Posted on by Beckworth & Co.

Tailgating

College and professional sports tailgating season is always just around the corner. It's a time to bond and reunite with family and friends you haven't seen in a while and reunite with people you typically avoid. It's also an excuse to relive those debaucherous years, people watch and, when done right, to wreck havoc on your liver and digestive systems.

You only need three things to crown yourself a tailgating king.

at the stadium

Before we get to that, let's go over a basic checklist of MUST HAVES and "nice to haves" for a tailgate. These are items that you need to have otherwise you aren't really hosting a tailgate, you're just taking up space with your loser friends while bumming off other tailgaters.

cheerleaders

Must Haves

  • Ice / Cooler - Essential. You don't want to run out either. It's better to overdo this one.
  • Chairs / Tables - You need a place to chill and a place to put the food and drinks.
  • Meat / Cheese - Manly food.
  • Chip / Bread or Buns - Carbs are ok for special occasions like awesome tailgates.
  • Grill / Charcoal / Lighter Fluid - What are you going to cook with? Your lighter?
  • Ketchup / Various Condiments - These are for those suckers that need such items.
  • Plates / Forks / Cups - You can eat with your hands, but that's not sexy.
  • Paper towels or Napkins - It's nice to be able to clean up your messy hands and beer spills.
  • Music  - It's either you bring your own Bluetooth speaker or you listen to the reggaeton music blasting next to you.
  • Alcohol - Doesn't matter if it's a 6-pack of Budlight (hope not), but something is required.
  • Games - Nothing fancy, cornhole, cards or a football to toss around will do.
bbq skewers

Nice to Haves

  • A canopy - While you're at it, throw in some sunscreen as well. Nobody likes being scorched by the sun for hours and waking up with a burnt face.
    • Labels for your coolers - Sounds simple but you'd be surprised how many times people will ask you which cooler and in which section the cooler the wine, beer, hard liquor, water, soda is.
      • Beer pong table - Some people like it, some people don't but even those that don't will have a whole lot more fun with a beer pong table in the vicinity.
        • Big screen television and power source - For those who want to keep up with other important games on the same day.
          • Caffeine (coffee, espresso, Red Bull) - Even with your whiskey, it's great to get a little stimulant in your system before you actually go to the game or to catch that second wind you need to power through the day.
            • Portable chargers - For those who are addicted to their Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook Live postings. Not to mentions those who check their phones every few minutes of the day, which is almost everybody.
            dj

              Tail Gating All-Star Level

              Now to make your tailgate really stand apart from the crowd and turn your little barbecue event into a party, you just need three things:
                • Fully Stocked Bar - Beggers can't be choosers when it comes to alcohol selection but if you have a fully stocked bar, you can really cater to everybody's 
                  libatious preferences. Personally, I like to start the tailgate off with Irish cream, whiskey, and coffee or a nice Bloody Mary, then proceed to the martini bar before stumbling my way to the shot of tequila.
                  • International Food Bar - You can't go wrong with good
                    ol
                    ' American burgers and hot dogs. But in our diverse society, most people can appreciate a nice Mexican burrito and taco bar, Korean BBQ or Cuban cuisine.
                    • A DJ - Even if the DJ is pumping music from his iPhone or iPod, having that person throw his hands up while conducting invisible musical sound waves to a small audience can turn your small tailgate into a party.
                    bar
                      There you have it, 3 things you can do to turn your tailgate into an eventful celebration of food, sports, and friends.  What was your most memorable tailgate event you've been to in your life and why? comment below or shoot us an
                      email to tell us about it!