Grammys 2026: Check out the exclusive food and cocktails served at the awards show

While the Grammy Awards are the focal point of one of the music industry’s biggest nights, another show is underway in the kitchen at this year’s venue.

From start to finish, the 68th Grammy Awards, taking place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1, will last several hours, including the television broadcast. As with every busy outing, performers, industry professionals, and Recording Academy members will likely build strong appetites throughout the day, giving chefs and mixologists at Crypto.com Arena an opportunity to innovate.

“Our focus this year is on small bites,” said John Anderson, senior executive chef at Crypto.com Arena & Levy Restaurants, at a media event on Wednesday, Jan. 28, previewing the Grammy menu. “The feedback we’ve gotten in the past is that people don’t want to have a fork and knife a big entree while they watch the Grammys.”

Anderson said this year the arena’s luxury suites, the ultra-exclusive Delta SKY360° Club, and the Post-GRAMMYs Gala Event on City View Terrace will offer a one-biter full of flavor, including Latin American flavors.

Chef Francisco Amezquita, senior premium sous chef at Crypto.com Arena and Levy Restaurants, helped craft that menu, which draws from the flavors of Mexico and Peru. Some of that influence is evident in the snack mix, which rotates annually. This year features Tajin-dusted Corn Nuts, lime-salted popcorn, chili-dried mango, and Doritos Chile Limon Dinamita.

Amezquita said his favorite dish for the awards show is the Botana Board, which includes mole verde, mole rojo, mole negro, longaniza sausage, vegetarian chicharron de harina, pork belly chicharron, plantain chips, blue corn tortilla chips, roasted garlic white bean, and fruit escabeche.

“Last year we went a little more European-Spanish with our food, and since we change it up every year, and a lot of our chefs are Latino, and we love Latin food, this was a fun menu to try this year,” he said.

In addition to the food, bars and carts throughout the venue will serve specialty cocktails available only for the Grammys. DeAnna Esparza, in-house mixologist at Crypto.com Arena, said she had fun crafting several of the drinks, but one of her favorites was The Lady in Red.

The drink, inspired by Lady Gaga, is made with Codigo Rosa, strawberry vanilla tea, strawberry syrup, orange liqueur, lime juice, a drizzle of Lillet Rouge, and a fresh strawberry garnish.

“I’m a big Lady Gaga fan, and she’s going to be here at the Grammys, so this was my tip of the hat to her,” she said.

Another specialty cocktail Espaza enjoyed concocting was the Maize & Fuego, made with Código Reposado, Ancho Poblano liqueur, charred sweet corn agave, fresh lime juice, and a corn husk garnish.

“We have a lot of cast-iron pans in the back, and we’re just charring up the corn as we do in the backyard at the cookouts,” she said. “It gets mashed up and mixed with the agave, and it is delicious with a little bit of spiciness at the end.”

There is also a cheesy element to this year’s celebration, with a literal 640 lb block of cheddar cheese that Sarah Kaufmann, aka The Cheese Lady, will sculpt. Kaufman will create a sculpture inspired by several music genres for the night of the awards show and will use all excess trim to make artisan grilled cheese sandwiches for guests to purchase.

“This really will be the art of edible entertainment,” Kaufmann said.

In addition to the giant cheese block, the arena is estimated to cook and serve 600 lbs. of short ribs, 15,000 shrimp, and 12,000 pieces of sushi, while bartenders will pour more than 2,000 glasses of champagne.

Here is an inside look at some of the foods that will be served at the 68th Grammy Awards.

Selections from Luxury Suites Menus

Tortilla Kabobs – Codigo lime marinated Mary’s chicken, adobada grass-fed beef, salsa de Jamaica, matcha pistachio salsa seca.

Duck Carnitas Flatbread – Tapatio cured egg yolk, fennel curtido, arugula, queso Oaxaca and date Balsamic reduction.

Nopales Milanesa Torta – Crispy pan-fried cactus leaf, soyrizo nduja and Serrano citrus slaw.

Mezcal Braised Beef Short Rib – Fried potato wedges, pickled green tomato, aji amarillo, toasted garlic fried rice.

Crema Cacao – shaved Abuelita Mexican chocolate, churro crumbs.

Delta SKY360° Club

“On-Sen Ramen” Deviled Eggs – Char Siu bacon, Szechuan chili crunch, negi gari shoga.

Pressed Bluefin Tuna Crudo – Pickled Jimmy Nardello pepper, chives and EEVO.

Post-GRAMMYs Gala Event on City View Terrace

Smoked Salmon Cannoli – chive crème fraiche, salmon roe, and everything spice.

Manhattan Chicken Bites – Bourbon, orange juice, and brandied cherry BBQ Sauce

Dirty Martini Fries – Gin-soaked green olives and lemon salt.

Specialty Cocktails

Wild Flower – Monkey 47 Gin, Herban Liqueur, yuzu, pear puree, spritz of salt water, splash of tonic water and Alyssum flower garnish.

Chocolate & Orange Manhattan – Jeffersons Tropics Whiskey, orange liqueur, coffee liqueur, a dash of chocolate bitters, sweet vermouth and a garnish of chocolate-dipped dehydrated orange.

GRAMMY 68 – Perrier-Jouët Champagne and blood orange caviar.