeps people coming back for more,” Justine noted. The leisure of having a canned margarita in the fridge and ready to go as soon as the game starts can’t be beat. It’s worth the trip to the store and may change your March Madness preparedness routine indefinitely.

ACE Pineapple Craft Cider

If you like an alcoholic beverage that’s on the fruity side (minus the spice), we’d like to point you in the direction of managing editor Gwynedd Stuart’s ranking of the best hard apple cider. ACE Pineapple Craft Cider wins it by a mile, ranking a full 10/10 sporks. “This is a crowd-pleaser through and through—tart enough to have dimension but quaffable enough that you could drink a few without feeling gross,” she wrote. It’s nice to have a crowd-pleaser on hand if you’re throwing a March Madness party. And this cider tastes so good it’s sure to ease the pain of watching your favorite team be eliminated in round one.

Omission Ultimate Wheat Ale

Sometimes, you just want to crack open a cold one and watch the game—especially if that cold one happens to be low in carbs but still taste extremely good. Gwynedd, in her ranking of the best low carb beer, praised Omission’s Ultimate Wheat Ale and its pleasant summery notes. She wrote that it “has a nice, citrusy tang that’s extremely appealing.” Who among us can say no to citrusy tang ahead of a ball game? Contrary to the brand’s name, we will not be omitting this low carb beer from our next March Madness drink haul.

Abita Strawberry Lager

Here in Southern California, strawberry season is typically January through May, and that means that during March Madness, we’re right in the thick of it. This Abita beer—which, similarly, is only available a few months of the year—brings together two of our favorite things about spring: strawberries and having an excuse to drink a bunch of beer. In her ranking of the best Abita beer, Justine wrote that this lager “has a bright and fruity nose. And the flavor is the perfect balance of lager and tangy, not-too-sweet strawberry flavor.” Do yourself a flavor this March Madness and pick up a sixer of this seasonal bad boy.

Related: The Best Abita Beer, Ranked