When I was in college, tailgating at Colorado State meant getting up early to load up a car, timing things correctly to get everyone into the lot at the same time, and enjoying some Natty light in the dirt parking lot next to Hughes Stadium. As an alumni, tailgating is a bit more of an art, especially now that CSU has moved to an on campus stadium.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was honored to be asked to help share some tailgating tips with the crew at Fox31 Denver in honor of National Tailgating Day and the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The full video clip of the segment is below.
In addition to what I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to put together a few of my favorite tailgating tricks for planning the ultimate alumni tailgate that you can try on no matter where you went to school!
Alumni Tailgate Tip 1: Take the Food Up a Notch
We’ve officially ‘graduated’ from the mini charcoal grill.
My all time favorite tailgating tool is a discada. The first time I saw a discada was while visiting family in New Mexico. Different parts of the country call these outdoor cooking tools different things, a disco, cowboy wok, etc. Discada’s are old plow disks that have been recycled and refinished to be used over a burner stand.
The 22″ discada and 12″ burner stand from Carolina Cooker is my new go to tailgating tool. Easily transportable, the propane powered setup allows me to cook my favorite meals and serve a big crowd at the same time!
Discada Recipes
- Tailgate Breakfast Tacos
- BBQ Bacon Burgers
- Whole 30 Tailgate Stir Fry [coming soon!]
This entire set up costs approximately $73. Shop now on ArgiSupply.com
If you need inspiration for what you want to cook, I’m loving the new ‘Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook’. When you love football you have to appreciate the SEC’s ability to take college sports to a whole new level.
Created by the team at Southern Living, each SEC team has a section featuring food and recipes football teams across the country will love. My personal favorite is the Creole Gumbo which I’ll be mixing up for a tailgate as soon as the weather is cold! [Tailgating tip: The Carolina Cooker Stand from the discada can be used with a stock pot!]
The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook is available on Amazon now and would make a perfect holiday gift for a football fan.
Alumni Tailgate Tip 2: Show off your tailgate mixology
Say goodbye to the suitcase of beer.
In college, the cheaper the beer, the better the party. As an Alumni I’ve found that I value the flavor of the drinks I consume and a mixed drink is a 100x better than a sour watered down light beer.
Thanks to having a car with an outlet in the back one of my FAVORITE new ways to tailgate is with the Bibo Barmaid. No need to have that friend who’s always the bartender, the Bibo helps to make a perfectly mixed drink on demand.
ket of your choice and Bibo will add the correct amount of water to the mixer. Finish it off with the recommended alcohol and you have a bar quality mixed drink in minutes, without needing to store a ton of mixer bottles at your tailgate.
Today I am making a Ram-a-Rita using the Bibo Barmaid Margarita mix, and adding tequila and beer to my finished drink.
The Bibo Barmaid is available on Amazon for $195.
If you don’t have easy access to an outlet, mixing drinks the old fashioned ways is always an option. One of my favorite easy drinks to pack and mixup on game day is a Black and Gold Whiskey Tea using Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey.
We all know that Alabama KNOWS football and when picking the perfect football beverage you can’t go wrong with Clyde May. With origins during WW2, Clyde May is an apple-infused whiskey perfect for adding to sweet tea or even drinking straight. It has a sweet finish, but is not what I would call fruity despite the slight apple addition.
Black and Gold Whiskey Tea Recipe
- Sweet tea infused with lemon left to sit overnight
- 1 shot Clyde May’s Whiskey
- Serve on the rocks.
Clyde May is available in Denver at Argonaut Liquor or Total Beverage.
Alumni Tailgate Tip 3: Game like a Pro
Beyond beer pong.
During college a folding table and a few plastic cups made the perfect set up for hours of entertainment. As an alumni, spending several hours outside means you need to socialize more than drink (or socialize while you drink). Playing a few games is the ideal way to do that!
Larger than life yard games are a fun way to catch up with friends during a tailgate.
Giant Jenga from the Tammie Rose Collection is an ideal way to enjoy a game among friends AND scar the pants off your neighbor when things come crashing to the ground. These beautiful sets include a easy to use carry case and are stained to make your set really stand out.
Cornhole is a tailgating classic and these beautiful boards from Colorado Cornhole Guy can not be beat. With the ability to print any design you want on the top, these are quite honestly the most beautiful board set’s I’ve ever seen. Each board is constructed with a smooth top, ensuring that nothing snags the top of the set.
Another game that only becomes more fun when giantized is Jenga. The classic dice game is perfect for killing time while waiting for food to cool. This school color personalized Jenga set is available from Mile High Gifts on Etsy.
If you have a large crowd, Corkaine is the perfect way to get everyone involved in the tailgating festivities. Up to four players can enjoy trying out one of 12 games with this fun and unique yard game set. The object of the game is for competitors to launch corks into the various cups on the game board. The team with the most corks in a single cup wins the cup!
I’m so excited that tailgating season is officially underway! What are your favorite things about tailgating? Leave a note in the comments and let me know what tips you’d add to this list!
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