Do We Have CSU to Thank for this Delicious Drink?
Nowadays, Cam the Ram serves as CSU's loyal mascot – attending sporting events and making community appearances on a regular basis. But is one of the university's previous, lesser-known mascots behind the creation of one of Colorado's most popular drinks?
Cam the Ram wasn't adopted as CSU's official mascot until 1959, and prior to that, the school had several others, including an English bulldog named Peanuts. A student first brought Peanuts onto campus around 1912 and although the school never officially went by the Bulldogs, the beloved canine roamed around, and was taken to football games and other athletic events, where he even appeared in team photos. Peanuts even traveled east with the R.O.T.C. as they prepared for the war. He returned back to Fort Collins in 1918 but sadly, the bulldog was poisoned several weeks later by students from the University of Colorado (apparently the rivalry was taken very seriously, even back then).
It's claimed that the Colorado Bulldog cocktail was named after Peanuts, although this has never been officially proven. The drink first appeared in mixology and cocktail books in the 1970s, and is made up of vodka, Kahlua, Coca Cola, and cream.