The Bracket Boozer

When it comes to college sports, the South may be known for its titan football programs, but in parts of the region, basketball is king. Growing up in North Carolina, Gary Crunkleton was always big on the Tar Heels. He can tell you exactly where he was for the team’s last five national championships, from watching with his dad in ’82 to bartending in Chapel Hill in ’93—“I remember my thumb being swollen from opening all of those cans of beer,” he says. Most recently, including last March, the venue has been his namesake craft cocktail bar, which by no coincidence sits in the heart of the college town (though nearby Charlotte will get a taste of the good stuff when a second location of the Crunkleton opens this summer). Just in time for March Madness, he’s whipped up a few drinks inspired by the revelry of the tournament.